|
Below is a collection of standings, results, statistics, award winners, and season summaries from the 2000 National Lacrosse League season, archived for our visitors' convenience.
Final Regular Season Standings
Team W L Pct GB GF GA Streak
x Toronto Rock 9 3 .750 -- 162 130 Won 4
x Buffalo Bandits 8 4 .667 1 202 194 Won 1
x Rochester Knighthawks 8 4 .667 1 187 149 Won 5
x Philadelphia Wings 7 5 .583 2 172 165 Lost 1
Albany Attack 6 6 .500 3 169 160 Lost 3
Pittsburgh CrosseFire 6 6 .500 3 184 164 Lost 2
New York Saints 3 9 .250 6 152 194 Lost 5
Syracuse Smash 1 11 .083 8 135 207 Lost 1
x: clinched playoff berth
Week-By-Week Results
Winning teams in bold
Week One:
Fri 7 Jan Albany 11 @ Philadelphia 12 (OT)
Sat 8 Jan Pittsburgh 23 @ New York 12
Sat 8 Jan Toronto 17 @ Buffalo 14
Sat 8 Jan Rochester 16 @ Syracuse 6
Week Two:
Fri 14 Jan Pittsburgh 19 @ Albany 21
Sat 15 Jan Syracuse 13 @ New York 14
Sat 15 Jan Pittsburgh 14 @ Rochester 18
Week Three:
Fri 21 Jan New York 5 @ Toronto 9
Sat 22 Jan Philadelphia 15 @ Pittsburgh 16
Week Four:
Fri 28 Jan Toronto 11 @ Pittsburgh 9
Sat 29 Jan Albany 16 @ New York 17 (OT)
Sat 29 Jan Rochester 12 @ Philadelphia 15
Sat 29 Jan Syracuse 21 @ Buffalo 22
Week Five:
Sat 5 Feb Albany 17 @ Buffalo 21
Sat 5 Feb New York 13 @ Philadelphia 15
Sat 5 Feb Toronto 9 @ Rochester 14
Week Six:
Fri 11 Feb Syracuse 12 @ Albany 13 (2OT)
Fri 11 Feb Rochester 10 @ Toronto 11
Fri 11 Feb Philadelphia 17 @ New York 11
Sat 12 Feb Buffalo 14 @ Pittsburgh 17
Sun 13 Feb New York 15 @ Syracuse 13
Week Seven:
Fri 18 Feb Philadelphia @ Albany
Fri 18 Feb Rochester 14 @ Buffalo 18
Phila.-Albany game ppd by snow, will be played on 2 April
Week Eight:
Fri 25 Feb New York 15 @ Pittsburgh 20
Sat 26 Feb Albany 17 @ Rochester 15
Sat 26 Feb Buffalo 18 @ Toronto 12
Sat 26 Feb Pittsburgh 14 @ Philadelphia 8
Week Nine:
Fri 3 Mar Syracuse 10 @ Toronto 15
Week Ten:
Fri 10 Mar Rochester 17 @ Pittsburgh 12
Sat 11 Mar Toronto 7 @ Albany 8
Sat 11 Mar New York 18 @ Buffalo 19 (OT)
Week Eleven:
Fri 17 Mar New York 6 @ Albany 16
Sat 18 Mar Buffalo 13 @ Rochester 16
Sat 18 Mar Philadelphia 17 @ Syracuse 14
Week Twelve:
Sat 25 Mar Buffalo 21 @ New York 16
Sat 25 Mar Toronto 15 @ Philadelphia 13
Sat 25 Mar Syracuse 9 @ Pittsburgh 21
Week Thirteen:
Fri 31 Mar Pittsburgh 10 @ Toronto 14
Fri 31 Mar Albany 17 @ Syracuse 6
Fri 31 Mar Rochester 12 @ New York 10
Sat 1 Apr Syracuse 10 @ Rochester 23
Sat 1 Apr Philadelphia 11 @ Buffalo 16
Sun 2 Apr Philadelphia 13 @ Albany 12 (OT)
Week Fourteen:
Sat 8 Apr Albany 8 @ Toronto 17
Sat 8 Apr Buffalo 11 @ Philadelphia 22
Sat 8 Apr Pittsburgh 9 @ Syracuse 10 (2OT)
Week Fifteen:
Sat 15 Apr Buffalo 15 @ Albany 13
Sat 15 Apr Philadelphia 14 @ Rochester 20
Sat 15 Apr Toronto 25 @ Syracuse 11
NLL Semifinals:
Fri 21 Apr Rochester 15 @ Buffalo 11
Sat 22 Apr Philadelphia 10 @ Toronto 14
