Friday, December 29, 2006

2007 NLL Preview, East

with all the parity in the NLL, it's hard to pick a favorite... but there aren't many predictions out there, and the one from TSN i believe is off... so here are our predictions. will start with the East...

East Division

Rochester Knighthawks
2006: 9-7.
Studs: Johnny Grant Jr., Mike Accursi, Shawn Williams, Scott Evans, Pat O'Toole (G)
Outlook: The Hawks are loaded with firepower returning their top eight scorers from last season, including jr... plus they return O'Toole after registering a league-best 600 saves last yr. AND... they've been to the big dance before. A senior group, they'll be hungry and able to climb back to the top. 1st place


Philadelphia Wings
2006: 8-8.
Studs: Sean Greenhalgh, Athan Iannucci, Jake Bergey, Tom Hajek, Matt Roik (G)
Outlook: The wings have lots of young talent with the likes of Greenhalgh, Iannucci and Snider. The question is whether they can come together and grab the Ws... Word is Roik's a headcase, but when he's on, he's one of the best tenders out there. 2nd place

Minnesota Swarm
2006: 8-8.
Studs: Ryan Ward, Kelly Hall, Chad Culp, Ryan Cousins, Nick Patterson (G)
Outlook: Ward's a proven leader who's ready for a break-out season. He's carried teams on his back before, and we believe he's ready to do it again. Look for the Swarm to fly under the radar and suprise some teams. 3rd place

Toronto Rock
2006: 8-8.
Studs: Josh Sanderson, Blaine Manning, Aaron Wilson, Dan Ladouceur, Bob Watson (G)
Outlook: The Rock used to be a dynasty and they'll continue to play well in front of their home sell-out crowds, but this isn't their year. Rookie coach Glenn Clark has big shoes to fill and doesn't have the roster to do it. 4th Place

Buffalo Bandits

2006: 11-5.
Studs: John Tavares, Mark Steenhuis, Cory Bomberry, Brett Bucktooth, Steve Dietrich (G)
Outlook: Tavares is the man, but he's aging and Steenhuis is more hype than game. Combined with the fact the Bandits are without Haraysm and Shannon for the '07 season and the Bandits will drop worse than people think after making it to the finals last year... 5th place

New York Titans
Expansion Team
Studs: Casey Powell, Ryan Boyle, Pat Maddalena, Roy Colsey, Curtis Palidwor (G)
Outlook: NY actually has a legit roster. Don't be suprised to see them suprise some teams, particularly if Palidwor is as solid as he's been in the past. Still, their roster may have too many American field players and not enough box experience or toughness to compete in the NLL just yet. We'll see. This will be an exciting team to watch, especially if you can catch a game live. 6th place

Chicago Shamrox
Expansion Team
Key Players: Jon Harasym, Brandon Miller, Cam Woords, Cam Woods, Brandon Miller (G)
Outlook: The Shamrox may carry the same name and look as the WLA Rocks, but they definitely aren't the same team. Expect the rox to have a season like Edm had last season. Horrible. 7th place