10 Things to Know for Week 17
Published on March 23, 2023 under National Lacrosse League (NLL) News Release
PHILADELPHIA - It's another big weekend with a full schedule of games as the National Lacrosse League (@NLL), the world's largest and most successful professional lacrosse league, gets "The March to May" moving in earnest in Week 17. The two premier matchups feature the top team in the East (Buffalo, 10-3) visiting the leader in the West standings (San Diego, 9-2) in a nationally televised broadcast on ESPNEWS (Saturday, 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. ET), and the second end of the home-and-home "Battle of the Prairies" with Saskatchewan hosting Calgary (9:30 p.m. ET / 8:30 p.m. CT, ESPN+, TSN+) after the Roughnecks took round one, 11-6 on Friday at WestJet Field at the Scotiabank Saddledome.
Here are 10 things to know about the NLL for Week 17:
Monday's trade deadline produced a couple of moves for teams looking to secure playoff positions, and others aiming towards the future. The most notable name to move was veteran Rhys Duch (Victoria, B.C.), traded from the Colorado Mammoth to Saskatchewan for a conditional second-round selection in the 2023 NLL Entry Draft. The Mammoth picked up Garrett McIntosh (Coquitlam, B.C.) from the Las Vegas Desert Dogs for a conditional second-round selection in 2025, and the Philadelphia Wings looked to shore up their defense by prying Liam Byrnes (West Islip, N.Y.) away from Panther City for a second-round pick in the 2023 NLL Entry Draft.
The Richmond, B.C.-based Blanket BC Society will be on hand at Saturday's Vancouver Warriors vs. Colorado game (10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT, ESPN+, TSN+, Altitude Sports), collecting donations of blankets, socks, toques and money as part of its first-ever blanket drive at Rogers Arena in conjunction with the Warriors. The game is also "Country Night," as Canadian artists Tim & The Glory Boys, Karen Lee Batten, Courtney Hunt and Dakota Pearl are among the acts performing.
The San Diego Seals are bringing a monster-sized theme night to the city of San Diego. In partnership with Toho International, the Japanese studio's subsidiary based in Los Angeles that produced the megahit Godzilla franchise, the Seals have announced a Godzilla theme night on Saturday vs. the Buffalo Bandits at Pechanga Arena in the battle of Conference leaders (10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT, ESPN+, TSN+, ESPNEWS). The Seals are billing it as the first-ever Godzilla-themed sports event in the U.S., and the evening will include Godzilla-themed Seals jerseys, entertainment, photo ops and a postgame screening of the 1974 cult hit Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla.
After months of anticipation, the Vancouver Warriors revealed their new team mascot, Timbr the Sasquatch, in front of an excited crowd at Rogers Arena on Friday night. The reveal marked the end of a six-month campaign by the organization to bring to life the team's first ever mascot, with input from Warriors fans.
The Las Vegas Desert Dogs will host the inaugural Tucker Out Lymphoma Night, in memory of Tucker Williams, on Saturday when they take on the Rochester Knighthawks (10:30 p.m. ET/7:30 p.m. PT, ESPN+, TSN+, KVMY Ch. 21). And it connects with Banditland, as the game is played in honor of Tucker, the son of Las Vegas' head coach and general manager Shawn Williams, who passed away from Burkitt's Lymphoma in December 2014. Buffalo rallied around Tucker and the Williams family hosting the first-ever Tucker Out Lymphoma Night on April 5, 2014 while Shawn Williams was playing for the Bandits. The annual game has continued in Buffalo ever since and has raised over $150,000 for pediatric cancer care in Tucker's honor. Both teams will also wear special jerseys.
The Philadelphia Wings got plenty of attention for their "Bark in the Park" promotion during Saturday's slim one-goal loss to Georgia, but it wasn't just for the exciting action on the floor. It was "Bark in the Park" day for the special 11 a.m. matinee start, with all types of pooches woofing up a storm in support of their Wings.
Congratulations to proud papa Jake Withers (Peterborough, Ont.) of Halifax; he and his wife Claire welcomed their daughter Charlotte "Charlie" Rose Withers into the world last week.
In addition to full coverage across ESPN+ and an ESPNEWS linear broadcast, six games this week will be simulcast locally in the U.S. across eight networks: Albany (WYNA My4); Las Vegas (KVMY Ch. 21); Philadelphia (NBC Sports Philadelphia+), Colorado (Altitude Sports), Panther City (Bally Sports SW), San Diego (CW), Halifax (CTV2) and New York (MSG Network).