NLL Championship Game:
Sat 6 May Rochester 13 @ Toronto 14
Team-by-Team Results
Albany Attack
DATE OPPONENT BAL-OPP W/L REC POS
----------------------------------------------------------
Fri Jan 7 @ Philadelphia 7:30 11-12 OT L 0-1 8th
Fri Jan 14 PITTSBURGH 7:00 21-19 W 1-1 t-4
Jan 21-23 -open date- t-3
Sat Jan 29 @ New York 7:30 16-17 OT L 1-2 7th
Sat Feb 5 @ Buffalo 8:00 17-21 L 1-3 7th
Fri Feb 11 SYRACUSE 7:00 13-12 2OT W 2-3 5th
Fri Feb 18 PHILADELPHIA 7:00 - postponed - 7th
Sat Feb 26 @ Rochester 7:30 17-15 W 3-3 5th
Mar 3- 5 -open date- 5th
Sat Mar 11 TORONTO 1:00 8- 7 W 4-3 4th
Fri Mar 17 NEW YORK 7:00 16- 6 W 5-3 t-3
Mar 24-26 -open date- t-3
Fri Mar 31 @ Syracuse 8:00 17- 6 W 6-3 t-2
Sun Apr 2 PHILADELPHIA 2:00 12-13 OT L 6-4 t-4
Sat Apr 8 @ Toronto 4:00 8-17 L 6-5 t-5
Sat Apr 15 BUFFALO 7:30 13-15 L 6-6 t-5
----------------------------------------------------------
Buffalo Bandits
DATE OPPONENT BUF-OPP W/L REC POS
----------------------------------------------------------
Sat Jan 8 TORONTO 8:00 14-17 L 0-1 t-5
Jan 14-16 -open date- 7th
Jan 21-23 -open date- 7th
Sat Jan 29 SYRACUSE 8:00 22-21 W 1-1 t-4
Sat Feb 5 ALBANY 8:00 21-17 W 2-1 4th
Sat Feb 12 @ Pittsburgh 7:30 14-17 L 2-2 t-4
Fri Feb 18 ROCHESTER 8:00 18-14 W 3-2 3rd
Sat Feb 26 @ Toronto 4:00 18-12 W 4-2 t-1
Mar 3- 5 -open date- t-2
Sat Mar 11 NEW YORK 8:00 19-18 OT W 5-2 1st
Sat Mar 18 @ Rochester 6:05 13-16 L 5-3 t-2
Sat Mar 25 @ New York 7:30 21-16 W 6-3 t-1
Sat Apr 1 PHILADELPHIA 8:00 16-11 W 7-3 t-1
Sat Apr 8 @ Philadelphia 8:00 11-22 L 7-4 t-2
Sat Apr 15 @ Albany 7:30 15-13 W 8-4 t-2
----------------------------------------------------------
Fri Apr 21 ROCHESTER 8:00 11-15 L 8-5
----------------------------------------------------------
New York Saints
DATE OPPONENT NY-OPP W/L REC POS
----------------------------------------------------------
Sat Jan 8 PITTSBURGH 7:30 12-23 L 0-1 t-5
Sat Jan 15 SYRACUSE 7:30 14-13 W 1-1 t-4
Fri Jan 21 @ Toronto 7:30 5- 9 L 1-2 t-5
Sat Jan 29 ALBANY 7:30 17-16 OT W 2-2 t-4
Sat Feb 5 @ Philadelphia 7:30 13-15 L 2-3 t-5
Fri Feb 11 PHILADELPHIA 8:00 11-17 L 2-4 7th
Sun Feb 13 @ Syracuse 8:00 15-13 W 3-4 6th
Feb 18-20 -open date- 6th
Fri Feb 25 @ Pittsburgh 7:30 15-20 L 3-5 7th
Mar 3- 5 -open date- 7th
Sat Mar 11 @ Buffalo 8:00 18-19 OT L 3-6 7th
Fri Mar 17 @ Albany 7:00 6-16 L 3-7 7th
Sat Mar 25 BUFFALO 7:30 16-21 L 3-8 7th
Fri Mar 31 ROCHESTER 8:00 10-12 L 3-9 7th
Apr 7- 9 -open date- 7th
Apr 14-16 -open date- 7th
----------------------------------------------------------
Philadelphia Wings
DATE OPPONENT PHI-OPP W/L REC POS
----------------------------------------------------------
Fri Jan 7 ALBANY 7:30 12-11 OT W 1-0 1st
Jan 14-16 -open date-
Sat Jan 22 @ Pittsburgh 7:30 15-16 L 1-1 t-3
Sat Jan 29 ROCHESTER 7:30 15-12 W 2-1 t-2
Sat Feb 5 NEW YORK 7:30 15-13 W 3-1 t-1
