The Lacrosse Matrix Podcast: Recent Episodes
Adam Levi
Stats and storytelling are combined to give you a new perspective of some of your favorite current and former National Lacrosse League players, coaches and teams.
The New York Riptide are in the midst of their hottest offensive streak in franchise history. Offensive Coach Jason Crosbie has played a big role in that. In this episode, I talk to him about his expectations for the Riptide offense for the remainder of this NLL season, and we also touch on his playing career.
Riley Hutchcraft has come a long way in his National Lacrosse League career. Finally, in his 6th season in the NLL, Hutchcraft is getting more opportunities in net than ever before. The circumstances behind that are not necessarily ideal for the team, but Hutchcraft is taking full advantage of every opportunity he's getting in net.
Mike Hasen has been a head coach in the NLL for over a decade and has only coached for Rochester. He's coached the old Knighthawks and now the new Knighthawks. He needs only one win to become the 6th head coach in NLL history to reach 100 head coaching wins. What does reaching that mark mean to him, and how has his previous success been helping them in the now?
The Albany FireWolves are off to a fantastic 2-0 start to the 2023-24 NLL Season. Marshall Powless has played a key role in that. Since he came to Albany in the middle of last season, the former 1st round pick has started to show the box lacrosse world what he's capable of.
Kyle Jackson is a family man, a high school lacrosse coach, and an NLL player. He took more than a year away from the pro box lacrosse game to focus on those first two pieces of his life. Now, he is back in the NLL and with a new team. Hear from Kyle about his journey back to the NLL and why he made the decision to come back.
Ian Mackay is one of the NLL's elite transition players, and he has been since he came into the league for the 2018-19 season. He's a do-it-all kind of player and is one of the more understated and underrated top players in the NLL. Hailing from the small town of Port Elgin, Ontario, Mackay has made quite the name for himself as one of the world's best lacrosse players.
Blaze Riorden is already a Philadelphia Wings lacrosse legend, and he still has so much left to give. He is the franchise's leading goalscorer and is coming off a career year where he set career highs in goals, assists, and points. Hear what he has to say about his past, present, and future with the Wings.
Holden Cattoni is one of the newest big-time playmakers on the Philadelphia Wings. Over the summer, he signed a 3-year deal with the Wings after being traded to the team from the Rochester Knighthawks. Throughout his career, he has made a positive impact on the Calgary Roughnecks, Georgia Swarm, and Knighthawks. Can he be a difference-maker on the Wings and help lead them to their first NLL Cup in team history?
Before there was Jeff Teat, there was Dan Teat. Dan, the father of the New York Riptide's superstar, Jeff, was a great player in his own right for 14 seasons in the NLL. In our conversations, Dan and chat about lacrosse and life. And, don't worry, I do mention the NLL Finals, which start on May 27th, 2023!
The Buffalo Bandits are headed to their 3rd consecutive NLL Finals, and Chris Cloutier has a lot to do with that. The forward has one of the brightest stars during the playoffs, and there's no indication that he's going to slow down any time soon. At 27 years old, Cloutier is becoming a dynamic scorer in this league. This is his story of how he got to where he is today.
Jim Veltman is an 8-time NLL champion - he won 3 with the Buffalo Bandits and 5 with the Toronto Rock - and he participated in 10 NLL Finals. He is a loose ball wizard and is a great passer as well. Have a listen to NLL Hall of Famer Jim Veltman's story through the NLL.
Dallas Eliuk is an NLL Hall of Famer who played in the NLL from 1991-2008. He is a 4-time NLL champion and has competed in the NLL Finals 8 times. To this day, he remains in the Top-10 in all major goaltending statistical categories in both regular season and postseason play. Hear Dallas' story about his time in the NLL, how times have changed in the NLL, and what he's still doing to help the sport of box lacrosse grow in North America.
The Knighthawks made it to their first postseason in franchise history in large part to the effort of their starting goaltender, Rylan Hartley. However, Hartley's backup, Riley Hutchcraft, is a very capable goaltender in his own right. Both guys are still so young, and they have already logged so many minutes in net in the professional ranks. Hear what they have to say about the regular season, the team's first postseason appearance, and their futures.