Some milestones players eclipsed last week include:
Albany forward Connor Kelly (Easton, Conn.) now has 101 points after netting three goals vs. New York
Calgary defenseman Jeff Cornwall (Coquitlam, B.C.) now has 100 points after scoring a goal vs. Saskatchewan
Calgary forward Josh Currier (Peterborough, Ont.) now has 101 assists after recording two vs. Saskatchewan
Calgary goaltender Christian Del Bianco (Coquitlam, B.C.) now has 3014 saves after making 32 stops vs. Saskatchewan
Calgary forward Tyler Pace (Coquitlam, B.C.) now has 200 loose ball recoveries after scooping up three vs. Saskatchewan
Calgary head coach Curt Malawsky passed Chris Hall for eighth place in league history with 86 when the Roughnecks beat Saskatchewan
Colorado goaltender Dillon Ward (Orangeville, Ont.) passed Steve Dietrich for 10th all-time with 66 when the Mammoth beat Buffalo
Georgia forward Lyle Thompson (Onondaga Nation, N.Y.) now has 601 points after scoring four goals and notching five assists vs. Philadelphia
Halifax forward Ryan Benesch (Elmira, Ont.) became the 14th player to reach 250 games played when he suited up vs. Toronto
Panther City forward Callum Crawford (Ottawa, Ont.) became the 11th player in league history to reach 450 goals when he scored against Las Vegas
Philadelphia goaltender Zach Higgins (Courtice, Ont.) now has 3093 saves after making 46 stops against Georgia and 48 vs. Rochester
Rochester defenseman Brad Gillies (Oakville, Ont.) has 100 games played after competing against Philadelphia
Rochester goaltender Rylan Hartley (Toronto, Ont.) now has 1033 saves after recording 45 vs. Philadelphia
San Diego forward Austin Staats (Six Nations, Ont.) now has 202 loose ball recoveries after nabbing five vs. Vancouver
Toronto forward Dan Craig (Shelburne, Ont.) needs now has 102 goals after netting four vs. Halifax
Toronto defenseman Billy Hostrawser (Bellwood, Ont.) now has 703 loose ball recoveries after grabbing seven vs. Halifax
Toronto forward Corey Small (St. Catharines, Ont.) now has 800 points after his two-goal, two-assist effort vs. Halifax
Vancouver forward Keegan Bal (Coquitlam, B.C.) now has 303 loose ball recoveries after gobbling up four vs. San Diego
Vancouver defenseman Brett Mydske (New Westminster, B.C.) now has 701 loose ball recoveries after grabbing six vs. San Diego
Some milestones players may reach this week include:
Albany defenseman John LaFontaine (Whitby, Ont.) needs three points to reach 100
Albany defenseman Brett Manney (Newtown, Pa.) needs seven loose ball recoveries to reach 600
Buffalo transition player Ian MacKay (Port Elgin, Ont.) needs two points to reach 100
Colorado forward Chris Wardle (Victoria, B.C.) needs two goals to reach 100 and three 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 four assists to become the ninth player in league history to reach 700; and one point to become the seventh player in league history to reach 1200
Halifax forward Randy Staats (Six Nations, Ont.) needs eight assists to reach 300
New York forward Reilly O'Connor (Whitby, Ont.) needs four 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 defenseman/transition player Tony Malcom (New Westminster, B.C.) needs three points to reach 200
Philadelphia forward Mitch Jones (Delta, B.C.) needs four goals to reach 200
Philadelphia forward Ben McIntosh (Port Coquitlam, B.C.) needs six points to reach 500
Rochester forward Connor Fields (East Amherst, N.Y.) needs two points to reach 200
Rochester defenseman Brad Gillies (Oakville, Ont.) needs five loose ball recoveries to reach 400
Saskatchewan defenseman Matt Beers (Coquitlam, B.C.) needs one assist to reach 100
Saskatchewan forward Robert Church (Coquitlam, B.C.) needs one assist to reach 400
Saskatchewan defenseman Ryan Dilks (Edmonton, Alb.) needs three points to reach 100
Saskatchewan forward Dan Lintner (Courtice, Ont.) needs four points to reach 200
Toronto defenseman Mitch de Snoo (Oshawa, Ont.) needs three points to reach 100
Toronto forward Corey Small (St. Catharines, Ont.) needs four loose ball recoveries to reach 600
Vancouver forward Keegan Bal (Coquitlam, B.C.) needs two assists to reach 200
Vancouver forward Kyle Killen (Caven, Ont.) needs two goals to reach 100
Vancouver forward Riley Loewen (Burnaby, B.C.) needs five assists to reach 200
Vancouver defenseman Brett Mydske (New Westminster, B.C.) needs two points to reach 100
Schedule - Week 17 (All Times Eastern)
Friday
Seals (9-2) @ Panther City (8-5), 8:30pm, ESPN+, TSN+, CW San Diego, Bally Sports SW
Saturday
Rock (10-4) @ FireWolves (2-10), 7pm, ESPN+, TSN+, WNYA My4
Thunderbirds (6-7) @ Wings (6-7), 7pm, ESPN+, TSN+, CTV2, NBC Sports Philadelphia+
Swarm (3-8) @ Riptide (4-9), 7:30pm, ESPN+, TSN+, MSG Network
Roughnecks (9-4) @ Rush (5-7), 9:30pm, ESPN+, TSN+
Bandits (10-3) @ Seals (9-2*), 10pm, ESPN+, TSN+, ESPNEWS
Mammoth (6-6) @ Warriors (3-10), 10pm, ESPN+, TSN+, Altitude Sports
Knighthawks (9-4) @ Desert Dogs (4-8), 10:30pm, ESPN+, TSN+, KVMY Ch. 21
*pending Friday result
National Lacrosse League Stories from March 23, 2023
- Albany FireWolves Invite Fans to Use the Force this Saturday Night - Oshawa FireWolves
- Seals Enter Doubleheader Weekend vs. Panther City Lc and Buffalo Bandits - San Diego Seals
- 10 Things to Know for Week 17 - NLL
- Colorado Opens Series against Vancouver Saturday - Colorado Mammoth
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