Fri Feb 11 @ New York 8:00 17-11 W 4-1 t-1
Fri Feb 18 @ Albany 7:00 - postponed - t-1
Sat Feb 26 PITTSBURGH 7:30 8-14 L 4-2 t-1
Mar 3- 5 -open date- t-2
Mar 10-12 -open date- 2nd
Sat Mar 18 @ Syracuse 8:00 17-14 W 5-2 1st
Sat Mar 25 TORONTO 7:30 13-15 L 5-3 t-3
Sat Apr 1 @ Buffalo 8:00 11-16 L 5-4 5th
Sun Apr 2 @ Albany 2:00 13-12 OT W 6-4 t-4
Sat Apr 8 BUFFALO 8:00 22-11 W 7-4 t-2
Sat Apr 15 @ Rochester 7:35 14-20 L 7-5 4th
----------------------------------------------------------
Sat Apr 22 @ Toronto 3:00 10-14 L 7-6
----------------------------------------------------------
Pittsburgh CrosseFire
DATE OPPONENT ROC-OPP W/L REC POS
----------------------------------------------------------
Sat Jan 8 @ New York 7:30 23-12 W 1-0 t-1
Fri Jan 14 @ Albany 7:00 19-21 L 1-1 t-4
Sat Jan 15 @ Rochester 7:35 14-18 L 1-2 6th
Sat Jan 22 PHILADELPHIA 7:30 16-15 W 2-2 t-3
Fri Jan 28 TORONTO 7:30 9-11 L 2-3 5th
Feb 4- 6 -open date- t-5
Sat Feb 12 BUFFALO 7:30 17-14 W 3-3 t-4
Feb 18-20 -open date- t-4
Fri Feb 25 NEW YORK 7:30 20-15 W 4-3 4th
Sat Feb 26 @ Philadelphia 7:30 14- 8 W 5-3 4th
Mar 3- 5 -open date- 4th
Fri Mar 10 ROCHESTER 7:30 12-17 L 5-4 4th
Mar 17-19 -open date- t-5
Sat Mar 25 SYRACUSE 7:30 21- 9 W 6-4 5th
Fri Mar 31 @ Toronto 7:30 10-14 L 6-5 6th
Sat Apr 8 @ Syracuse 8:00 9-10 2OT L 6-6 t-5
Apr 14-16 -open date- t-5
----------------------------------------------------------
Rochester Knighthawks
DATE OPPONENT ROC-OPP W/L REC POS
----------------------------------------------------------
Sat Jan 8 @ Syracuse 8:00 16- 6 W 1-0 t-1
Sat Jan 15 PITTSBURGH 7:35 18-14 W 2-0 1st
Jan 21-23 -open date- t-1
Sat Jan 29 @ Philadelphia 7:30 12-15 L 2-1 t-2
Sat Feb 5 TORONTO 7:35 14- 9 W 3-1 t-1
Fri Feb 11 @ Toronto 7:30 10-11 L 3-2 4th
Fri Feb 18 @ Buffalo 8:00 14-18 L 3-3 t-4
Sat Feb 26 ALBANY 1:00 15-17 L 3-4 6th
Mar 3- 5 -open date- 6th
Fri Mar 10 @ Pittsburgh 7:30 17-12 W 4-4 t-5
Sat Mar 18 BUFFALO 6:05 16-13 W 5-4 t-5
Mar 24-26 -open date- 6th
Fri Mar 31 @ New York 8:00 12-10 W 6-4 5th
Sat Apr 1 SYRACUSE 7:35 23-10 W 7-4 4th
Apr 7- 9 -open date- t-2
Sat Apr 15 PHILADELPHIA 7:35 20-14 W 8-4 t-2
----------------------------------------------------------
Fri Apr 21 @ Buffalo 8:00 15-11 W 9-4
Sat May 6 @ Toronto 3:00 13-14 L 9-5
----------------------------------------------------------
Syracuse Smash
DATE OPPONENT SYR-OPP W/L REC POS
-----------------------------------------------------------
Sat Jan 8 ROCHESTER 8:00 6-16 L 0- 1 t-5
Sat Jan 15 @ New York 7:30 13-14 L 0- 2 8th
Jan 21-23 -open date- 8th
Sat Jan 29 @ Buffalo 8:00 21-22 L 0- 3 8th
Feb 4- 6 -open date- 8th
Fri Feb 11 @ Albany 7:00 12-13 2OT L 0- 4 8th
Sun Feb 13 NEW YORK 8:00 13-15 L 0- 5 8th
Feb 18-20 -open date- 8th
Feb 25-27 -open date- 8th
Fri Mar 3 @ Toronto 7:30 10-15 L 0- 6 8th
Mar 10-12 -open date- 8th
