This season remains an incredibly unique one as the battle for the top spots has earnestly ensued this past week. Week 16 shaped up to be a tough one for the teams at the top of the rankings – three of the teams in last week’s top 4 lost. On the other end, three of the four teams that were in the bottom half of last week’s top 8 finished with wins. That’s the beauty of the NLL.
The league’s top teams saw some moved mountains, while every other team is continued to fight to finish the season in a playoff position.
Current rankings in standings for Week 16 place the Toronto Rock still in first place, followed by the San Diego Seals for the first time this season, then the under-dog Albany FireWolves, and the Halifax Thunderbirds, Buffalo Bandits who jumped another spot, Georgia Swarm, Rochester Knighthawks, Panther City Lacrosse Club, Saskatchewan Rush, New York Riptide, Philadelphia Wings, Calgary Roughnecks, Colorado Mammoth, Vancouver Warriors who moved out of last place, and the Las Vegas Dessert Dogs.
The Toronto Rock suffered a 14-12 loss to the Buffalo Bandits, which left a burn. The Rock were up three goals with four minutes left the fourth quarter in Buffalo on Saturday night, but allowed their lead to slip away. They were outscored 7-2 by their opponents in the final 19 minutes of the contest, and didn’t score over the final eight minutes. Now, the Rock have been riddled with injuries on the back end; once the teams sees everyone back, the Rock will likely right themselves several times over. The Rock will look to play Halifax next.
The San Diego Seals won a tight race over the Calgary Roughnecks, 7-6. The Seals returned to the top of the rankings for the first time in five weeks. The Seals benefitted in part from the Toronto Rock and Albany FireWolves picking up losses in Week 16. But, it’s not just all about wins and losses in these rankings. The Las Vegas Desert Dogs will face them next.
The Albany FireWolves suffered a close and unexpected 11-10 loss against the Rochester Knighthawks.
The Albany FireWolves are on a two-game losing streak at the moment, and they lost both of those games to the surging Knighthawks. While the team almost pulled off a dramatic comeback victory in Week 16, the team did not execute to their standard for the first 30 minutes. The question of whether or not the FireWolves will bounce back and remain one of the top teams during this final and most gruelling length of the regular season remains. They will battle it out with the Calgary Roughnecks next.
The Halifax Thunderbirds earned a decided 13-9 win over the Panther City Lacrosse Club. The Thunderbirds needed another very strong performance to show that they are still a true contender for the NLL Cup. In front of a record-setting 10,196 Thunderbirds fans, Halifax put on a dominant showing in the first half – they led 10-2 at halftime. And, even though, they would be shut out 5-0 in the 3rd quarter, they still won 13-9. This was the fourth time this season that the Thunderbirds have held their opponent to under 10 goals. Next, they will face the top team, the Toronto Rock.
The Buffalo Bandits serendipitously earned a 14-12 win versus the Toronto Rock
The Bandits have been a gritty team that refuses to lose over the past two weeks. After beating the Rush in over-time, the Bandits have been on a positive roll. Their offence has been on fire lately, scoring 29 goals over their last two games. Their next game will see them face the Panther City Lacrosse Club.
