MISSISSAUGA, CANADA - DECEMBER 28: the NLL regular season game between the Ottawa Blackbears and the Toronto Rock at the Paramount Fine Foods Centre on December 28, 2024 in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Christian Bender/NLL)

This week was led by couple of defenders from the Ottawa Black Bears who were catalysts in their one-goal win against the Rock, while an underrated lefty in Saskatchewan and do-it-all superstar in Halifax led the way for their groups as well!

Let’s get right into it. This is May’s Grinders.

Callum Jones, Ottawa Black Bears

The second-year defender out of Burlington provides a spark to the Black Bears defence due to his physicality and speed. He made his mark right off the first faceoff, causing a turnover in the ride, which he did again shortly thereafter. 

Jones’ presence in the ride off the faceoff slowed down the Toronto Rock’s ability to get into the offensive zone on time, disrupting their flow and forced some rushed possessions. His motor never tired down throughout the game, as he pressed out to make plays all night long. 

His first goal of the season came as a result of his pressing out. He caused a turnover at centre, knocking over a Rock player to dislodged the ball, and ran it down for a clear breakaway finish. 

Jones is like a bull in a china shop on the floor, taking down anything in his path.  I’d be really interested what his game total on hits would have been if the NLL kept those stats–I’m guessing close to 10. 

He put together one of the most complete performance of the season, finishing the game with 2 points (1 goal, 1 assist), 9 loose balls, 1 blocked shot, and 2 CTOs. 

Luc Magnan, Ottawa Black Bears

Luc Magnan has discreetly been a great addition to this Black Bears defence. This past week his impact was undeniable, scoring his first goal of the season, picking up loose balls, and being a guiding force on the Black Bears back end. 

Something that does not make its way onto the stat sheet is communication. What stood out most watching Magnan this past Saturday was how vocal he was, directing teammates and coordinating his group. 

Having the pleasure of playing for Magnan in junior, his defensive IQ is impeccable and energy is unmatched. Those qualities are evident when he’s on the floor and permeate throughout the lineup to uplift the group.

There’s no better way that encapsulates his impact than his goal on the penalty kill – a true group effort. The Black Bears forced a turnover off a rebound from Jones laying out the Rock player on the crease. Magnan took off from the bottom corner and caught the Rock powerplay being lackadaisical on the back check, freeing himself up for a breakaway feed. 

Magnan was a force all game finishing the night with 2 points (1 goal, 1 assist), 7 loose balls, and 1 blocked shot. 

Clark Walter, Saskatchewan Rush

Although the Saskatchewan Rush’s comeback fell short in an overtime loss to the Philadelphia Wings, Clark Walter came away with some big hustle plays in the fourth quarter that helped them climb out of a three goal deficit. 

He had 6 loose balls on the game, which were a result of him picking up loose balls from rebounds that extended possessions. The most important once came in the fourth quarter to tie the game up at 11.

Off of a shot of his own, the rebound trickled out to on top of the crease. Swarmed by two Wings defenders and Nick Damude, Walters goosed the ball into the corner where he was able to pick it up. The fight wasn’t over there as Walter found himself up against the boards with two Wings defenders on him, but he spun his way out of their pressure to get to space and pass the ball. 

You could probably guess what happened next… Zach Manns stepped into one from the lefty shooter spot, tying the game up at 11. 

Without Walter’s hustle throughout the game and, more specifically, the fourth quarter, the Rush wouldn’t have been in the position to come out with a win. He finished the game with 3 points (1 goal, 2 assists), 6 loose balls, and 1 CTO. 

Jake Withers, Halifax Thunderbirds 

Jake Withers was a big reason why the Halifax Thudnerbirds sparked a 10-goal run late in the third quarter to win the game. What changed was the pace and intensity that the team played with, which was led by Withers.

He played with a intensity that permeated throughout the group. He found himself in every scrum and put his body on the line to make sure the Thunderbirds came up those loose balls and also blocked two shots. Withers sprinted between the lines to create chances in transition. That resulted in Thunderbirds players pushing the floor on every defensive stop, leading to the first goal of the 10-goal run. 

In Withers fashion, he got under the opponents skin by getting into little scuffles, finished his checks, and left his mark with heavy crosschecks. It sturred the emotions of his opponents and led to retaliation turnovers that gave the Thunderbirds extra possessions. 

When everything seemed to be going wrong for the Thunderbirds, Wither stepped up and led by example. He finished the game with 8 loose balls, 2 blocked shots, and 2 CTOs.

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *