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National Lacrosse League: 10 Things To Know For Week 16

via NLL press release, by Ryan Ireland

Eight Games with All 15 Teams in Action over Three Days as Playoff Races Heat Up; Toronto, Buffalo Can Clinch Spots; Bandits Host Mammoth in ‘22 Finals Rematch

PHILADELPHIA, March 16, 2023 – All 15 teams will suit up this weekend as the National Lacrosse League (@NLL), the world’s largest and most successful professional lacrosse league, moves towards the home stretch and the playoff picture starts to take shape. With seven weekends remaining, East clubs Buffalo and Toronto could even clinch postseason berths during a slate that includes Colorado’s first return to the KeyBank Center since winning the 2021-22 title there (Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN+, TSN+, Altitude Sports Network); the renewal of “The Battle of the Prairies” with Saskatchewan visiting Calgary (Friday, 9 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. MT,  ESPN+, TSN+); and the two newest franchises in Las Vegas and Panther City squaring off at Dickies Arena (Saturday, 8 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. CT, ESPN+, TSN+, KVMY Ch. 21, Bally Sports SW).

Here are 10 things to know about the NLL for Week 16:

  • Toronto and Buffalo have put themselves in position to clinch playoff berths out of the East this week. The Rock can clinch with a victory at Halifax on Saturday (7 p.m. AT / 6 p.m. ET, ESPN+, TSN+). The Bandits can secure a spot with any of the following:
  • Win vs. Colorado Saturday, OR
  • Halifax loss vs Toronto, OR
  • Philadelphia losses to both Georgia on Saturday (11 a.m. ET, ESPN+, TSN+) and Rochester on Sunday (3 p.m. ET, ESPN+, TSN+)
  • The Riptide will host the second annual Cystic Fibrosis Night on Saturday when they take on Albany at 7:30 p.m. (ESPN+, TSN+, WNYA My4, MSG Network). The Riptide have partnered with the Boomer Esiason Foundation (BEF) and Westhampton Beach Brewing Co. to raise awareness and resources for the CF community. A pre-game reception will be held at 6 p.m. at Nassau Coliseum; former NFL quarterback and media personality Boomer Esiason will be a special guest and will also participate in the ceremonial ball drop. Fans can register here.
  • NLL Hall of Famer Regy Thorpe will serve as head coach of the men’s Team USA at the 2024 World Lacrosse Box Championships. The 2021 inductee coached Team USA at the 2019 event. US Lacrosse also announced that Ginny Capicchioni, the first woman to appear in an NLL game (exhibition), has been tabbed as the women’s team coach.
  • The Saskatchewan Rush honored K9 Merlot, a Regina-based accredited facility dog that supports children at Regina Police Service, as its Hero of the Game proudly presented by Richardson Pioneer on Saturday. The Hero, nominated by fans, can be a local teacher, volunteer, or an emergency responder who makes a difference in their community.
  • San Diego forward Dane Dobbie (Elora, Ont.) and Halifax forward Ryan Benesch (Elmira, Ont.) have had a nice back-and-forth around the 500-goal milestones in recent weeks. Dobbie joined Benesch as the only seven players in the club with this stylish behind-the-back, shorthanded tally with three Rush defenders surrounding him. Benesch became the sixth to achieve the feat a week earlier on March 3 by firing this nifty marker past Buffalo’s star goalkeeper Matt Vinc (St. Catharines, Ont.)
  • Last year’s Rookie of the Year on the floor continues to serve as a role model off it, as New York’s Jeff Teat (Brampton, Ont.) will host a free clinic for middle school students at JHS 185 in Flushing from 9 to 10:30 a.m. on Sunday. The program, sponsored by Manhattan-based CityLax, a non-profit organization dedicated to changing the lives of the students it serves through the game of lacrosse, has named its outreach to young teens the Eamon J. McEneaney Middle School Lacrosse Program in honor of one of the greatest NCAA lacrosse players of all-time and, like Teat, a Cornell alumnus.
  • The Rochester Knighthawks and Veterans Outreach Center are once again teaming up to host Military Salute Knight on Sunday when the Knighthawks face the Philadelphia Wings at 3:00 p.m. at Segar & Sciortino Field at The Blue Cross Arena. The day’s festivities include an American flag giveaway to the first 1,000 fans in attendance, courtesy of Veterans Outreach Center, as well as multiple in-game activations and recognition of all the brave men and women currently serving or who have served our country.
  • In addition to full coverage across ESPN+, five games this week will be simulcast locally in the U.S. across seven networks: Albany (WYNA My4); Las Vegas (KVMY Ch. 21); Philadelphia (NBC Sports Philadelphia, NBC Sports Philadelphia+), Colorado (Altitude Sports), Panther City (Bally Sports SW) and New York (MSG Network). ESPN’s linear coverage resumes next week with Buffalo at San Diego, with six games on the slate on ESPNews and ESPN2 the rest of the year.
