Below are some of the smaller items which made news in the National Lacrosse League in November 2001, including trades, rumors, odd facts and injury updates.

29 November 2001:
      Over 12,400 tickets have been sold for the Vancouver Ravens' home opener against Toronto. What's more, fans who plan to buy a ticket at the game have been warned by the team to show up early, implying that the 0-2 Ravens believe a sellout is possible. "It's going to be great having that kind of crowd," defenseman Bruce Murray said. "We want people to see what we've been working so hard for. We've just got to make sure we put on a better show than we put on back east."

 

27 November 2001:
      The New Jersey Storm has claimed defenseman Rodney Tapp off waivers from the Washington Power. The seven-year veteran did not play for the Power in its opening-game loss at Buffalo on Saturday night. Last season, Tapp shared faceoff duties with Paul Cantabene, winning 125 of 238 draws. He added two goals, thirteen assists, and 88 loose balls recovered in thirteen games in 2001.
      The Philadelphia Wings have signed holdout forward Keith Cromwell. The alltime leading scorer at Rutgers University, Cromwell was selected nineteenth overall in August's entry draft, then was immediately traded to the Buffalo Bandits. Buffalo, in turn, sent Cromwell to Philadelphia for a first-round pick in next year's entry draft.

 

26 November 2001:
      Seven weeks after suffering a herniated disk in a freak accident at his Orillia, Ontario home and after several seasons of playing through injuries, veteran Toronto Rock defenseman Terry Bullen has decided to retire. "Although I would love to keep playing and would love to dream of a comeback, I just can't do it any more," Bullen told Inside Lacrosse. "Even though lacrosse is something I love to do, at this point in my life, there are things that take precedence over the sport." In six MILL/NLL seasons -- two with the Detroit Turbos and four with the Rock -- Bullen recorded only nine goals and 23 assists, but it was his play on defense that brought him accolades. Bullen hopes that his retirement will allow him to spend more time coaching the varsity lacrosse team at the school where he teaches. With his leadership skills, sharp understanding of the game, and knack for dealing with young players, you gotta wonder if coaching could bring him back to the NLL some day.

 

23 November 2001:
      When the NLL brought New Jersey Storm owner Jayson Williams into the fold, it was expected he'd be a major factor in increasing the amount of attention paid to the league. Getting arrested and charged with obstruction of justice, though, probably isn't what the other owners had in mind, but that's exactly what happened yesterday in Branchburg, NJ, where Williams reportedly had been brawling at a local establishment. After "abrasive and rude" conduct (says an unidentified witness) inside the bar, Williams was escorted outside and began urinating behind a patron's automobile, according to witnesses (maybe he was still pissed off that the Storm lost on opening night). In the ensuing parking lot shoving match between Williams' entourage and other bar patrons, the Storm owner allegedly pushed a police officer, leading to the arrest and subsequent charge. Williams was released on his own recognizance.
      Jen Adams' efforts to conduct the first-ever women's professional lacrosse game are coming together quite nicely, with the game on tap for 1 December, the same date as the home opener for the Washington Power, which hired her to organize the game. With no higher level of lacrosse for women beyond the NCAA, expect for the quadrennial world championships, Adams feels that a professional women's lacrosse league would be well-received by players and notes that, because of that, no invitee has turned down the invitation to play. "I definitely think this game could be a springboard for things to happen, if they ever are going to happen." Adams told AllLacrosseAmerica. "The right people are behind it now. We have support from the Power, as well as people like Gary Gait, not to mention the players themselves, parents and even younger players. Parents ask all them time when women are going to get their own pro league."

 

22 November 2001:
      Yes, it's field lacrosse and not boxla, but imagine a national team on which Mike Accursi, Gee Nash, Rodney Tapp and Kaleb Toth are among the alternates. That's the story for the squad which Canada will send to the World Championships next summer in Australia. Head coach Frank Neilson's roster: Pat Coyle, Neil Doddridge, Matt Dwane, Gary Gait, Paul Gait, Chris Gill, Jeff Gombar, John Grant Jr, Tracey Kelusky, Chris Langdale, Pat Maddalena, Derek Malawsky, Tom Marechek, Andrew Martin, Tom Phair, Gavin Prout, Chris Sanderson, Matthew Shearer, Dan Stroup, D'Arcy Sweet, John Tavares, Steve Toll, and Shawn Williams. Can't you just feel the trophy being magnetically pulled from Baltimore to Toronto? This is certainly a more formidable crew than what the United States intends to send to Oz (see News and Notes, 18 June 2001). The blame for that partially is with US Lacrosse's inflexibility in scheduling tryouts but more so with Major League Lacrosse for its ridiculous -- and perhaps soon to be ended -- refusal to share its talent during the MLL season (enforced by up to a two-year suspension). If you're wondering, about a half-dozen of the Canadian players are MLLers and risk running afoul of the pro field league's exclusivity gestapo by going Down Under.

