It’s been a few weeks since the last edition of May’s Grinders, but with the playoff push coming up, there is no better time to jump right back into the swing of things.
As a reminder, this series is meant to highlight key contributions around the league, especially ones that don’t appear on the box score!
Zack Deaken, San Diego Seals
The San Diego Seals came away with a big 16-12 win over the Calgary Roughnecks to grab a share of fourth place. A name that quietly got it done for the Seals was Zack Deaken.
The former captain of the Orangeville Northmen during their 2019 Minto Cup run was acquired from the Ottawa Black Bears in the off-season for Jacob Dunbar. He doesn’t jump off the screen with his size, but his bite and quickness make him a solid defender for the Seals.
Deaken played with jam, showing the Roughnecks that you don’t need to be over six feet to make someone feel you on defence. He threw vicious cross checks off-ball and left with a check every at every opportunity.
His relentless physicality and tenacity paid off in the second half, drawing a retaliation penalty on Haiden Dickson that sparked a powerplay goal—the first of five goals in the third quarter.
What I love most about Deaken’s game is his speed and agility. He can move so fluidly, which allows him to absorb contact and be sticky on his matchup. Furthermore, he’s opportunistic early in possessions, pressing out on his opponents.
Deaken did all the little things Saturday night, whether or not it made it on the stat sheet. His presence has injected a bolt of youth to the Seals’ backend, which will continue to be pivotal down the season’s final stretch.
Lyle Thompson, Georgia Swarm
Every year, I find myself explaining why Lyle Thompson’s name belongs in this article—especially after delivering a stellar performance like he did this weekend, racking up 6 points (4 goals, 2 assists).
Elite effort from Lyle. 🙌
— NLL (@NLL) March 23, 2025
Thompson delivered 4 goals, but Georgia fell short in a 15-13 loss to Vancouver. pic.twitter.com/Jj3SwjqJfQ
What makes Thompson exceptional—beyond his wizadry with a stick and world-class game sense—is his relentless competitiveness. He works hard to create chances when he has the ball in his stick and is ferocious to regain possession after a miss.
You saw it during his days in Albany when the Thompson trio were the prime example of how to ride.
Thompson still approaches the game with the same vigor for the ball, creating secondary chances for the Georgia Swarm to convert. He had a beautiful diving goal that resulted from him stripping a Vancouver Warriors defender in the corner after a missed shot.
His second goal of the game was another wonderful effort. After sprinting back to prevent a breakaway, Thompson dug in on defence due to the long change. A shot sent the ball into the corner, and Thompson fought off a Warriors player for possession to go end-to-end for a goal.
Thompson made plays all over the floor, but the Swarm couldn’t come away with the win. The Swarm sits in the eighth and final playoff spot, with only a game in hand. Thompson’s leadership and competitiveness will be paramount for the Swarm’s playoff push.
He finished the night with 6 points (4 goals, 2 assists), 6 loose balls, and 2 CTOs.
Eric Fannell, Ottawa Black Bears
It had been nearly two months since Eric Fannell suited up for the Ottawa Black Bears before this past weekend, but the timing was ripe for his return.
The Black Bears offence had been struggling to produce, only scoring over 10 goals in one of their last seven games. That performance happened over a month ago in a 18-9 win over Albany on February 15th.
After a loss Friday to the Halifax Thunderbirds, their record sat at 5-8.With their playoff hopes hanging on by a thread, the Black Bears needed some juice to spark that side of the floor.
Fannell was the perfect man to do it. He was vicious in the middle, using his physicality to dominate defenders so that he could set effective picks for Teat anf O’Connor to operate around.
On Saturday, it was all about what he could do without the ball in his stick. But Sunday, he put it all together.
In their 14-9 victory over the Colorado Mammoth, Fannell reaped the rewards from his work on the inside and buried a couple big-time goals.
By the end of the third quarter, all the momentum was with the Mammoth. Colorado had just gone on a three-goal run to regain the lead at 7–6 and Ottawa was scrambling to find offence.
Fannell stepped up to give Ottawa a crucial depth-scoroing boost, tying the game at seven. He snagged the rebound from his own miss and finished on top of the crease.
He came up clutch once again in the fourth quarter, scoring what ended up being the dagger to go up 13-9. Fannell set a massive pick and rolled to the middle without pressure, which created a hands-free opportunity to fake-and-finish in front.
His first multi-goal game of the season couldn’t have come at a better time. Fannell stepped up when the Black Bears needed him most, proving the importance of GMs making moves mid-year to improve their squads.
The Black Bears still have plenty of work ahead of them. With four games left, they need ot win out if they are going to have any chance of making the playoffs.
Fannell will be a big part of their success throughout the rest of the season. He finished Sunday’s game with 2 goals and 4 loose balls.