NLL Power Rankings: Week of Upsets Puts Seals Back on Top

Just when it seemed things were clearing up in the National Lacrosse League, three of the top four teams in last week’s power rankings were defeated. That shrunk the gap slightly between the league’s best and the middle of the pack while also adding intrigue to an exciting wild card race.

1. SAN DIEGO SEALS (9-2)

Wes Berg scored four times and added three assists while three of his teammates notched hat tricks in a 16-9 win against Vancouver. Kevin Crowley, Curtis Dickson and Austin Staats all hit the three-goal mark as the Seals moved one win away from matching their franchise best. Last week: 2

2. BUFFALO BANDITS (10-3)

Despite the Mammoth’s struggles this season and the Bandits getting healthier, a rematch of last year’s NLL Finals ended in the same result as the title bout. Buffalo took a 4-1 lead after the first quarter and tied it at 8 early in the fourth, but a five-goal run to end the game for Colorado secured a 13-8 triumph. Chase Fraser made his season debut, scoring twice. Last week: 1

3. CALGARY ROUGHNECKS (9-4)

Tyler Pace played a part in every tally during a five-goal run in the fourth quarter, helping the Riggers to an 11-6 win against Saskatchewan. Pace finished with eight points, while Christian del Bianco held the Rush to six goals for the second time this season. Jesse King also added seven points. Last week: 5

4. TORONTO ROCK (10-4)

The Rock fell for the second time in three games, this time a 14-12 defeat at the hands of Halifax. Toronto held a lead at some point in each of the first three quarters, but a 4-2 fourth in favor of the Thunderbirds was enough to swing the result. Last week: 3

5. PANTHER CITY LACROSSE CLUB (8-5)

Backed by six points from Will Malcom, Panther City earned its fourth win in its last five games with an 11-8 result against Las Vegas. Josh Medeiros added a hat trick as PCLC secured a season series sweep. Meanwhile, Callum Crawford became the 11th player in NLL history to reach 450 career goals. Last week: 6

6. ROCHESTER KNIGHTHAWKS (9-4)

The K-Hawks squandered a two-goal advantage in the final seven minutes of regulation, allowing Philadelphia to equalize at 8 and force overtime. A Blaze Riorden winner less than 20 seconds into the extra frame sealed a surprising loss, but Rochester did not lose ground thanks to the Buffalo and Toronto results. Last week: 5

7. COLORADO MAMMOTH (6-6)

A victory against Buffalo was much needed after Colorado lost four of its last five. The team is now in the thick of the wild card race with Philadelphia and Saskatchewan and is a game back in the loss column from Panther City for the third West spot. Ryan Lee had six points, four coming in a four-goal run in the second quarter that turned the tide. Last week: 7

8. HALIFAX THUNDERBIRDS (6-7)

Eric Fannell set a new season high with seven points in the T-Birds’ upset of Toronto. The win was a positive step for the squad, but consistency will be necessary to secure a spot in the playoffs. Halifax hasn’t strung together two wins in a row since its first two games of the season. Last week: 9

9. PHILADELPHIA WINGS (6-7)

It was a mixed bag for the Wings, who knocked off one of the league’s best in Rochester while falling 13-12 to a team outside the playoff race in Georgia. Joe Resetarits had 16 points across the two games, while Riorden had 14 — including the overtime winner against the Knighthawks. Last week: 8

10. NEW YORK RIPTIDE (4-9)

Jeff Teat eclipsed 100 points on the season, adding nine more in New York’s 13-10 win against Albany. Teat, who now has a league-leading 105 points, has recorded at least nine in seven games this season. After losing three straight, the Riptide have won back-to-back games. Last week: 11

11. SASKATCHEWAN RUSH (5-7)

Despite shutting out Calgary in the third quarter, Saskatchewan couldn’t get much going offensively in its fourth straight defeat. The Rush will have another shot at the Roughnecks next week as they look to get back on track. Last week: 10

12. GEORGIA SWARM (3-8)

The Swarm have won three of their last four after starting the season 0-7 and secured their first victory against a team other than Albany. In a matchup known for its one-goal games, Lyle Thompson powered the offense against Philadelphia with seven goals. Last week: 12

13. VANCOUVER WARRIORS (3-10)

Keegan Bal had five points in the loss to San Diego. With the result, Vancouver will have a fifth straight losing season and double-digit defeats for the fourth time in five seasons. Last week: 13

14. LAS VEGAS DESERT DOGS (4-8)

After looking capable of a positive PCLC-esque first season, Las Vegas has fallen back to Earth with a three-game losing streak. Rob Hellyer had five points, but the Desert Dogs failed to take a lead in the second half after a 5-1 PCLC run in the second quarter. Last week: 14

15. ALBANY FIREWOLVES (2-10)

The FireWolves skid extended to eight games, but the team did reach double-digit goals for the third time in four attempts. Ethan Walker led the way with six points, a new season high for the second-year player. He scored the game’s final two goals as Albany put some window dressing on the defeat. Last week: 15