Sat Mar 18 PHILADELPHIA 8:00 14-17 L 0- 7 8th
Sat Mar 25 @ Pittsburgh 7:30 9-21 L 0- 8 8th
Fri Mar 31 ALBANY 8:00 6-17 L 0- 9 8th
Sat Apr 1 @ Rochester 7:35 10-23 L 0-10 8th
Sat Apr 8 PITTSBURGH 8:00 10- 9 W 1-10 8th
Sat Apr 15 TORONTO 8:00 11-25 L 1-11 8th
-----------------------------------------------------------
Toronto Rock
DATE OPPONENT TOR-OPP W/L REC POS
----------------------------------------------------------
Sat Jan 8 @ Buffalo 8:00 17-14 W 1-0 t-1
Jan 14-16 -open date-
Fri Jan 21 NEW YORK 7:30 9- 5 W 2-0 t-1
Fri Jan 28 @ Pittsburgh 7:30 11- 9 W 3-0 1st
Sat Feb 5 @ Rochester 7:35 9-14 L 3-1 t-1
Fri Feb 11 ROCHESTER 7:30 11-10 W 4-1 t-1
Feb 18-20 -open date- t-1
Sat Feb 26 BUFFALO 4:00 12-18 L 4-2 t-1
Fri Mar 3 SYRACUSE 7:30 15-10 W 5-2 1st
Sat Mar 11 @ Albany 1:00 7- 8 L 5-3 3rd
Mar 17-19 -open date- t-2
Sat Mar 25 @ Philadelphia 7:30 15-13 W 6-3 t-1
Fri Mar 31 PITTSBURGH 7:30 14-10 W 7-3 1st
Sat Apr 8 ALBANY 4:00 17- 8 W 8-3 1st
Sat Apr 15 @ Syracuse 8:00 25-11 W 9-3 1st
----------------------------------------------------------
Sat Apr 22 PHILADELPHIA 3:00 14-10 W 10-3
Sat May 6 ROCHESTER 3:00 14-13 W 11-3
----------------------------------------------------------
Statistical Leaders
Scoring Leaders GP G A Pts
1. Gary Gait, Pittsburgh 12 38 45 83
John Tavares, Buffalo 12 34 49 83
3. John Grant, Jr., Rochester 12 37 40 77
4. Roy Colsey, New York 12 37 31 68
5. Ted Dowling, Albany 12 41 26 67
Tom Marechek, Philadelphia 12 41 26 67
7. Mark Millon, Syra-Phil 12 33 33 66
8. Josh Sanderson, Albany 11 30 34 64
9. Paul Gait, Syra-Pitt 11 32 30 62
Jake Bergey, Philadelphia 12 27 35 62
Loose Balls Recovered Loose Balls
1. Jim Veltman, Toronto 164
2. John Rosa, Albany 127
3. Ed Fay, Syracuse 123
John Tavares, Buffalo 123
5. Derek Malawsky, Buffalo 109
Faceoffs Tot W L Pct.
1. Paul Cantabene, Baltimore 150 91 59 60.67
2. Ron Klausner, Syracuse 299 174 125 58.19
3. Craig Stevenson, Buffalo 222 121 101 54.50
4. Rodney Tapp, Pittsburgh 223 121 102 54.26
5. Regy Thorpe, Rochester 142 73 69 51.41
Goals Against Average Minutes GA GAA
1. Bob Watson, Toornto 679 125 11.05
2. Pat O'Toole, Rochester 621 124 11.98
3. Devin Dalep, Pittsburgh 535 113 12.67
4. Rob Blasdell, Albany 674 114 12.82
5. Dallas Eliuk, Philadelphia 581 130 13.43
(minimum 360 minutes)
Save Percentage Shots Saves Pct.
1. Bob Watson, Toronto 547 422 .7715
2. Pat O'Toole, Rochester 542 418 .7712
3. Dallas Eliuk, Philadelphia 549 419 .763
4. Devin Dalep, Pittsburgh 460 347 .754
5. Rob Blasdell, Albany 578 434 .751
(minimum 360 minutes)
Winning Percentage Wins Losses Pct.
1. Pat O'Toole, Rochester 8 2 .800
2. Bob Watson, Toronto 9 3 .750
3. Dallas Eliuk, Philadelphia 6 4 .600
4. Rob Blasdell, Albany 6 5 .545
5. Devin Dalep, Pittsburgh 4 4 .500
(minimum 6 decisions)
For team-by-team statistics, choose that option
in the toolbar at left.
