The Lacrosse Matrix Podcast

Alex Simmons was the star rookie last National Lacrosse League season - he earned Rookie of the Year honors after his tremendous season. He scored a bunch, tallied almost more points than any other rookie in NLL history, and took a ton of shots. Alex and I discuss his rookie year, the confidence he got from his teammates and coaches, and his thoughts on this year's FireWolves club.

Dan Coates is going into his 12th National Lacrosse League season (4th with the Knighthawks). He is a talented player on and off the floor, and his discipline (especially during his time in Rochester) has been second to none. Since joining the Knighthawks, he has established himself as one of the few defenders in the league who barely racks up any penalty minutes. Listen to some of Dan's lessons a...

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...

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 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 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 UF...

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 tremendou...

CityLax was started in 2005 with a mission to develop and expand the game of lacrosse inside New York City public schools through a public-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...

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 c...

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...

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...

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 piec...