  • Some milestones players eclipsed last week include:
  • Colorado forward Rhys Duch (Victoria, B.C.) has now played in 200 games
  • Colorado goaltender Dillon Ward (Orangeville, Ont.) now has 5,114 saves, passing Brandon Miller for ninth on the all-time list after recording 23 stops vs. Calgary
  • Georgia forward Shayne Jackson (Bowmanville, Ont.) now has 302 goals after scoring five vs. Rochester
  • Halifax forward Clarke Petterson (Toronto, Ont.) now has 203 loose ball recoveries after grabbing seven vs. Buffalo
  • New York forward Jeff Teat (Brampton, Ont.) now has 204 points after his three-goal, five-assist effort vs. Philadelphia
  • Philadelphia forward Ben McIntosh (Port Coquitlam, B.C.) now has 502 loose ball recoveries after plucking three vs. New York
  • Philadelphia forward Blaze Riorden (Fairport, N.Y.) now has 202 points after recording a goal and five assists vs. New York
  • Rochester forward Connor Fields (East Amherst, N.Y.) now has 102 assists after a huge five-goal, five-assist game vs. Georgia
  • San Diego forward Dane Dobbie (Elora, Ont.) now has 504 goals, becoming the seventh player in league history to eclipse the 500 mark (following Ryan Benesch (Elmira, Ont.) in Week 14)
  • San Diego defenseman/transition player Brodie Merrill (Orangeville, Ont.) has passed Josh Sanderson for fourth place in games played with 269
  • Saskatchewan goaltender Alex Buque (Whitby, Ont.) now has 2,530 saves after notching 38 stops vs. San Diego
  • Vancouver defenseman Brett Mydske (New Westminster, B.C.) has now played in 200 games
  • Vancouver goaltender Aaron Bold (Victoria, B.C.) now has 5,112 saves, passing Brandon Miller for tenth place on the all-time list (two behind Colorado’s Dillon Ward)
  • Some milestones players may reach this week include:
  • Albany forward Connor Kelly (Easton, Conn.) needs two points to reach 100
  • Buffalo transition player Ian MacKay (Port Elgin, Ont.) needs three points to reach 100
  • Buffalo defenseman Steve Priolo (St. Catharines, Ont.) needs four points to reach 200
  • Calgary defenseman Jeff Cornwall (Coquitlam, B.C.) needs one point to reach 100
  • Calgary forward Josh Currier (Peterborough, Ont.) needs one assist to reach 100
  • Calgary goaltender Christian Del Bianco (Coquitlam, B.C.) needs 18 saves to reach 3000
  • Calgary head coach Curt Malawsky needs one wins to pass Chris Hall for eighth place in league history with 86
  • Calgary forward Tyler Pace (Coquitlam, B.C.) needs three loose ball recoveries to reach 200
  • Colorado goaltender Dillon Ward (Orangeville, Ont.) needs one win to pass Steve Dietrich for 10th all-time with 66
  • Colorado forward Chris Wardle (Victoria, B.C.) needs three goals to reach 100 and four loose ball recoveries to reach 300
  • Halifax defenseman David Brock (Burlington, Ont.) needs one point to reach 100
  • Halifax forward Ryan Benesch (Elmira, Ont.) needs six assists to become the ninth player in league history to reach 700; five points to become the seventh player in league history to reach 1200; and one game played to become the 14th player to reach 250
  • New York forward Reilly O’Connor (Whitby, Ont.) needs five loose ball recoveries to reach 400
  • New York defenseman/transition player Jay Thorimbert (Whitby, Ont.) needs one loose ball recovery to become the fifth player in league history to reach 1800
  • Panther City forward Callum Crawford (Ottawa, Ont.) needs one goal to become the 11th player in league history to reach 450 in his career.
  • Panther City defenseman/transition player Tony Malcom (New Westminster, B.C.) needs four points to reach 200
  • Philadelphia goaltender Angus Goodleaf (Kahanwake, Que.) needs 16 minutes played to reach 2000
  • Philadelphia goaltender Zach Higgins (Courtice, Ont.) needs one save to reach 3000
  • Rochester defenseman Brad Gillies (Oakville, Ont.) needs one game played to reach 100
  • Rochester goaltender Rylan Hartley (Toronto) needs 12 saves to reach 1000
  • San Diego forward Austin Staats (Six Nations, Ont.) needs three loose ball recoveries to reach 200
  • Saskatchewan defenseman Matt Beers (Coquitlam, B.C.) needs one assist to reach 100
  • Toronto defenseman Mitch de Snoo (Oshawa, Ont.) needs three points to reach 100
  • Toronto forward Dan Craig (Shelburne, Ont.) needs two goals to reach 100
  • Toronto defenseman Billy Hostrawser (Bellwood, Ont.) needs four loose ball recoveries to reach 700
  • Toronto forward Corey Small (St. Catharines, Ont.) needs four points to reach 800; and five loose ball recoveries to reach 600
  • Vancouver forward Keegan Bal (Coquitlam, BC) needs five assists to reach 200 in his career

