Justin Ivey, NLL Correspondent
Lacrosse is Awesome©
Standings:
Justin Ivey 30-15
Shawn Palmer 29-16
Stephonya Hunter-Penner 25-20
Chris Vale 23-22
No undefeated teams remain! Toronto took down the last unbeaten, Halifax, at home and they were even down a few key players. Buffalo squeaked by Rochester, New England fell flat against a visiting Vancouver, Georgia handled the Wings and San Diego won the first NLL game in Las Vegas!! Another five games this weekend and Shawn is steadily gaining on my lead. Let’s see what the panel says for this week.
Buffalo Bandits (5-1) at Vancouver Warriors (3-4)
Friday, February 7 at 10:30 PM EST
Vancouver proved last week that their defense can hang with the high-powered offenses. In a 10-6 win over New England they held Callum Crawford off the score sheet and really controlled the game. Buffalo on the other hand proved again that they can score, needing every one of their 16 goals to beat Rochester. Which style comes out on top, Buffalo’s offense or Vancouver’s defense?
My Pick: Buffalo
Stephonya Hunter-Penner: Buffalo
Chris Vale: Buffalo
Shawn Palmer: Buffalo
Colorado Mammoth (4-5) at Saskatchewan Rush (3-2)
Saturday, February 8 at 8:30 PM EST
The two top teams in the West Division battle it out on Saturday night. Saskatchewan won the first matchup 9-8 in Colorado and Colorado won the second matchup 12-6 in Saskatchewan. This is the third and final meeting and could have playoff implications if there happens to be the need for a tiebreaker. Colorado fell to San Diego in Las Vegas last week while Saskatchewan was enjoying two weeks off. This is the marquee matchup of the weekend in my opinion and should be a great game.
My Pick: Colorado
Stephonya Hunter-Penner: Saskatchewan
Chris Vale: Saskatchewan
Shawn Palmer: Saskatchewan
New York Riptide (1-7) at Calgary Roughnecks (2-4)
Saturday, February 8 at 9:30 PM EST
New York is having a frustrating start to the franchise and things do not get easier this week with a visit to Calgary. The Roughnecks are 0-3 at home and the motivation of giving the crowd something to celebrate is sure to be a driving factor. Big man Tyler Digby leads the Riptide with 12 goals, and rookie Tyson Gibson has been improving every game, but the team has struggled to play a full 60 minutes of solid lacrosse. Calgary has a star in Christian Del Bianco in between the pipes and rely on him and the defense to set the tone. Keep on eye on Dereck Downs on the left side. Recently acquired from New England, he can change a game with his scoring.
My Pick: Calgary
Stephonya Hunter-Penner: Calgary
Chris Vale: Calgary
Shawn Palmer: Calgary
Vancouver Warriors (?-?) at Rochester Knighthawks (1-6)
Sunday, February 9 at 2:00 PM EST
Vancouver needs to travel cross continent to visit the Rochester on Sunday. The Knighthawks had a vintage performance from veteran Shawn Evans last week and as a team they put up 15 goals. The will to win is there for this expansion team and they have been in close games. Vancouver may be burnt out after a physical game with Buffalo and a long flight.
My Pick: Rochester
Stephonya Hunter-Penner: Vancouver
Chris Vale: Vancouver
Shawn Palmer: Vancouver
Buffalo Bandits (?-?) at Toronto Rock (4-2)
Sunday, February 9 at 3:00 PM EST
Buffalo’s second game in three days is another road game. Closer to home than Vancouver, but still visitors. Toronto had some injuries pile on them before last week’s game against Halifax, but they still came out on top. Toronto already visited Buffalo this year and came away with the win. Challen Rogers really sets the tone for Toronto on both defense and offense, a rare player with the ability to play both ways. For Buffalo, Josh Byrne has really been a catalyst for offensive fireworks, posting a seven-goal game this season. With stellar goaltending from both sides and strong offenses, this game shouldn’t be missed.
My Pick: Buffalo
Stephonya Hunter-Penner: Toronto
Chris Vale: Toronto
Shawn Palmer: Toronto