The Halifax Thunderbirds Jake Withers is great at the face-off X, but he can do so much more. He is a very reliable defenseman and always steps up to do whatever is asked of him. He is a big team guy that isn't focused on personal records, but he did almost set 2 NLL single-season records during the NLL regular season. Listen to Jake Talk about the playoffs, his regular season, and even the UFC!
Jim Else is a lacrosse fan. He is a lacrosse like no other. He has gotten to know so many players so well over the years, and they've helped him through some tough times in life. Jim is a loyal Victoria Shamrocks fan when it comes to WLA action and a Calgary Roughnecks fan when it comes to the NLL. Hear what it's like being a "super" fan and how lacrosse can help create tremendous positive change in your life when you need it the most. This is the story of Jim Else.
CityLax was started in 2005 with a mission to develop and expand the game of lacrosse inside New York City public schools through apublic-private partnership model. Over nearly 2 decades, CityLax has worked with dozens of schools and taught hundreds and hundreds of kids about the game of lacrosse. I also helped CityLax on the administrative side of things about 10 years ago. Here's the story of CityLax as told by founder Mat Levine and the newly appointed CEO Eamon McAnaney.
Andrew Kew is having the best year that not enough people are talking about. Kew has played a pivotal role in the Swarm's turnaround, and even with two games remaining in the NLL season, he has already set multiple personal single-season records. The Big question down the stretch is: Can Andrew Kew and the Swarm make it into this year's playoffs?
Mike Hasen is a winner. He's won a championship as a player in the NLL and won multiple titles as the Head Coach of the Rochester Knighthawks. He's essentially spent more time in Rochester over the last 30 years than anywhere else. Hear his story in this week's episode!
Ed Comeau has been a coach in the NLL for over 2 decades. In 2004, he got his 1st experience being a head coach, but it wasn't until 2006 that he was the leader on the bench for an entire season. Coach Comeau has had a tremendously successful head coaching career and is one of the league's winningest coaches. Hear about his journey as a head coach in this week's episode!
Troy Cordingley began playing in the NLL in 1993. About a decade later, in the early 2000s, he began his coaching career as an assistant coach. Shortly after that, in 2009, he began his heading coaching career. He has now coached over 200 games in the NLL and won multiple championships. He has won two NLL Coach of the Year awards and is hoping to make his newest team, the Vancouver Warriors, NLL champs. Thanks to Coach Cordingley for sharing his NLL story!
Corey Small has become a bit of a journeyman in the NLL. Over the last 4 seasons, he has played for 3 teams. But it hasn't mattered where he's played in his 12-year NLL career; Small has played very well wearing any jersey. This season with the Rock, Small is having a career year and is hoping to win his 1st NLL title with the Rock. In this episode, I examine Small's career in the NLL and how he's been able to play so well this year. Tom Schreiber and Pro Lacrosse Talk Founder Hutton Jackson also join me for this episode.
Move over, Kevin Crowley, there's a new franchise goals leader on the Philadelphia Wings, and his name is Blaze Riorden. Going into Week 16 action of this NLL season, Blaze has scored 82 career goals with the Wings, passing Crowley, who put 80 goals in the net. Matt Rambo currently has 79 goals for the Wings and he will likely pass Crowley as well this weekend - the Wings play 2 games in Week 16. Hear from Blaze about his journey to becoming the franchise leader in goals. It's been a wild ride, but he wouldn't change a thing!
One of the reasons so many of us love the NLL and its players is that these supreme athletes are so much more than just athletes. They are fathers and/or husbands or all-around busy guys who often work full-time jobs. NLLPA Vice President and Executive Director Reid Reinholdt is one of those guys. Not only does he hold very important responsibilities for the NLLPA, but he's also a key veteran piece on the Las Vegas Desert Dogs. Hear about the Desert Dogs and what's going on with the NLLPA in the episode of The Lacrosse Matrix Podcast.
Mitch Jones is back playing in the East Conference, and he is playing the best lacrosse (statically speaking) of his career. He's had some great years with the Buffalo Bandits and then with Vancouver Warriors, but his 4-game stretch ahead of Week 15 action in the NLL is his best yet. Hear from Mitch and his former Warriors teammate Logan Schuss about how Mitch is doing so well with his new team.