Award Winners
Most Valuable Player: John Tavares, Buffalo
Rookie of the Year: John Grant Jr., Rochester
Championship Game MVP: Dan Stroup, Toronto
2000 NLL All-Pro Teams:
First Team:
Gary Gait, Pittsburgh
John Grant Jr., Rochester
Tom Marechek, Philadelphia
John Tavares, Buffalo
Jim Veltman, Toronto
Bob Watson, Toronto (goalie)
Second Team:
Mike Accursi, Buffalo
Roy Colsey, New York
Ted Dowling, Albany
Paul Gait, Syracuse-Pittsburgh
Josh Sanderson, Albany
Dallas Eliuk, Philadelphia (goalie)
Player of the Month:
January: Ted Dowling, Albany
February: John Tavares, Buffalo
March: Rob Blasdell, Albany
Rookie of the Month:
January: John Grant Jr., Rochester
February: Devin Dalep, Pittsburgh
March: John Grant Jr., Rochester
Player of the Week:
Week 1: ( 7- 8 Jan) Kim Squire, Toronto
Week 2: (14-15 Jan) Josh Sanderson, Albany
Week 3: (21-22 Jan) Kip Fulks, Pittsburgh
Week 4: (28-29 Jan) Tom Marechek, Philadelphia
Week 5: ( 5 Feb) Pat O'Toole, Rochester
Week 6: (11-13 Feb) Roy Colsey, New York
Week 7: ( 18 Feb) Matt Disher, Buffalo
Week 8: (25-26 Feb) Paul Gait, Pittsburgh
Week 9: ( 3 Mar) Kaleb Toth, Toronto
Week 10: (10-11 Mar) Rob Blasdell, Albany
Week 11: (17-18 Mar) John Grant Jr., Rochester
Week 12: ( 25 Mar) Colin Doyle, Toronto
Week 13: (31- 2 M/A) John Grant Jr., Rochester
Week 14: ( 8 Apr) Mark Millon, Philadelphia
Week 15: ( 15 Apr) Matt Disher, Buffalo
2000 Season Summaries
(from Outsider's Guide team pages)
Albany Attack
As debut seasons go, the Albany Attack (by almost all accounts) had a successful one. A 6-6 record, including victories over both Championship Game participants, tied the Attack with the 1998 Ontario Raiders and 1989 Detroit Turbos for the most wins in a franchise's first season. However, Terry Sanderson's troops had a sure-shot playoff berth in their grasp as late as April, but let it slip away.
The Attack's first game was on the league's first night of the 2000 season, in the unfriendly confines of the First Union Center in Philadelphia. A 12-11 overtime loss to the Wings was only complicated by the postgame complaints that the officials blew numerous calls throughout the game, costing Albany a chance at the victory.
Although it rebounded with a 21-19 defeat of the Pittsburgh CrosseFire in its home opener a week later, the Attack struggled to find themselves and opened the season 1-3, dangerously close to last place. Making matters worse, when Syracuse came to town, the winless Smash dragged the Attack to double overtime (the first of the NLL era) before finally falling, 13-12.
The hard-fought win against Syracuse in hand, the Attack eagerly anticipated their rematch with Philadelphia the following week. However, it wasn't to be, with a strong winter storm shutting down the airport in Philadelphia and preventing the Wings from reaching Albany. Many Attack players, without fully understanding the circumstances, took the postponements (Friday evening and Saturday afternoon) as a snub towards their team.
Fueled with anger from the dual snowouts, the Attack set their sights on the rest of the league, slaying Rochester, Toronto, New York, and Syracuse in succession. The five-game winning streak, dating back to the double-overtime victory on 5 February, sprung the Attack to a 6-3 record and control of their own playoff destiny.
On 2 April, the much-anticipated rematch with the Wings finally occured. Like the season opener, Philadelphia claimed the win in overtime, and the Attack were again quite displeased with the officiating. Ted Dowling's public criticism of the referees earned him a hefty fine, and the wheels seemed to fall off of the Attack's cart. Finishing the season with losses to Toronto and Buffalo, the Attack stumbled out of the playoff race and landed in fifth place, one game back of their new rivals, Philadelphia, for the final postseason berth.
Boston Blazers
For the third straight season, the Boston Blazers remained on the sidelines. The team remains under a suspension of operations that was imposed in November 1997 by team owner Frank DuRoss, who cited at the time an inability to bring together sufficient resources to run a professional lacrosse team. Unlike in past years, though, the absence of the Blazers came as little surprise, perhaps because fans have almost come to expect the club to bow out for another year each summer.
No ideas have yet been floated as to how the team's roster would be restocked if/when the Blazers return (by expansion draft, ability to reclaim players who left to play elsewhere, etc.), and the ownership of the team remains very much in question. The Outsider's Guide has backed, and will continue to back, efforts to resurrect the Blazers (at FleetCenter or elsewhere in New England).
Buffalo Bandits
After a 4-8 record in 1999, nobody would have blamed the Buffalo Bandits for a subpar 2000 season in a rebuilding effort. However, the Bandits rebuilt on the fly this season, reversing their record to 8-4 under first-year coach Ted Sawicki.
