Game Preview | Calgary at Vancouver

WELCOME BACK!  The Vancouver Warriors kick off season #2 downtown at Rogers Arena versus the defending NLL Champions, the Calgary Roughnecks.  Last season, the Warriors won their opening game of the season in Calgary in overtime 14-13 on December 15^th.  The Captain, Matt Beers scored the game winner while Logan Schuss kicked in with nine points.  Calgary then spoiled Vancouver’s home opener on December 21, prevailing 14-8.  The Roughnecks took the season series with a hard fought 8-5 game in Alberta on February 2^nd.

The Warriors and Roughnecks meet just twice this season, with the return match in Calgary set for March 28^th. 

NEW TEAMS, NEW DIVISIONS, NEW PLAYOFF FORMAT: The National Lacrosse League begins their 2019-2020 season with two new teams, the Rochester Knighthawks and the New York Riptide, while the previous incarnation of Rochester moved their franchise to Halifax to become the Halifax Thunderbirds.  The NLL moved to a three-division format, with the West Division (Vancouver Warriors, Calgary Roughnecks, Saskatchewan Rush, Colorado Mammoth and San Diego Seals) remaining together.  The East Division will now be comprised of New York Riptide, New England Black Wolves, Philadelphia Wings and Georgia Swarm, while the newly formed North Division will feature the Toronto Rock, Buffalo Bandits, Rochester Knighthawks and Halifax Thunderbirds.

The NLL Playoffs will now see eight clubs qualify for post season play. Each Division winner will be seeded 1-3 based on record.  Each second place team in each division will be seeded 4-6 based on record while the remaining two playoff spots will be comprised of the next two clubs with the best overall records.  Playoffs remain single elimination in the first two rounds and best of three in the championship series.

NEW FACES:  The Vancouver Warriors have 12 new faces on their roster that did not finish the season in Vancouver.  Vancouver currently has 28 players on their roster, (21 active, 4 practice, 3 injured).

4 Forwards (Riley Loewen, Mike Mallory, Lyndon Bunio and Keegan Bell).

8 Defenders (Nik Bilic, Sam Clare, Derek Lloyd, Chris O’Dougherty, Patrick O’Meara, Mason Pynn, Tyson Roe, and Bob Snider).