Week 9: NLL Top Things to Know
January 23, 2025 - National Lacrosse League (NLL) News Release
Five of the top eight teams in our Week 9 Power Rankings are featured across the four-game slate, beginning with a Friday night doubleheader.
NLL Friday Night on TSN - After earning their first win of the season over a Rush team that sits tied for third in the table, the Rock travel to Calgary on Friday night seeking another victory. With captain Tom Schreiber, Challen Rogers, and TD Ierlan all returning from injury, Toronto hopes to have turned a corner.
Familiar Foes Face Off in Vancouver - A week after the Black Bears snapped the Warriors three-game winning streak, knocking off Vancouver 9-8 at home, the two teams will meet again in Week 9. Playing in Vancouver on Friday at 10 pm ET, Ottawa will have the opportunity to move into a tie for second place.
Mammoth's Road Woes - After suffering a road defeat to the FireWolves, the Mammoth visit the Knighthawks on Saturday at 7 pm ET. While Colorado is 3-1 at Ball Arena this season, the team is 1-2 on the road with the lone win coming in Week 2 over the Desert Dogs.
Week 1 Rematch - Saturday night's FireWolves-Rush game is a rematch of a season-opening overtime thriller in which Albany scored with 12 seconds left to force overtime, only for Saskatchewan to win it in OT. Expect a close game, as four of the FireWolves five losses have been by two goals or fewer, while three of the Rush's six games have gone to OT (2-1).
First-Place Showdown Delivered - While Philadelphia got off to a rocky start, last week's Wings-Bandits game proved to be as thrilling as advertised. Down by as many as nine, the Wings battled back, pulling within three twice in the fourth quarter. Ultimately, the Bandits high-flying offense prevailed, keeping the team's undefeated record intact and securing their spot atop the standings.
Byrne's Quest for Back-to-Back MVPs - Reigning MVP Josh Byrne once again led the way for the Bandits, posting a 12-point performance, including seven goals (6 of which came in the first half).
Through five games this season, he's racked up 16 goals and 29 assists, outpacing the 14 goals and 19 assists he'd recorded by this time last year.
What We Learned: Week 8 - From Buffalo's continued dominance to Toronto's first win of the season, Week 8 was filled with highlights.
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