 

21 November 2001:
      The Canadian, French-language sports channel RDS Network has officially signed on to televise eight Montreal Express games this season live throughout Quebec, beginning with Saturday's game at Calgary. Also on tap for Montreal-area lacrosse fans are seven home games: Thursday, 29 November (Calgary); Friday, 14 December (Vancouver); Saturday, 5 January (Columbus); Friday, 25 January (Ottawa); Friday, 1 February (Buffalo); Friday, 8 March (Toronto); and Friday, 15 March (Albany).

 

20 November 2001:
      Inside Lacrosse reports today that Washington Power star Paul Gait has indeed decided to retire from the NLL at the conclusion of the season. It's not been a well-kept secret that aches and pains (most notably, an arthritic ankle) had caught up with the soon-to-be twelve-year veteran, with speculation that he'd call it a career dating all the way back to last April. He is second all-time in MILL/NLL in goals scored and third in points, and shares a record with several other players for having appeared with five different teams (Detroit, Philadelphia, Rochester, Syracuse, and Pittsburgh/Washington). Eight teams are planning festivities for the departing great, capped off by a ceremony at Capital Centre prior to his final regular season home game, 9 March. As for twin brother Gary, it appears he's going nowhere any time soon.
      The New York Saints held off a fourth-quarter rally to defeat the Columbus Landsharks, 15-12, in an exhibition Sunday afternoon at Nationwide Arena. Gavin Prout, the first-overall selection in August's entry draft, led the Saints in scoring with four points, on one goal and three assists. A trio of rookies led the 'Shark attack -- Spencer Martin (3+2), Mark Steenhuis (2+3), and Kasey Beirnes (2+2).
      The Philadelphia Wings survived a similar late push in their 11-10 exhibition win over the Washington Power on Saturday at White Marsh, MD. No other information was available.

 

16 November 2001:
      The Buffalo Bandits dipped into boxla's past by signing free agent attacker Randy Fraser. Newer NLL fans may not remember Fraser -- he was last seen with the New York Saints in 1999. His two-year tenure on Long Island followed a seven-year stint with the Boston Blazers. "We are glad to add a veteran with experience like Randy," Bandits GM Kurt Silcott said. "Randy will help at both ends of the floor and with his experience in the league, help out the younger players." To make room for Fraser, the Bandits released attacker Andrew Whipple.
      The Ottawa Rebel has Scored again (pardon the pun). For the second straight season, Rebel games will air on The Score, a Canadian sports channel. The six-game slate includes Rebel home games on Sunday, 2 December (Calgary); Friday, 21 December (Rochester); Friday, 4 January (Columbus); Sunday, 27 January (Montreal); Friday, 22 February (Washington); and Friday, 22 March (New Jersey).

 

14 November 2001:
      In two preseason matches held Tuesday night, the Buffalo Bandits defeated the Montreal Express, 15-13, at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto, while the Rochester Knighthawks sunk the Columbus Landsharks, 10-8, at the Sportsplex in North Tonawanda, NY. High scorers: Buffalo, Pat Maddalena (4 goals, 2 assists); Montreal, Ted Dowling (2+5); and Rochester, Curt Malawsky (5+1); Columbus scorers unavailable.
      Two last-minute scrimmages will accompany the opening weekend of the regular season. On Saturday, the Philadelphia Wings and Washington Power will reprise their annual preseason brawl, with a 2:00 PM start at Free State Arena in White Marsh, MD. On Sunday, the New York Saints and Columbus Landsharks hook up at 12:30 PM at Nationwide Arena in Columbus. A youth clinic will be held prior to the Saints-'Sharks game.
      The Rochester Knighthawks return to WYSL (1040 AM) this season, with all sixteens games scheduled for both over-the-air and netcast coverage. Because Dan Carpenter hung up his microphone after last season, the Knighthawks have a new on-air tandem -- Craig Rybczynski handles the play-by-play while former K'Hawk Bill Meagher provides analysis.
      A similar radio deal as the Knighthawks' awaits the Vancouver Ravens. Local sports station The Team 1040 has signed on for both home and away coverage, with Terry Murray calling the action on the field, former Baltimore Thunder goaltender Jeff Gombar handling color commentary, and Lee Powell jumping in as host for the home games. All sixteen games will be streamed at the Ravens' web site.