Teddy Jenner played in the NLL from 2002-2007. In 2009 he began his broadcasting career. By 2016, he was the play-by-play man of the Colorado Mammoth. Now you can hear and see teddy on the NLL Game of the Week on TSN, and you can listen to his podcast, which he co-hosts with Pat Gregoire, Off The Crossbar (OTCB). Thank you Teddy for joining me for this week's episode!
The Buffalo Bandits Dhane Smith keeps getting better and better. He is once again on pace to break a couple of single-season NLL records. More importantly, his team is 8-2 this NLL Season, and he is determined to help win his team an NLL Cup this season. Thank you to Dhane Smith, Bandits Head Coach John Tavares, and Brad McCulley for joining the podcast this week!
Rob Hellyer made a name for himself in the NLL while playing with the Toronto Rock for 10 seasons. Now, as a member of the Las Vegas Desert Dogs, Hellyer is on pace to have one of the best seasons of his career. Thank you to Rob Hellyer, Desert Dogs HC Shawn Williams, and IL Indoor's Bob Chavez for joining me this week!
In Week 9 of this NLL season, PCLC's Will Malcolm and Jonathan Donville put on a clinic. The young duo combined for 25 points in a huge 20-7 win against Vancouver. Hear how they were able to be so successful that night and how they have been able to be so good for this season. We also talk about what the team needs to do going forward to keep wins coming. Thank you to Will Malcolm and Jonathan Donville for joining me!
The Halifax Thunderbirds Clarke Petterson is one of the raising stars in the NLL. He is a multi-faceted athlete who has become one of the leading facilitators in the league - he's not too shabby when it comes to goal scoring, too. What makes Petterson stand out as a player though, is the way he studies the game. He is one of the smartest minds around the league and he's just 25 years old.
Thanks to Clarke Petterson, Thunderbirds Defensive Coach Billy Dee Smith, and NLL/TSN Analyst Pat Gregoire for joining this week!
I took a short trip to New York last week and took the opportunity to feature my dad on this week's episode of the podcast. My dad is a Friends School of Baltimore lacrosse and Trinty college lacrosse alumnus. He introduced me to lacrosse when I was a young kid, and I wouldn't be involved with the game had he not had me play. Hear the story of his 22 years in lacrosse.
There's only a handful full of NLL legends. There's an even smaller handful of American NLL legends. Casey Power is at or very, very near the top of that mountain. As an American, he excelled in a game that he didn't have that much experience in. Hear his story about how he became the American NLL legend he is today and who some of his other favorite Americans to play in the NLL are.
The Georgia Swarm have had the privilege of having Lyle Thompson and Shayne Jackson for a number of years now. Each of them have been racking up their assist totals over the years and have either reached or are nearing significant personal milestones. They have been key faces of this franchise for so long and are continuing to excel at their craft.
Thank you to HC Ed Comeau, Shayne Jackson, and Ty Merrow for joining the podcast this week.
The Vancouver Warriors aren't happy with their 0-3 start to the 2022-23 NLL Season, but many of their players can be proud of nearing significant milestones. Thank you so much to Shawn Evans, Mitch Jones, Reid Bowering, Warriors HC Troy Cordingley & The Province's (newspaper) Steve Ewen for joining me this week.
Zach Currier is an elite player in the NLL - The IL Indoor, which I am a part of, voted him as the #1 player in the NLL. Hear from Zach Currier, Eli Salama and Roughnecks PxP announcer Grant Farhall, for joining this week and sharing their thoughts on the Roughnecks superstar
Tyler Burton is a journeyman of the NLL, and his life story has been equally filled with twists and turns, ups and downs. However, it seems that each year in the NLL, Burton is becoming more and more of a complete player on and off the floor. Thank you to Tyler Burton, PCLC HC Tracey Kelusky, and Brad Challoner for joining the podcast this week. And, always a special thank you to the NLL's director of statistics, Rob Benson, for his contributions!
It's rare to find a player these days in any sport that desires to stick with one team for over a decade; Brett Manney has done that with the Albany FireWolves/New England Black Wolves /(old) Philadelphia Wings. Now nearing 200 NLL games played and having played the most games played for this organization, Manney joined the podcast to reflect back on his career and what he still wants to accomplish
It's always great talking to true legends of the NLL, especially when they are still giving 110% to their teams in pursuit of trying to win an NLL title. Thank you to Dan Dawson, Brodie Merrill, and Jake Elliott for joining this week!
