McBride Ready To Get Back Into Transition
Published on March 19, 2010 under National Lacrosse League (NLL)
Rochester Knighthawks News Release
When the Rochester Knighthawks return from their second bye week of the season there are bound to be changes made to the lineup heading into a key battle with the Buffalo Bandits. One of the major additions will be the return of 27-year-old transition man Bobby McBride to the lineup.
"I'm really excited to be able to play again. It's been really tough to go to the games as a spectator over the last few weeks," he said. "You always want to be on the floor contributing to your team's success. This has been the longest that I've been away from lacrosse due to an injury so it has made me hungry to play."
Before he was injured, McBride had played in three games and recorded one goal, one assist and 29 loose balls. He also was awarded the National Lacrosse League's Transition Player of the Week after collecting one goal, one assist and eight loose balls in Rochester's 13-11 win at Buffalo on January 16th.
However, after helping the Knighthawks to consecutive wins over the Bandits to open the season, McBride was injured in Toronto the following week and has been on the injured reserve list ever since. He now enters the lineup against the same Bandits with a chance to help the struggling Knighthawks (5-5) move farther ahead of Buffalo (5-6) for the fourth and final spot in the East. McBride has been preparing for the return for over two months and cannot wait to get back on the floor.
"At first it was a lot of rest and rehab, but over the last couple weeks my focus has been more on working on my stick and getting comfortable passing and catching again at practice. I've also been going to the gym and running a lot more lately trying to get back in game shape," he said. "Lacrosse is an incredibly demanding sport and it is difficult to simulate what one goes through during a game, but I've done my best to try to keep my endurance level up so I am able to compete when I return to playing."
Before arriving in Rochester, he spent his rookie season with Chicago and collected eight goals, 13 assists and 73 loose balls in 13 games with the Shamrox. The Newmarket, Ontario, native was acquired by the Knighthawks in the 2008 Dispersal Draft with the 16th overall pick on December 12, 2008. Last season, he played in 10 games and notched six goals, nine assists and 63 loose balls for Rochester. The move from Chicago to Rochester went better than he expected.
"I was a little surprised at first. You never know what to expect when you first join a new team. I had played with and against many of the Knighthawk players in the past, so there was a level of comfort right off the start, which made the transition much easier."
It was not long ago that McBride, who is now in his third season in the NLL, was still considering a career as a professional hockey player. The 5-11, 189-pound center played four seasons in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) with teams in Plymouth, Kingston and Guelph from 1999 to 2003. He scored 59 goals and added 73 assists in 212 games. From there, he moved on to play Canadian University hockey at St. Mary's University (2003-07) and Carleton University (2007-09). He even earned a tryout with the Ottawa Senators.
"Growing up my primary focus had always been hockey. Lacrosse was just something I did in the summer to stay in shape and improve my hockey skills. I had some success with hockey," said a modest McBride. "I managed to play four seasons in the OHL and was invited to attend an Ottawa Senators Rookie Camp. But it wasn't until my rookie season in Chicago that my primary focus became lacrosse."
The Carleton University MBA student has been thinking about lacrosse quite a lot lately. It was hard not to with the daily workouts and rehab sessions. His program was designed by Athletic Trainer Mike Katz and included time on a portable stim machine and icing to alleviate any pain in his shoulder.
"For the first couple weeks, that was pretty much all I was able to do. The shoulder is used in pretty much anything you do, so physically I was fairly limited in the training I was able to do at first. I worked mostly with Mike, and each week at practice he would evaluate my progress and slowly let me start strengthening my shoulder again," he said. "He made me a program with several shoulder exercises using very light weights. Eventually I was allowed to start practicing without contact and then over the last two weeks I was able to return to full contact practices and resume my regular training schedule."
In his absence, the Knighthawks have gone 3-4 and are on a two-game home losing streak. McBride was at The Blue Cross Arena this past Saturday to see the team fall to the first-place Orlando Titans. It motivated him even more to be ready for the game against the Bandits.
"This next game is huge. At this time of year every game is bigger than the last. Buffalo is playing great lacrosse right now and they will be incredibly motivated this weekend," he said. "With the way that the standings are right now, any team with the right combination of wins or losses in the conference could find themselves on the outside looking in."
National Lacrosse League Stories from March 19, 2010
- Edmonton Rush Game Notes For Boston - Edmonton Rush
- McBride Ready To Get Back Into Transition - Rochester Knighthawks
- Academy Web Site Launches - Orlando Titans
- Titans Take On Defending League Champs - Orlando Titans
- Roughnecks Take On Titans This Saturday - Calgary Roughnecks
- Mammoth Signs Forward Jamie Floris - Colorado Mammoth
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