 

13 November 2001:
      In his monthly teleconference with reporters, commissioner Jim Jennings said that he is trying to sell all eight American national sponsorships by January or February, in order to get back to planning the NL2 developmental league. Still on track for a 2003 launch, NL2 will open play with six teams, four in the northeastern United States and two in Canada. Minor league hockey franchises have inquired about buying into the junior circuit, but priority will be given to NLL owners who wish to invest.
      Jennings also gave an expansion update today, reporting that he has at least a half-dozen applications in hand -- three from Chicago, two in Seattle, and one in Boston. Also, there are investments groups from Portland (Ore.) and Los Angeles looking at the league. The original plan was to add three teams next season, then was softened to three in the next two seasons. Now, with the economy souring, Jennings is shifting back into wait-and-see mode. "If the war continues and the economy continues to go down, it probably won't be prudent to add three teams," he said, adding that group ticket sales have taken a major hit and that there are four brand-new franchises to put on solid footing.
      In a cheap (but shrewd) ripoff of the NFL's popular, long-running Punt, Pass and Kick competition for children, the NLL is launching Scoop n' Shoot for boys and girls ages 8-14. Making a stop at each of the league's thirteen arenas, Scoop n' Shoot will have children scoop up six loose balls and shoot them at the goal -- the kids who do it in the fastest times in each age group will be invited to compete at the Champion's Cup game in April. All participants will receive one youth ticket to that night's game, an official ball and a Scoop n' Shoot t-shirt. Registration ($20 per child) can be done via the league's website or by filling out a form in Gametime, the league's official game program, or in the November/December issue of USLacrosse magazine. A tour schedule for Scoop n' Shoot has not been announced, but most will be in the second half of the season.
      The New Jersey Storm today named Jamie Hanford as its first captain. Paul Talmo and Travis Kilgour will serve as assistant captains.

 

11 November 2001:
      The final leg of the Vancouver Ravens' "Local Heroes" tour of British Columbia took the expansion team to Memorial Arena in Victoria on Sunday, where it posted an 18-13 victory over the Washington Power in the inaugural Bionda Cup game. Chris Gill recorded a first-half hat trick in his debut outing for the Ravens, while Kyle Goundrey (2+3) and Luke Ansley (1+4) contributed five points apiece. The legendary Gary and Paul Gait had three and two goals, respectively, before calling it a night in the third quarter.
      The New Jersey Storm recently unveiled its promotional schedule for the upcoming season, rife with the usual assortment of novelty giveaways, pregame festivities, and the like. Opening night, 30 November vs. New York, the Storm will hold a pregame ceremony honoring the victims of the 11 September attacks, and will also have a pregame laser show, a postgame concert, and free t-shirts for the first 5,000 people through the door. Later promotions include Jayson Williams Bobble Head Doll night, Storm Knit Cap night, Thunder Stick noisemaker day, Diamond Giveaway night, First Shot Lacrosse Stick night, Storm Visor night, and the requisite Fan Appreciation Day at the home finale.

 

10 November 2001:
      The Rochester Knighthawks and Columbus Landsharks will meet in a scrimmage this Tuesday at the Sportsplex in North Tonawanda, NY, from 8:30 to 10:30 PM. No word on whether the event is open to the public. However, the Knighthawks will hold an open practice on Sunday (tomorrow) from 4:00 to 8:00 PM at Salmon Creek Country Club in Spencerport. Admission is free.