After an opening-night home loss to Toronto, the Bandits had the next two weekends off, and apparently used them quite effectively. In its second game, the team hung on to nip winless Syracuse, 22-21, and smoked Albany, 21-17, the following week.
By the end of February, Buffalo had improved to 4-2 and held a share of first place. However, its best accomplishment was its revenge victory at Toronto, marking the first home loss for the Rock, regular- or post-season, since the club played out of Hamilton in 1998.
In the second half of the season, the Bandits continued their rampge through the league. The team's only losses in the last six games were at Rochester and at Philadelphia. The former of the two games was a hard-fought, 16-13 defeat; the latter was a 22-11 drubbing, among the worst ever suffered in the club's nine years.
Its 8-4 record tied the Rochester Knighthawks for second place in the eight-team cicuit, but with the tiebreakers favoring Buffalo, the semifinal between the Thruway rivals took place at HSBC Arena. However, the Bandits came out flat, dropping the 15-11 decision to the eventual league runners-up.
New York Saints
After climbing closer and closer to postseason play, from sixth place in 1998 to a fourth-place tie in 1999 (losing out on the playoffs on a tiebreaker), the New York Saints took a huge step backwards in 2000, stumbling into the second division early and getting stranded there the entire season.
After opening the season with a 23-12 drubbing by Pittsburgh in which they allowed Pittsburgh eleven second-quarter goals, the Saints recovered to edge out a one-point win over the Syracuse Smash. This was perhaps a foreshadowing of things to come, as it would be only the Smash that would lose more often in 2000 than the Saints.
The team continued to alternate victories and defeats, suffering a 9-5 loss at the hands of the eventual champion Toronto Rock, a humiliating defeat for a team built on offense. After holding off the expansion Albany Attack the following week, in a thriller that went halfway through an overtime period, the Saints were swept, 15-13 and 17-11, by Philadelphia in a mid-February home-and-home series.
Forty-eight hours after enduring the second loss to the Wings, the Saints were off to Syracuse for a sunday evening tilt with the winless Syracuse Smash. Even though the Smash forged a late charge to erase an early 5-1 deficit, New York hung on to keep the Smash winless, with a 15-13 victory.
After a bye week, the Saints continued their four-game road swing with a stop in Pittsburgh. Unfortunately, the defense didn't come along for the ride. Led by a combined ten goals by the brothers Gait, Pittsburgh rolled to a 20-15 victory and sent the Saints on their way to Buffalo, with another defeat the result. Against the Bandits, though, the Saints fought hard and even pushed the game to overtime. It was the closest New York come to a win the rest of the season.
The Saints closed their quartet of road games with a 16-6 thrashing by the first-year Albany Attack at Pepsi Arena, then came home to be thrashed by Buffalo, 21-16. In their season finale, the Saints fumbled away a 9-7 lead after three quarters, allowing the surging Rochester Knighthawks to escape with a 12-10 triumph. For the Saints, it brought an early end -- two weeks before the finales for six teams -- to a dismal season.
Philadelphia Wings
In 1999, the Philadelphia Wings lost seven times -- a total that, during the Wings' heyday, would have taken more than four seasons to reach. The challenge facing coach Tony Resch this season was to push the memories of that rebuilding-on-the-fly season off to the side and return the Wings to the elite of the NLL.
For much of the season, Resch was able to do just that. The Wings opened their fourteenth season with a bang, hosting the Albany Attack in the first-ever game for the team from the capital of the Empire State. Philadelphia successfully fought off the Attack, recording a 12-11 overtime victory.
After a loss to Pittsburgh in the first game at Mellon Arena since 1993, the Wings returned home to top the Rochester Knighthawks, 15-12. Philadelphia mounted a valiant comeback to take the win, sparked by goaltender Dallas Eliuk committing a major penalty in order to wake up both the crowd and his teammates. Over the next two weeks, the victories kept coming, with a home-and-home sweep of the Saints in early February.
After their trip to Albany the following week was postponed by a winter storm, Philadelphia was again bitten by the Pittsburgh CrosseFire, in a 14-8 decision that surely was thought about long and hard over the two straight bye weeks that followed. When the Wings emerged from their scheduled break, they disposed of the winless Syracuse Smash in a 17-14 decision.
However, the joy was shortlived. Toronto came into town the following week and walked away with a 15-13 win, and a week later, Buffalo toasted the Wings, 16-11; neither game was as close as the final score would indicate. The Wings recovered nicely, though, scoring another overtime victory against the Attack (in the makeup game for February's snowout), just eighteen hours after the game in Buffalo.
After crushing the Bandits, 22-11, in their rematch game, the Wings had an outside shot at home-floor advantage throughout the playoffs and a very real opportunity to at least host a semifinal game. All they needed to do was go into Rochester and exit with a victory. Easier said than done, since the Knighthawks had a playoff spot hanging in the balance. After the 20-14 drubbing at the Blue Cross Arena to close the season, the Wings finished fourth, and like a year ago, were off to Toronto for a showdown with the eventual champions. Unlike 1999's disasterous 13-2 playoff game, though, the Wings contended deep into the game before finally falling, 14-10.
Pittsburgh CrosseFire
Even though his team would be playing in a new city after thirteen years in Baltimore, Pittsburgh owner Dennis Townsend hoped his team could pick up where it left off in 1999 -- as one of the NLL's premier teams. Whether it was the fatigue of commuting from Baltimore to Pittsburgh for each home game, a run of bad luck, being outplayed, or a combination of the three, the CrosseFire could not make it three straight 8-4 seasons for Townsend and head coach John Tucker in 2000.
Pittsburgh's return to indoor lacrosse -- the Pittsburgh Bulls were a member of MILL from 1990 to 1993 -- started off with a bang, a 23-12 defeat of the New York Saints at Nassau Coliseum. Things quickly turned sour for the CrosseFire, though, losing both games of a weekend road trip through New York state. A Friday-night, 21-19 loss to Albany was the first ever for the expansion team, and the 18-14 defeat that followed a night later allowed Rochester to celebrate its home-opening performance.
In its home opener a week later, Pittsburgh returned to the winner's side of the ledger against Philadelphia. After allowing a 7-4 lead to evaporate into a 15-13 deficit, the CrosseFire was able to push back for the final three goals and record the victory over the Wings. The next week, however, the CrosseFire dropped an 11-9 decision to Toronto, dropping to 2-3.
Seeking extra firepower, the CrosseFire paid for an expensive reunion of lacrosse talent, acquiring Paul Gait from Syracuse to play alongside twin brother Gary. The deal, which cost Pittsburgh a first-round draft pick and an undisclosed-but-undoubtedly-large amount of money, quickly paid dividends for the CrosseFire, with the hosts delivering on "Guaranteed Win" night at Mellon Arena, 17-14 over Buffalo.
The brothers Gait sparkled while sparking their team to a three-game winning streak, but a mid-March visit from Rochester brought the streak to an end. A combined six goals by the Gaits matched the output of all other Pittsburgh players, while Rochester rolled to a 17-12 victory. Oddly, the first of Pittsburgh's goals was scored by goaltender Devin Dalep, whose length-of-field pass skipped past Rochester's Pat O'Toole for the 1-0 lead.
The Rochester loss removed much of the wind from Pittsburgh's sails during the stretch run. Although the CrosseFire recovered to crush Syracuse, 21-9, in its next outing, it stumbled in Toronto, 14-10, then ended the season with a humiliating loss in Syracuse. The Smash entered with an 0-10 record, decimated in each of its last three games, but Pittsburgh could not capitalize on the opposition's weaknesses, losing in double overtime (10-9) and officially killing any remaining playoff chances.
Rochester Knighthawks
It must have been déjà vu for the Rochester Knighthawks in 2000. Just like in 1999, the Knighthawks dug themselves a hole to climb out of, then caught fire to reach the playoffs and register an upset in the semifinals. In addition, they again played Toronto for the championship, and again came out on the losing end.
The Knighthawks opened the season with three wins in four games, including a 14-9 whipping of the Rock, but quickly squandered the victories in a three-game losing streak that had the Knighthawks worrying that they might miss the playoffs for the first time in team history. The losses -- 11-10 at Toronto, 18-14 at Buffalo, and 17-15 at home against Albany -- plunged Rochester into sixth place to begin the stretch run of the season.
The Knighthawks handled the adversity well, first by whipping Pittsburgh, 17-12, at Mellon Arena (becoming the first team to beat the CrosseFire since its mid-February acquisition of Paul Gait), then by snapping Buffalo's three-game winning streak, in a 16-13 decision at the Blue Cross Arena. By the time the month of March was complete, the Knighthawks had also knocked off the Saints, 12-10, and were on their way back to Rochester to meet the winless Syracuse Smash.
Even after steamrolling Syracuse (23-10), the Knighthawks still had not clinched a playoff spot. No matter. With an extra week to prepare, the Knighthawks dispensed with the visiting Philadelphia Wings, 20-14, to finish with an 8-4 record and in a tie for second place for the second straight season. In a performance similar to their 1999 semifinal victory in Baltimore, the Knighthawks caught fire at HSBC Arena and topped the Bandits, 15-11, earning their fourth trip to the championship game in six years.