Kyle Rubisch is a master at causing turnovers. He is about to become the 1st player in NLL history to reach 400 CTOs - no one else has even reached 300 CTOs. Thank you to Kyle Rubsich, Ryan Dilks, and Cody Janzen for your contributions this week!
There is no Georgia Swarm player that would earn the title "Mr. Swarm" more than Jordan MacIntosh (Shayne Jackson might have something to say about this). He is the longest-tenured player in the organization and holds club records for face-offs won, caused turnovers and loose balls. Hear from Jordan why he signed a new three year contract and why he loves being with the Swarm. Thank you to Jordan MacIntosh, HC Ed Comeau, Chris Mooneyham and the Philadelphia Wings Kiel Matisz (MacIntosh's former teammate) for your contributions!
In an NLL offseason where there was an insane amount of roster changes around the league, the Philadelphia Wings jumped in on that and signed Joe Resetarits after the loss of Kevin Crowley. Hear how Joe is going to fit in with the Wings and how he ended up with the team in the first place. Thank you to Joe Resetarits, GM and HC Paul Day, Kiel Matisz, and Brian Andrew of Pro Lacrosse Talk for your contributions!
The NLL regular season is almost upon us, and to get ready for those games, the team's around the league will be starting training camp during the final weekend of October. Having just experienced one of the wildest off-seasons in NLL history with all the player movement that went down, plenty of teams have a lot to work out before the season begins. Thank you to the Albany FireWolves' HC Glen Clark, the New Yor Riptide's Jake Fox, the Rochester Knighthawks' Connor Fields, the Las Vegas Desert Dogs Reid Reinholdt and Brian Shanahan for joining me this week
The San Diego Seals added two incredible veteran offensive talents this offseason in Kevin Crowley and Curtis Dickson. They instantly catapult the Seals to be NLL title favorites. Thank you to Curtis, Kevin and our analyst of the week, Nick Ossello, for joining the podcast this week. WARNING: There is some explicit content in this episode.
There are only a handful of guys who have averaged at least 75 points in the NLL over the last 3 years and the Vancouver Warriors' Keegan Bal is one of them. Keegan has proven that he is one of the elite offensive players in box lacrosse, and his stats back it up. Hear what his teammates and his head coach have to say about his play since 2019. Thank you to Warriors' Head Coach Troy Cordingley, Logan Schuss, Keegan Bal, Kyle Killen and Tino Fera for your contributions!
The Toronto Rock have brought in hometown boy Stephen Keogh (as well as other veterans) to try and win an NLL Championship. Keogh is not only hoping to win an NLL title with his hometown team, he is also hoping to reach a handful of milestones this season. Thank you to Rock HC Matt Sawyer, Challen Rogers, Austin Owens and Stephen Keogh for joining this week!
History is made as the Peterborough Lakers win their 4th straight Mann Cup. They become only the 2nd team since 1932 to win the Mann Cup 4 straight times. Thank you to Tracey Kelusky, Mike Hasen, Matt Vinc, Robert Hope and Stephen Stamp for joining me for the 1st episode of season 2 of The Lacrosse Matrix Podcast!
The Calgary Roughnecks Jesse King had the best year of his NLL career this past season and now he is having the best season of his WLA career this summer. Staying healthy and taking on a new leadership role has helped Jesse become the elite player that he is and most expected him to be after being drafted 3rd overall in the 2015 NLL Draft. King gives thanks and appreciation to his family, friends, and mentors for all the success he's had.
Thank you to Roughnecks Head Coach Curt Malawsky, Shamrocks Head Coach Mike Simpson, Jesse King, and NLL/TSN Lacrosse Analsyt, Teddy Jenner for joining the podcast this week!
Finally, after 16 years, the Colorado Mammoth are NLL Champions once again. Congratulations to every one of the coaches, players, and staff on this incredible achievement.
Thank you to the amazing guests this week Pat Gregoire, Pat Coyle, Joey Cupido, and our featured guest Dillon Ward
It is the final and deciding game of the NLL Finals. Game 3 will decide who lifts the NLL Cup: Will it be the Buffalo Bandits or the Colorado Mammoth. Each of the teams' captains chimed in with their thoughts before the big game on Saturday, June 18th.
Thank you to Steve Priolo, Robert Hope and the analyst of the week, Teddy Jenner.
