How quickly time flies by when you’re having fun. Heading into week two, there are five games and countless storylines to analyze. With some teams looking to stay undefeated, some looking to get their first win, and several making their season debut, expect the unexpected all weekend long.
But this column is a focus on the numers. Here are a few you need to know heading into the weekend.
12 – Goals Scored By Ryan Benesch, Rob Hellyer, and Ben McIntosh in Week One
There were questions about how quickly the new-look Seals were going to come together after the team traded away Curtis Dickson and Dane Dobbie, and were going into a year they knew they would be without Austin Staats. It didn’t take long for us to find out that this new offensive core, including Ryan Benesch, Ben McIntosh, and Rob Hellyer. They were great.
The new trio combined for 12 goals on Sunday inside Pechanga Arena. To put that into perspective, only twice have the Seals’ Top 3 goal scorers in a game combined for more goals. One of those games was with the aforementioned former trio. Ironically, Dobbie, Dickson, and Staats scored there combined 13 goals against the Colorado Mammoth on aSunday in Pechanga. Maybe the Seals need to play more Sunday games at home?
It was only one game, but it’s a promising sign for this Seals team. Thankfully, those 12 goals helped the team win that day (a result they will certainly take, even if they have lots to clean up). The Seals have other weapons that will hopefully (for Seals fans) begin to have their big moments. But if this new group can keep this up (or get close to that production), the Seals are in for a very positive year offensively.
7 – The Number of Years It’s Been Since The Toronto Rock Started A Season 0-2
Let me start with a disclaimer: I am not stating that the Toronto Rock are going to lose in Week Two at home to the Albany FireWolves. I’m just letting you know the historical significance of what that would mean if they did.
The last time the Rock lost their first two games of an NLL season was back in 2017, during the 2017-18 season. This happened to also be one of the four years in Rock history in which the team did not make the playoffs.
This start to the year is an unfortunately unique one, as the team is battling through a myriad of significant injuries. We learned today that in addition to Challen Rogers and TD Ierlan, Tom Schreiber and Latrell Harris will also miss Saturday’s home opener. That’s four of their best players not in the lineup.
It’s hard to imagine a healthy Rock team losing twice in a row. But they are up against it this weekend with a short-handed roster and the 2024 finalists coming into town.
3 – The Number of Caused Turnovers Steve Priolo Needs To Pass Brodie Merrill For The 3rd-Most CTOs in NLL History
The Buffalo Bandits’ Steve Priolo has long solidified himself as one of the best defenders and best leaders in recent memory – dare I say, ever? By causing only three more turnovers, he will bolster that case even more.
Yes, caused turnovers have only been tracked since 2011, but since then, Priolo has been one of the best at causing them. His current total of CTOs is 259. By causing three more, he will pass the great Brodie Merrill for the 3rd-most caused turnovers ever. Priolo could definitely pass Merrill in the Bandits’ season-opener this Saturday against the Knighthawks.
Priolo has had many big defensive games since his first 3+ caused assist game back on April 6th, 2013, vs. Minnesota Swarm. In the post-COVID era, Priolo has tallied 3+ CTOs in five regular season games, the last time being in January against the Toronto Rock.
This isn’t a matter of if Priolo will continue to climb the Top 10 caused turnover list, it’s when and how high.
234 – The Number of Minutes Cam MacLeod Has Played In Net In The NLL
We are about to enter the twilight zone. Unless something miraculous happens, the Roughnecks will be at the beginning of an NLL season without Christian Del Bianco for any amount of time for the first time since 2015 that Del Bianco. Even in 2016 (Del Bianco’s rookie season), he played 19 seconds and was still with the team behind Mike Poulin and Frank Scigliano.
Coming into this season, the Roughnecks look like they’ll be relying on Cam MacLeod and Colby Bowman to man the net. Bowman was the Roughnecks’ 3rd round pick in the 2024 NLL Entry Draft. He was the Nanaimo Timberman’s reliable and talented goaltender, so it will be interesting to see his development in the NLL.
MacLeod is the only one of the two with NLL experience, albeit limited. He has played 234 total minutes in net since he was signed by the now-defunct Panther City Lacrosse Club. Over the last two seasons, MacLeod has shown glimpses of what he’s capable of – he’s spent most of the time backing up Nick Damude and making short relief appearances.Â
However, there have been a few occasions when he’s been very good. In March of last season, MacLeod stopped 20 of 23 shots on goal against the Halifax Thunderbirds, including all 10 of the shots he faced in the 3rd quarter. There was another game a couple months earlier where MacLeod stopped 23 of the 29 Georgia Swarm shots on goal he faced.
Unfortunately, MacLeod and PCLC were on the losing side in both of those contests and he has yet to notch his first NLL win. But it’s definitely on the way. The question is: How many wins will he secure in his projected first season as the leader in between the pipes for the Roughnecks?
Make sure to follow By the Numbers all season long here!