A familiar opponent awaited Rochester in the title match. Once again, the Knighthawks were headed to Toronto for the last game of the 2000 season. The game was the last sporting event expected to be held at historic Maple Leaf Gardens, and both teams hungered for the victory. Twice, the Rock opened up a lead; twice, the Knighthawks fought back to knot the game again. However, the Knighthawks could not make a rebuttal to Kaleb Toth's last-second goal, and Rochester lost in the title game for the second straight season, 14-13.
Syracuse Smash
In its first year, the Syracuse Smash won two games; in its second campaign, it recorded three. So, would 2000, the third year of the Smash's woeful existence, be the year for four wins -- or more? Not even close.
After opening the season with a dreadful 16-6 rout at the hands of the Rochester Knighthawks, the Smash headed to Long Island and nearly upset the Saints with a second-half rally that fell just short, 14-13. Perhaps in a foreshadowing of the dread to come later, only seven Syracuse players tallied a point in the near-win, led by nine from Mark Millon and five from Paul Gait -- neither of whom would be in the purple and teal at season's end.
Two weeks later, the Smash were involved in another large comeback at Buffalo, except this time it was Syracuse struggling to hold a lead. When the dust had settled, the Bandits erased a 20-15 deficit and turned it into a 22-21 triumph. A heart-breaking, double-overtime loss at Albany thirteen days later left the Smash at 0-4, having already allowed to slip through their fingers three golden opportunities to win a road game for the first time in team history.
With two straight weekends off to consider the near-misses, the Smash returned a different team -- notably, one that couldn't even run with the opposition, let alone defeat it. A 15-10 loss at Toronto blurred into a 17-14 loss against Philadelphia morphed into a 21-9 drubbing in Pittsburgh. The losses mounted as the Smash played poorer and poorer, without the benefit of its star players. Both Gait and Millon had been traded, to Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, respectively, for cash and draft picks.
With morale sinking to dangerous levels, practices no longer being held, and true attendance for Smash games sometimes falling below a thousand, team owner Howard Dolgon sent out an ultimatum -- unless five thousand fans showed up for a late-season match against Pittsburgh, the city of Syracuse would watch the Smash pack up and leave after the season. Sure enough, Dolgon's ultimatum fell 2500 fans short, but those that came were treated to a thrill -- after ten losses in as many games, sixty minutes of all-square lacrosse, and a scoreless overtime period, Eric Seremet bounced a shot past the CrosseFire goaltender for a stunning 10-9 victory.
It was back to usual the following week, however, in a 25-11 whipping by the eventual champion Toronto Rock. The Smash finished its third season -- and likely its days in Syracuse -- with a disappointing 1-11 record. Although the sales of Gait and Millon were widely criticized, the Smash picked up numerous high draft picks in the deals, which it hopefully can use successfully in a rebuilding effort, whether in central New York or elsewhere.
Toronto Rock
After winning the NLL championship in just its second year, what could the Toronto Rock do for an encore? Apparently, simply run the show again and look for identical results. The same regular-season record, playoff seeding, and playoff opponents led to the same result, another league championship.
The road to the repeat began in Buffalo, where the Rock emerged with a 17-14 victory. Two weeks later, in its home opener, the Rock's tenacious defense flustered and berated the offense-driven New York Saints, in a 9-5 defensive struggle that threatened the league's record for fewest combined goals in a game. After winning in Pittsburgh, the Rock entered a tough home-and-home series with the Knighthawks. Following a Round One loss in Rochester (14-9), Toronto turned the tables back at Maple Leaf Gardens, with an 11-10 victory.
Then, in late February, the impossible happened. Somebody beat the Toronto Rock at Maple Leaf Gardens, the first to do so in eleven tries. The victorious team was Buffalo, which turned a 4-0 deficit after one period into a 9-5 halftime lead and made it hold in an 18-12 triumph.
A mid-March loss at Albany (8-7) dropped the Rock to 5-3 and into third place, the lowest it had fallen all season. For Toronto, it was no matter -- with the stretch drive approaching fast, the Rock was just hitting its stride. A 15-13 victory at Philadelphia carried over into home victories against Pittsburgh and Albany, the latter of which became a 17-8 crushing of the Attack. With a 25-11 demolition of the Smash, Toronto entered the playoffs with a 9-3 mark and the top seed in the single-elimination tournament.
Just as in 1999, the Rock's semifinal opponent were the Philadelphia Wings, who in last year's semifinals were destroyed at the Gardens, 13-2. This season, Philadelphia came to play, and ran the Rock hard before faltering late, 14-10. As if the déjà vu in the semifinals weren't enough, the championship game again featured a visit from the Rochester Knighthawks, and like the Wings before them, the Knighthawks were prepared for war. For every lead the Rock took, Rochester yanked it back to a tie game; not until Kaleb Toth found the net with one second to go in regulation was the game decided.
-30-
|