The Colorado Mammoth are in the NLL Finals for the first time since 2006. But just being there isn't good enough - they want to win it all. Mammoth face-off man and defenseman Tim Edwards has been doing everything he can to get his team to the top of the mountain.
Thank you to all of the amazing guests this week for you all your insight. Thanks to Tim Edwards, Pat Coyle, Andrew McBride, Dillon Ward, Max Adler, Steve Deitrich and Jamie Shewchuk.
On Saturday, June 4th, 2022, the NLL Finals are back! It's been 3 long years since the last NLL Finals and this one between the Colorado Mammoth and the Buffalo Bandits is sure to be an amazing one. The Mammoth haven't won an NLL Title since 2006, while the Bandits haven't won since 2008.
Thank you to all the great guests this week: Pat Coyle, John Tavares, Matt Vinc, Dillon Ward, and Maki Jenner.
Dane Dobbie has given a lot of blood, sweat, and tears to become as successful as he has throughout his NLL career. It seems as soon as he's in the NLL Postseason, he's able to take his game to yet another level. Fighting for his and the Seals' playoff life this weekend against the Colorado Mammoth, Dobbie is going to try and show us why he's one of the best to ever play the game one more time.
Thank you to Dane Dobbie, Patrick Merrill, Josh Sanderson, Steve Govett, and Nick Ossello for the insight and contributions this week.
To be considered the best player on the best team in the NLL is a great honor, and it's a distinction that the Bandits' Josh Byrne is on track to obtaining. Byrne is improving as a player and as a leader every season and just this past weekend in the NLL's Western Conference Finals, Byrne set a career-high with 11 points. The Bandits will be looking to secure a spot in the NLL Finals this weekend when they face the Toronto Rock.
Thank you to all the great guests this weekend including Josh Byrne, Dhane Smith, Steve Deitrich, and John Gurtler.
It is NLL Playoff time and we are featuring a player who is been in the playoffs many times before. Eli McLaughlin of the Colorado Mammoth has been a solid part of the Mammoth foundation since 2015 but had a career year this NLL season. He is now cracking into the Top-5 in all offensive categories in Mammoth regular season and postseason history.
Thank you to all the guests this week including McLaughlin, Joey Cupido, Mammoth Offensive Coach Jason Bishop, and Mammoth Sideline Reporter John Gallant.
We have reached the 2022 NLL Playoffs, so you know I had to find a featured guest that has not only achieved something impressive statistically but is also someone that you'll be seeing in the playoffs. Kiel Matisz is many things: a leader, a champion, a goal-scorer, a playmaker a much more, and now he has a chance to help the Wings to their 1st NLL title.
Thank you to all the amazing guests this week Kiel Matisz, Trevor Baptiste, Wings HC Paul Day & Wings Color Commentator Scott Gabrielsen, you all helped make this episode another must listen.
The Halifax Thunderbirds Aaron Bold has been in the NLL for a very long time, 2006 to be precise. He's been an NLL champion and has been regarded as one of the great goalies of the last 10 years, if not all-time. In his new role with the Thunderbirds, Bold is trying to rev up his career again with a new team. He's proven he is mentally and physically tough enough to face any challenge that comes his way, so only time will tell how much more success he will have in this league.
This week's featured guest is closing on two milestones that will further cement Panther City Lacrosse Club's Jeremy Thompson as one of the top face-off winners/loose ball-getters in NLL history. He has remained composed, focuses, and dedicated to his craft and having a positive and enlightened mindstate throughout his playing career.
Thank you to PCLC's DC Steve Toll and Jeremy Thompson for joining me this week and to all the Lacrosse Matrix Podcast Poll voters, which you can find on my Twitter (at) adamlevisports.
Being an American in the NLL is difficult. It is a game that has been played brilliantly by Indigenous and Canadian players for decades, but in more recent years, Americans have switched over to the box game instead of playing the field game to enhance their lacrosse skills. The Toronto Rocks Tom Schreiber is arguably the best American to play in the NLL, and he is proving why this NLL season.
Thank you to all of the incredible guests this week, including Tom Schreiber, Rob Hellyer, Toronto Rock Head Coach Matt Sawyer, and NLL & TSN Analyst Pat Gregoire.
