NLL: Ten things to know for Week 4

The National Lacrosse League features three games on this holiday weekend, including two on Friday and one on Saturday.

This week’s NLL Saturday Showcase brings the new-look Vancouver Warriors, who earned their first win under new Head Coach Curt Malawsky last week, visiting the unbeaten Rochester Knighthawks (7 p.m. ET, ESPN+, TSN+).

Here are 10 things to know about the NLL entering Week 4:

• A Banner Night: Picking up where they left off last year, when the KeyBank Center burst at the seams with a record-setting NLL Finals crowd, Buffalo Bandits fans came to party as the team hoisted the 2023 NLL Championship banner in front of 17,200. They were treated to a 12-9 win over San Diego, Head Coach John Tavares’s 50^th career win and another classic performance in net by the venerable Matt Vinc (St. Catharines, Ont.).
• Ready to Mingle: The Colorado Mammoth weren’t in action on the floor last weekend, but they continued to solidify their connection with Centennial State fans with “Mingle with the Mammoth” on Saturday in advance of their home opener on Friday vs. Georgia (9 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. MT, ESPN+, TSN+, Peachtree Sports, Altitude Sports). Players greeted fans, signed autographs, and posted for photos at the Sheraton Downtown.
• Giving Back on the Strip...: The Las Vegas Desert Dogs are giving back to those affected by the recent tragedy at UNLV. The team recently donated 500 tickets to all students, faculty & staff of UNLV for Friday's game against Saskatchewan. The Desert Dogs also donated $5.00 of every $15.00 ticket purchased to the UNLV Emergency Support Fund, established by the UNLV Foundation.
• ...and in the Flower City…: The Rochester Knighthawks visited children from Golisano Children's Hospital and Rochester General Hospital on Tuesday, playing Bingo and other games with the kids and bringing them gifts.
• Burn This: The NLL this week noted its continued partnership with Warrior (@warriorlax), the premier equipment provider for the sport of lacrosse and Official Partner and supplier of the NLL’s equipment pool for players. The league provides an important showcase for the Warrior Burn line, now in its fourth iteration.
• MD Mitch: NLL.com’s Jon Rapoport put together this fine feature on Toronto Rock defender Mitch de Snoo (Oshawan, Ont.), currently in the fifth year of an eight-year MD/PhD program at the University of Toronto. “The goal is to become a clinician scientist, who is able to see and treat patients and conduct a research program. I want to be the person looking into and understanding cures for diseases,” he told NLL.com.
• Go Local: Just three games on the NLL schedule in Week 4 with the holidays upon us, but three local market broadcasters will carry the games: Bally Sports Southwest Extra gets Friday’s Toronto Rock vs. Panther City Lacrosse Club tilt (8 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. CT), while the new Peachtree Sports Network and Altitude Sports Network both grab Friday night’s Georgia Swarm vs. Colorado Mammoth matchup (9 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. MT). As always, ESPN+ and TSN+ cover the rest of North America with live coverage.
• Power Up: NLL.com’s Adam Levi checks in with his weekly Power Rankings, boosting up the Bandits two slots to No. 1 after the aforementioned resounding home opening win, and vaulting the Halifax Thunderbirds (2-0) two spots to No. 2. Surprising unbeaten Albany (3-0), which has already matched its win total from last year, bolts to No. 3, with the Rock’s (1-0) off week pushing them to No. 4.
• NLL Players reaching milestones last week included:
  • Albany F Ethan Walker (Peterborough, Ont.) now has 106 points after notching three goals and five assists vs. Philadelphia
  • Buffalo coach John Taveras now has 50 career victories after defeating San Diego
  • Buffalo goaltender Matt Vinc (St. Catharines, Ont.) passed Shawn Evans for fifth on the all-time list with 271 games dressed
  • Halifax F Ryan Benesch (Elmira, Ont.) now has 710 assists, passing Shawn Williams for eighth on the all-time list after dishing two vs. New York
  • Halifax forward Randy Staats (OLA Six Nations) now has 505 points ater a three-goal, three assist effort at New York
  • New York defenseman John LaFontaine (Whitby, Ont.) now has 100 points after an assist vs. Halifax
  • Vancouver defenseman Brett Mydske (New Westminster, B.C.) now as 100 points after tossing an assist vs. Georgia
• Player achievements within reach this week are:
  • Colorado forward Eli McLaughlin (Surrey, B.C.) needs three points to reach 500
  • Colorado forward Zed Williams (Silver Creek, N.Y.) needs two assists to reach 100
  • Georgia forward Brendan Bomberry (Six Nations, Ont.) needs five assists to reach 100
  • Georgia forward Andrew Kew (Oakville, Ont.) needs seven goals to reach 100
  • Las Vegas forward Casey Jackson (Victoria, B.C.) needs one goal to reach 100
  • Las Vegas forward Zack Greer (Whitby, Ont.) needs nine points to reach 600
  • Saskatchewan forward Patrick Dodds (Victoria, B.C.) needs five assists to reach 100
  • Vancouver goaltender Aaron Bold (Victoria, B.C.) needs one minute played to become the eighth goaltender in league history to play 9000 minutes; and one win to become the seventh goaltender all-time to win 90 games

Schedule – Week 4 (All Times Eastern)

Friday

• Toronto Rock (1-0) at Panther City Lacrosse Club (1-1), 8 p.m., ESPN+, TSN+, Bally Sports SW
• Georgia Swarm (1-1) at Colorado Mammoth (0-1), 9 p.m., ESPN+, TSN+, Peachtree Sports, Altitude Sports

Saturday

• Vancouver Warriors (1-1) at Rochester Knighthawks (2-0), 7 p.m., ESPN+, TSN+ (NLL Saturday Showcase)