With only a few games left in the regular season, the playoff push is at tight as it can be. Every game matters even more this time of the year with the number of teams vying for a spot in the playoffs or fighting for home floor advantage. A few guys stepped ut this week helping their team’s either close to gap or solidify their spot.
Eli Salama, Calgary Roughnecks
In a must win game at Scotiabank arena against the Albany Firewolves, Calgary’s pivotal players showed up. One of those guys was Eli Salama who continues to be the backbone of the Calgary defense. For a group that sits fourth in the NLL in goals per game (10.36), his ability to neutralize his matchup is a big reason why.
He matched up on Ethan Walker for most of the game and held him scoreless over 60 minutes and change. Although Walker finished the game with four assists, many of them were simple swing passes or plays that weren’t as a result of any mistake Salama made. He’s long and athletic, never giving his matchup a step, and is excellent when the ball is on the ground.
The play of the night was his goal at the end of the third quarter, which proved to be a pivotal one—the Roughnecks didn’t score another until Tanner Cook’s game-winner in overtime. Salama blocked a shot and ran the ball down the floor for a breakaway. His second goal of the season was the picture-perfect definition of a juice goal.
Salama finished the game with a goal, 7 loose balls, 2 blocked shots, and 1 caused turnover.
Jason Knox, Panther City Lacrosse Club
Continuing with the rookie theme from last week, Jason Knox came to play on Friday in Fort Worth helping Panther City come away with a crucial overtime over the Buffalo Bandits. With the win, Panther City remains in a playoff spot—tied for sixth with Buffalo— and a game in hand on the eight place New York Riptide.
Knox came away with three assists on the night, but that wasn’t what caught my attention. From their first goal of the game until the last, he lived inside bumping bodies to get Will Malcolm space for shots. Malcolm finished the game with four goals, and Knox’s work in the middle helped on a few of those.
On the first goal of the game, Knox came off the bench with a head of steam and used that momentum, along with his 6’4, 205 lbs frame, to free up Will Malcolm for a time-and-room goal. That continued all night long.
Knox also came away with some big loose balls in the offensive zone that gave Panther City second chance possessions. At the end of the fourth quarter with the goalie pulled, Knox came away with the loose ball off a rebound from an errant shot. With pressure on his back, he was able to quickly get the ball to Callum Crawford who got the shot off with two seconds on the possession clock to tie the game up with :20 seconds left and send it to overtime.
Will Malcom, Panther City Lacrosse Club
Malcom is becoming a mainstay in the article for all the work he does outside of scoring. Once again, he had a monstrous performance leading Panther City to their overtime victory over Buffalo with seven points (4 goals, 3 assists). His ability to make plays was terrific, but his determination in the ride was what won them the game—along with Nick Damude’s 51 saves.
Two plays that showed his will to win were his second goal of the game and the ride back that led to Jonathan Donville’s game-winning overtime goal.
With just under seven minutes to play in the third, there was a loose ball in front of the Buffalo net after Crawford threw a check that jarred the ball away from a Buffalo defender. Malcom went into the scrum and, once again, stripped the ball away from another Buffalo defender. He then grabbed the ball off the turf and finished a short-side twister to put Panther city up two.
His last and most impactful play of the game came in overtime when he forced another turnover in the ride. After a missed shot in early in the clock shot, the rebound deflected into the middle of the defensive zone. With sticks fighting away for it, the ball was tipped up into the air, looking as if it would drop into one of the Buffalo defender’s stick.
Malcolm who was on his way to the bench, saw the ball in the air and ran towards it to grab it before it reached the defender’s stick. He deflected the ball into the corner and forced a clearing violation. The next possession, Donville scored the game-winner, his second of the year in overtime.
Malcolm leads from the front with his effort and attitude which permeates throughout the team. He’s a big reason why PCLC is in playoff spot and will continue to be a factor for them in the final stretch.