 

9 November 2001:
      The Columbus Landsharks have traded forward Brad Reed to the New Jersey Storm for a second-round selection in the 2002 entry draft. Reed recorded a goal and an assist in five games last season with the Albany Attack, then went to Columbus in this summer's Nick Trudeau trade.
      Prior to its home opener (Saturday, 8 December) against the Calgary Roughnecks, the New York Saints will host a lacrosse game between two teams of real-life heroes -- the New York Police Department and the New York Fire Department. The Saints will donate eight dollars per ticket sold to the Widow's and Children's Funds of the NYPD and NYFD, and will conduct additional fundraisers throughout the evening. The pregame matchup will also honor the memory of Ronnie Kloepfer, founder of the police department lacrosse team, who was killed in the 11 September attacks. CNN/SI will air the Saints/Roughnecks game live (8:00 PM Eastern), so expect to see a report on the NYPD-NYFD grudge match.

 

5 November 2001:
      The New Jersey Storm routed the Philadelphia Wings, 19-9, in a scrimmage at the Peddie School in Lawrenceville, NJ. How telling is the score? Probably not very, considering that the Wings were without most of their top players, including Jake Bergey, Jason Clark, Mark Millon, and goaltender Dallas Eliuk. Still, it shows that the defending champs could find the road particularly rough if they're hit by a plague of injuries.
      Jayson Williams, owner of the expansion New Jersey Storm and studio analyst for NBA games on NBC, will make a personal appearance on behalf of the Albany Attack at the league's season-opening game between the Storm and Attack, on Friday, 16 November. Williams will sign autographs and pose for photos on the field after the game.

 

4 November 2001:
      Today, in the second of two exhibitions in the Maritimes, the Toronto Rock again topped the Montreal Express, this time by a 16-13 score in front of 3,971 spectators at Mile One Stadium in St. John's, NF. The teams had met Friday night in Halifax, with the Rock winning, 13-9. Kim Squire was the player of the game today for Toronto, with four goals in the contest, and Ken Millin and Steve Toll each added a hat trick for the victors. Tracey Kelusky garnered similar honors for the Express, with a goal and six assists despite a minor ankle injury, while Dean Harrison continued his strong preseason with four Montreal goals. Notable scratches for the game included goaltender Derek General for the Express, and the Rock's Pat Coyle, Dan Stroup, and netminder Bob Watson.
      The Montreal Express has announced the scheduling of a fifth and final preseason matchup, against the Buffalo Bandits on Tuesday, 13 November (7:30 PM) at Maple Leaf Gardens. The game will be the first and only of the preseason for Buffalo, while Montreal will enter with a 1-3 record. The Express will also hold a meet-the-players night at the Claude Robillard Centre in Montreal on Friday, 16 November, from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM. Among the attractions -- fans will be allowed to attempt a shot against an Express goalie, earning a ticket to the season opener on 29 November for a goal scored.

 

3 November 2001:
      The Rochester Knighthawks rallied from an 8-2 deficit in the second half to defeat the Albany Attack, 9-8, in an exhibition game Saturday night at the Blue Cross Arena. Better than 9,000 fans were on hand to watch the match, won via eight second-half goals. Tim Soudan (3 goals, 1 assist), Duane Jacobs (2+2) and Derek Malawsky (0+4) led the Knighthawks; top Attack scorers were not available as of this writing.
      Friday evening's exhibition in Halifax, Nova Scotia was a big hit, with 6,151 fans showing up at Metro Centre to watch the Toronto Rock defeat the Montreal Express, 13-9, primarily off of a seven-goal second period. Steve Toll led all scorers with seven Rock points, on two goals and five assists. Colin Doyle added three goals and an assist, Ken Millin and Kim Squire recorded two goals each, and a single score came from Blaine Manning, Rich Dommer, Rodd Squire, and Mike Murray. Aime Caines (2+4) and Jason Henhawk (2+3) paced the Express, with the other goals coming from Todd Richard (2), Brad MacArthur, Ted Dowling and Dean Harrison. Curtis Palidwor stopped 50 of 63 Toronto shots; there was no early word on who tended goal for the Rock. The teams meet again Sunday afternoon (2:00 PM Eastern) at Mile One Stadium in St. John's, Newfoundland.
      The Vancouver Ravens' "Local Heroes Tour" rolled into Prince George, BC on Friday night, bringing the 4,112 in attendance perhaps the most offense they'd ever seen in one box lacrosse game. The Ravens and Calgary Roughnecks played to a 16-14 first half in the inaugural Northern Cup, among the highest-scoring halves in league history, and although the goal production was halved following intermission, the two clubs still combined for an eye-popping forty-five goals in a 24-21 Ravens victory. Ryan O'Connor (5+6) and Jamey Bowen (5+5) led Vancouver's attack; Calgary's top scorers included Ben Prepchuk (6+2) and John Kilbride (4+4). Each side split their goaltending chores among two netminders -- Darren Goundrey (21 saves on 34 shots) and Scott Wylie (23 of 30) for the Ravens, and Derek Collins (16 of 32) and Matt King (14 of 22) for the Roughnecks. The two teams meet again tomorrow in Vernon, BC (5:00 PM Eastern) for the Okanagan Cup.
      The following is the voiceover script from CNN/Sports Illustrated's new commercial promoting NLL telecasts: "You want excitement? Then check out the National Lacrosse League on CNN/Sports Illustrated. It's hockey without skates, football without huddles, and soccer with sticks. Big sticks. [Pause] Get the picture? Log on to CNNSI.com/NLL for the game of the week and get ready for high-scoring, hard-hitting, fast-paced fury. The National Lacrosse League season starts Friday, November 16th on CNN/Sports Illustrated!"