Schedule – Week 16 (All Times Eastern)

Friday

Rush (5-6) @ Roughnecks (8-4), 9pm, ESPN+, TSN+

Seals (8-2) @ Warriors (3-9), 10 p.m., ESPN+, TSN+

Saturday

Swarm (2-8) @ Wings (5-6), 11am, ESPN+, TSN+, NBC Sports Philadelphia

Rock (10-3) @ Thunderbirds (5-7), 6pm, ESPN+, TSN+

FireWolves (2-9) @ Riptide (3-9), 7:30pm, ESPN+, TSN+, WNYA My4, MSG Network

Mammoth (5-6) @ Bandits (10-2), 7:30pm, ESPN+, TSN+, Altitude Sports Network

Desert Dogs (4-7) @ Panther City (7-5), 8pm, ESPN+, TSN+, KVMY Ch. 21, Bally Sports SW

Sunday

Wings (5-6*) @ Knighthawks (9-3), 3pm, ESPN+, TSN+, NBC Sports Philadelphia+

*pending Saturday result

About the National Lacrosse League

The National Lacrosse League (NLL) is North America’s premier professional lacrosse league. Founded in 1986, the NLL ranks third in average attendance for pro indoor sports worldwide, behind only the NHL and NBA. The League is comprised of 15 franchises across the United States and Canada: Albany FireWolves, Buffalo Bandits, Calgary Roughnecks, Colorado Mammoth, Georgia Swarm, Halifax Thunderbirds, Las Vegas Desert Dogs, New York Riptide, Panther City Lacrosse Club (TX), Philadelphia Wings, Rochester Knighthawks, San Diego Seals, Saskatchewan Rush, Toronto Rock, and Vancouver Warriors.

For the latest scores and developments in the National Lacrosse League, please visit: NLL.com and find the NLL on FacebookInstagramTwitter and TikTok.

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Media inquiries contact:

Ryan Ireland, rireland@nll.com

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