Extra lacrosse was a major theme in Week 14 of the National Lacrosse League season.

The Rochester Knighthawks and Georgia Swarm set the tone Friday night, needing overtime in a high-scoring 17-16 affair. Adam Wiedemann forced the extra frame thanks to an equalizer with under two minutes remaining, capping a late 3-1 Swarm run, before Shayne Jackson ended it with a goal right on the doorstep.

The win kept Georgia, which got seven points from Lyle Thompson, in the playoff conversation. At 5-6, the team sits tied with the Philadelphia Wings for fourth place in the East Division.

“I think that was huge for us,” Jackson said. “If we got a loss there, who knows how the season goes? I like how we stuck with it. We had adversity through the game, but we were positive on the bench and just trying to stick with it.”

Still sitting at the top of the East are the Buffalo Bandits, who also experienced an OT thriller over the weekend. It seemed Saturday’s matchup with the Albany FireWolves was destined for overtime the entire night, with neither team ever taking more than a two-goal advantage. The squads alternated goals in the fourth quarter until Joe Resetarits notched the final equalizer for Albany.

That just delayed the Bandits’ victory, as Kyle Buchanan pushed the group to a 12-11 triumph and a 9-1 record on the year. He earned Buffalo’s Heavyweight Player of the Game honor, and the wrestling-style belt that comes with it, by snagging a rebound and shooting across his body into the top corner.

BUCKY CALLED GAME! #LetsGoBandits | @KyleBuchanan9 pic.twitter.com/dIT64KXsqC

— Buffalo Bandits (@NLLBandits) March 6, 2022

Buffalo is off to its best 10-game start in 19 years.

“The record is obviously amazing, but we’ve got a lot of work to do and a long way to go,” Buchanan said.

Rounding out the overtimes were the Saskatchewan Rush and Panther City Lacrosse Club, with the latter getting its first game winner from somebody not named Patrick Dodds. Instead, it was his partner in crime Will Malcom who helped PCLC survive a late two-goal Rush comeback.

Malcom scored for a fifth time and notched an eighth point with an outside shot, sealing a 17-16 final and Panther City’s first two-game win streak.

PCLC moved to 3-8, while opportunities to salvage the season are slipping away for 3-7 Saskatchewan.

“I think a lot of teams are writing us off, but we’re still in the hunt,” Malcom said.

THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL

Issues with COVID-19 have forced some new faces into the crease in the NLL this season. But this week, it was a veteran who got his chance to shine due to an absence in the cage.

Halifax’s Warren Hill was placed on the COVID protocol list on Saturday, forcing longtime NLL starter Aaron Bold into his first action of the season. He was up to the task, making 38 saves in a 14-12 win against the Vancouver Warriors.

He moved into ninth on the all-time saves list in the process.

Cody Jamieson had a goal and six assists, while Jake Withers went 27-for-29 on faceoffs to give the T-Birds a major possession advantage. At 8-1, Halifax remains a half-game back of the Bandits for the top spot in the East.

RETURN OF THE FANS

After quite a long wait, some atmosphere finally returned to Rock games played in their home barn in Hamilton, Ontario. For the first time since December 18, Toronto played in front of fans Friday night against the New York Riptide.

“It felt like a long time,” Rock forward Dan Dawson said.  “A lot of emotion and energy in the building tonight, and I thought we fed off that.”

It was a festive return, as Toronto led by six goals three times in a 12-9 victory. Dawson had six points in his 306th career game, tying John Tavares for the most all-time. He now also sits just an assist away from Tavares’ all-time record.

GOAL OF THE YEAR?

The Calgary Roughnecks may have thought they had Wes Berg trapped, but the San Diego Seals star had other ideas.

Pinned up against the boards, Berg was able to break away from a pair of Rigger defenders, power through continued tight defense and pull off a behind-the-back move worthy of goal of the year discussions. It was the top highlight in San Diego’s 9-4 victory.

24 hours later...we're still not over what Wes Berg did last night pic.twitter.com/1Qk30zviFh

— NLL (@NLL) March 6, 2022

Frank Scigliano kept Calgary under two goals in every quarter, shutting the Roughnecks out in the first, while Berg and Austin Staats provided the offense with five points each. Scigliano finished with 50 saves.

 “I thought the defense really let me see the ball tonight,” said Scigliano, who recorded his 3,000th career save.

NOTEWORTHY

Georgia goalie Mike Poulin recorded his 6,000th career save and 99th career win against Rochester. He’s the sixth player to reach that save mark and passed Anthony Cosmo to move into fourth in league history in wins. … Rochester rookie Ryan Smith set a new career high for points with nine against Georgia, scoring four times and dishing out five assists. He’s notched a hat trick in three straight games. … New York’s Dan Lomas returned to the box for the first time since rupturing his Achilles tendon in July. He scored three times against Toronto. … Saskatchewan’s Mark Matthews reached 500 career assists.

POWER RANKINGS

Last week’s rankings in parentheses.

1. Buffalo Bandits (1)
2. Halifax Thunderbirds (2)
3. San Diego Seals (3)
4. Toronto Rock (4)
5. Colorado Mammoth (5)
6. Philadelphia Wings (7)
7. Georgia Swarm (9)
8. Albany FireWolves (6)
9. Vancouver Warriors (8)
10. Calgary Roughnecks (10)
11. Panther City Lacrosse Club (14)
12. Rochester Knighthawks (13)
13. Saskatchewan Rush (11)
14. New York Riptide (12)

UP NEXT
ALL TIMES EASTERN

Friday

FireWolves at Thunderbirds, 5 p.m.
Panther City at Mammoth, 8:30 p.m.
Rush at Seals, 9 p.m.

Saturday

Riptide at Knighthawks, 4 p.m.
Thunderbirds at Swarm, 6 p.m.
Wings at Bandits, 6:30 p.m.
Rock at Warriors, 9 p.m.