NLL Power Rankings: Plenty of Shuffling as March to May Continues

Week 15 of the National Lacrosse League season featured three overtime thrillers and plenty of shuffling in the standings. The standings are getting tighter as the march to May continues.

1. Toronto Rock (11-2)

The Rock scored the final six goals of Saturday’s matchup with Colorado, turning a one-goal deficit into a 12-7 victory. Nick Rose made 38 saves, shutting the Mammoth out for the final 17 minutes of game action. Mark Matthews had a goal and six assists, while rookie Zack Kearney notched the go-ahead tally. Next up is an interesting three-game run against Buffalo, Halifax and Albany. Last week: 1

2. San Diego Seals (9-4)

The Seals pushed ahead of fellow title contender Halifax with a 4-1 run in the second quarter, then never trailed again in a 13-8 triumph. San Diego took advantage of the T-Birds’ penalties, scoring seven power play goals on 12 opportunities. Dane Dobbie led the way with nine points, while Wesley Berg added eight. Last week: 3

3. Albany FireWolves (10-3)

The FireWolves set a new franchise record — even if you count the team’s historic days in Philadelphia — by securing a 13-8 win against Vancouver on Saturday night. Perhaps a sign of the roster’s youth, Albany followed up that showing with a disappointing 18-12 loss to Rochester a day later. Alex Simmons totaled 12 points across the two outings. Last week: 2

4. Georgia Swarm (8-6)

Andrew Kew was again Mr. Clutch for the Swarm, forcing overtime with Calgary with an equalizer inside the final minute of regulation, before Zack Miller’s impressive winner. He collected a bounce pass from Shayne Jackson behind the net, then dove to the opposite side to dunk home a 13-12 win. The assist was Jackson’s seventh of the night. Last week: 5

5. Halifax Thunderbirds (7-6)

The T-Birds held a 4-3 lead at the end of the first quarter before things went awry. Halifax never cut the lead under two goals in the second half despite four-point performances from Clarke Petterson and Austin Shanks. The squad has lost three of its last four. Last week: 4

6. Panther City Lacrosse Club (6-6)

Phil Caputo scored an overtime winner off a rebound, helping Panther City survive a late three-goal Philadelphia run for a 9-8 finish. As noted this week by Adam Levi, five of the team’s last six games have been decided by one goal. Jonathan Donville and Will Malcom each had eight points, while Ryan Sheridan made SportsCenter’s Top 10. Last week: 7

7. Buffalo Bandits (6-6)

Buffalo and Saskatchewan played one of the closest games of the season, with neither team leading by more than a goal the entire way. Tehoka Nanticoke finished as the hero, scoring on a quick-stick move following a Josh Byrne pass to seal a 15-14 overtime victory. Byrne and Chris Cloutier each scored jaw-dropping goals, but the biggest story may have come at the faceoff dot. Connor Farrell, one of the more recognizable faces in the Premier Lacrosse League, won 27 of his 33 draws in his NLL debut. Last week: 9

8. Calgary Roughnecks (5-7)

Tanner Cook came so close to lifting the Roughnecks to victory in overtime with a shot that bounced off Brett Dobson, then Cook’s helmet and into the net. The no-goal call stood following a review, and shortly after, Miller ended it. Calgary scored three straight to take a lead late in the fourth quarter, with Tyler Pace scoring for a fifth time before Kew’s equalizer. Last week: 6

9. New York Riptide (6-7)

Larson Sundown recorded the first sock trick of his career, dazzling with behind-the-net goals in New York’s 13-11 win against the Desert Dogs. The Riptide led 5-1 early and 7-2 at the break, but Las Vegas made them earn it in the second half with a pair of spurts. The result ended a three-game losing streak for New York. Last week: 10

10. Rochester Knighthawks (5-6)

Connor Fields recorded 25 points in a six-day span – now just two points behind league leaders Josh Byrne and Jeff Teat – while Ryan Lanchbury set a career high with 11 assists against Albany. Winners of two straight after a six-game slide, the K-Hawks are right back in the playoff conversation. An 8-2 game-closing run helped make that happen. Last week: 11

11. Saskatchewan Rush (4-6)

The Rush took the lead against the Bandits six times in the second half and forced an overtime period when Robert Church scored with 31 seconds remaining in regulation. Church finished with eight points, with Ryan Keenan close behind him with seven, as Saskatchewan’s road back into playoff position hit a speed bump. Last week: 8

12. Philadelphia Wings (4-7)

The Wings scored twice in the final 1:08 of regulation, with Ben McIntosh equalizing with 39 seconds on the clock, before PCLC’s overtime winner. Philadelphia was close to stringing together two wins for the first time this season, but its surprising woes continue. Last week: 12

13. Las Vegas Desert Dogs (4-8)

Jack Hannah, Casey Jackson and Rob Hellyer each scored to get Las Vegas within a goal of New York with five minutes remaining. New York stopped the run there, getting the clock down to 22 seconds before Callum Jones’ empty netter. Jackson had his best performance since joining Las Vegas, scoring five times and adding three assists. Last week: 13

14. Colorado Mammoth (4-9)

No one on the Mammoth recorded more than two points against Toronto as the team’s offensive woes continued. Colorado has already matched last year’s loss total and will likely need to run the table for a shot at another run to the NLL Finals. Could they sell before Tuesday’s trade deadline? Last week: 14

15. Vancouver Warriors (3-9)

The Warriors never led against Albany, falling behind by as many as six goals in a failed attempt to build on last week’s win against Buffalo. Vancouver’s streak of finishing at or below .500 has now reached 10 years. Adam Charalambides and Keegan Bal each had five points. Last week: 15