It's not ever season that you get to witness historic greatness in the NLL. In fact, it's quite rare, which is what makes it historic. In the 2022 NLL season, the Buffalo Bandits Dhane Smith is having a year like no other. He is on pace to set the NLL single season records for both points and assists and his team is looking like they may finish this season with the most dominant record in NLL history.
Hear from our very special guests, Dhane Smith, John Tavares, Mitch Jones and Andy Towers as we look into how Dhane has been able to be so good this season and how the Bandits are doing the same.
Every year, in every sport, fans, players, and analysts are always eager to see which teams will make a big splash at the trade deadline. When it came to this year's NLL trade deadline, 6 deals went down within the last 24 hours (a pretty big day compared to other years). The trades will help some teams now, but many of them will help teams in their long-term futures.
In this week's episode, host Adam Levi takes a look at the statistical impact the players that have been traded have made so far on their new teams, and Adam was joined by Ty Merrow of the Lacrosse Flash to get his take on each and every one of the deals and what statistical projects he has been working on.
It's NLL trade deadline week and players have been moving around the league before the March 15th noon EST deadline. While keeping to the theme of the trade deadline and how a deadline deal can impact a team, I dive into one of the most impactful trades to take place on deadline day - a trade that included Johnny Powless and this week's feature guest, Logan Schuss.
Thank you to the special guests of this week's episode Logan Schuss, Chris Gill, Brad Challoner, and Paul Horn
When you think about the greatest rookies in National Lacrosse League history, you're likely to think about Paul Gait's 1991 season with the Detriot Turbo or Randy Staats's 2016 season with the Georgia Swarm, or maybe Brodie Merrill's 2006 campaign. But, after THIS NLL season, the first and best rookie NLL season to come to mind might be Jeff Teat's 2021-22' NLL Season.
Dive into the Matrix with host Adam Levi this week to hear why Jeff Teat's season is turning out to be one of the greatest ever. Thanks to special guests Jeff Teat, Dan Ladouceur, Callum Crawford, and Cooper Perkins.
If you're a Saskatchewan Rush fan, you won't want to miss this week's episode. We talk to Mark Matthews about his extraordinary career so far and hear from some of his teammates what it's like to play with a guy who is essentially the face of this franchise and has been for nearly a decade.
Thank you to special guests, Chris Corbeil and Jeff Shattler and our analyst of the week, Evan Schemenauer.
When it comes to National Lacrosse League goaltenders, at just 24-years-old, the Calgary Roughnecks Christian Del Bianco is considered to be one of the best to ever play the game. In this episode, we dive into how good Del Bianco has been compared to his counterparts and his predecessors.
Featuring special guests, Calgary Roughnecks Head Coach Curt Malawsky, Roughnecks Goaltending Coach Tyler Richards and NLL/Vancouver Warriors Play-by-Play man Jake Elliott, we explore the stats and techniques that make Del Bianco great!
In order to be considered one of the all-time great forwards or offensive players in NLL history you’re resume must be immaculate. Now, having reached both the 450 goal & 800 assist plateaus this NLL season Shawn Evans - who is WAY more accomplished than just these two numbers - is undeniably in that conversation.
Dive into the Matrix this week to understand what makes the Rochester Knighthawks' Shawn Evans one of the complete players in NLL history. Special guests this week include the San Diego Seals Dane Dobbie, NLL, and ESPN lacrosse analyst Mitch Belisle the Knighthawks' Paul Dawson, and, of course, Shawn Evans
Hello, and welcome to The Lacrosse Matrix Podcast, where stats make the story.
Each week, we'll dive into the matrix to uncover how your favorite NLL players, coaches or teams are able to achieve such great heights. Using statistical data and quotes from interviews with some of the most knowledgable people around the NLL, we'll paint a picture of a current or former success story in the NLL.
This week we cover Ryan Lee and his incredible start to the 2021-22 NLL season. We'll talk to Lee, his teammate Eli McLaughlin and his Head Coach, Pat Coyle to get their thoughts on Lee's season. We'll also be joined by an NLL Analyst each week who will give their take on the person or group being covered.
Does Ryan Lee deserve to be mentioned as an NLL MVP Candidate? How important is he to the Mammoth offense? Will he set any NLL records this season? Find out the answers to all these questions and many more in this first episode of this podcast.