 

2 November 2001:
      A thirty-second advertisement for the NLL has begun airing on CNN/Sports Illustrated, the league's American television partner. Initial air times are today at 5:57 PM, 8:15 PM, 10:45 PM, 11:20 PM, 12:28 AM, 1:45 AM, 2:20 AM and 4:58 AM (all times Eastern). The promo features rapid-fire video clips of great goals and hard hits with a voiceover declaring indoor lacrosse "hockey without skates... football without the huddles... soccer with sticks... big sticks." Will it bring in new fans? From first impressions, the odds seem pretty good.
      Rich Dommer, a standout field lacrosse forward at Adelphi College in New York, is on the cusp of NLL history. Drafted in the eighth round of this summer's entry draft by the Toronto Rock despite having no experience in the box, Dommer appears likely to become the first American ever to play for the all-Canadian franchise. "We found out last weekend [during scrimmages against the New Jersey Storm] that [Dommer] can play," Rock coach/GM Les Bartley told the Toronto Sun. "He did a lot of good things."

 

1 November 2001:
      The Montreal Express today made a pair of trades, fulfilling Bruce Alexander's trade wish and acquiring veteran journeyman Ted Dowling. The first trade of the day brought Dowling from the Buffalo Bandits to the Express for first- and second-round selections in the 2002 entry draft. Dowling had fourteen goals and seventeen assists last season, split between the Albany Attack, Sanderson's former team, and the Bandits. In the afternoon, Alexander went to the Calgary Roughnecks for a second-round pick in next summer's entry draft and a first-rounder in 2003. Alexander had requested a trade to a western team because he couldn't take off enough time from his new job to commute east from British Columbia each week.
      The Toronto Rock has done some trading of its own, clearing four players from the training camp roster for draft picks. Defenseman Darren Mutch went to the New York Saints for a second-round pick in the 2003 entry draft, a curious swap since Mutch was traded last season for an eighth-round pick, then was left unprotected in June's expansion draft and was subsequently unselected -- and might have been released if this trade wasn't made. In a separate trade, Niall Maynard, Tim Hamm and Wes Suddons went to the Columbus Landsharks for a second-round draft pick in 2003.
      The wheeling-and-dealing corporate cousins may have found a receptive town for their Maritimes exhibitions. About 4,500 tickets to Friday night's game in Halifax, Nova Scotia have already been sold, with about a thousand more expected to go by game time. "If we can get over 6,000 there that will be just enough to get the crowd electric and it will be something we do annually," Watters said. "We'll keep coming back." Of course, if these neutral-site exhibitions draw too well, they could end. After all, if Halifax develops boxla fever, it might not be a neutral site in the future.
      The Philadelphia Wings begin the road to defending their NLL championship with a scrimmage against the New Jersey Storm this Sunday at 10:30 AM, at the Peddie School in Lawrenceville, NJ. The teams will play a lengthened game of six fifteen-minute quarters. The scrimmage is open to the public and admission is free.