It’s the most wonderful time of the year! The NLL season is back and Week 1 did not disappoint! There were goals a plenty and some unexpected upsets in week one. Here is your NLL recap for Week 1.
Philadelphia 8 – Halifax 18
The Thunderbirds came out of the gates firing on all cylinders. Randy Staats looked good in his first game since 2020 leading the Thunderbirds offense with six assists. Blaze Riorden led the Wings with 5 goals.
Vancouver 8 – Toronto 19
Guaranteed win night was a success and Toronto showed off their championship caliber roster with a blowout win against the Warriors. Tom Schreiber had 8 points and Nick Rose had 53 saves in the win. Mitch Jones had a strong performance for the Warriors with 5 points and 11 loose balls.
San Diego 15 – New York 14
The Seals escaped from New York with a victory against the Riptide thanks to a disallowed goal in the final minute from Jeff Teat. Curtis Dickson seemed to integrate seamlessly into the Seals offense with 8 points in the win. Jeff Teat picked up right where he left off from his Rookie of the Year campaign with 11 points in the loss.
Albany 11 – Buffalo 10
In the first upset of Week 1, the Firewolves knocked off the defending East Conference Champions. Joe Nardella won 60% of the faceoffs, had 17 loose balls, and 2 caused turnovers in the win. Josh Byrne led the Bandits with 6 points and 13 shots on goal in the loss.
Rochester 16 – Georgia 11
The Connor Fields era has begun in Rochester. Rochester outscored Georgia 10-2 in the second half to comeback and defeat the Swarm. Fields finished with 11 points in the upset win over Georgia. Shayne Jackson finished with 5 points in the loss.
Colorado 6 – Saskatchewan 18
The Saskatchewan Rush came out strong and led 4-0 after the first quarter and used that momentum to dominate the defending champs. The Rush had 70 shots on goal which knocked Dillon Ward out of the game in the 3rd quarter. Mark Matthews had 12 points in the win. Eli McLaughlin was the lone bright spot for the anemic Mammoth offense, leading the way with 4 points in the loss.
