With a four game weekend in week nine, it was a lot easier to drill down and find the guys making a difference, especially off the score sheet. With more than half the teams scoring 11 goals or less on the weekend, it was a good showing by the league’s best defenders.
Sometimes this column is a way to show you players you have not heard of. That is not the case this week, you know these guys. But they are among the best in the world for a reason, and they showed it this weekend.
Welcome to another edition of May’s Grinders.
Challen Rogers, Toronto Rock
The Toronto Rock are on a two-game winning streak after getting all their key pieces back in the lineup. One of those big names who has made a significant impact has been Challen Rogers.
Starting his career coming out the back door and running transition, Rogers has used that experience to round out his complete skillset. He’s such an important piece for the Rock. From first powerplay to PK-1, Rogers does everything in between.
A crucial piece to Toronto’s victory was holding the Calgary Roughnecks star-studded offence to 9 goals, which Rogers was a big piece of by puting his body on the line all night. He finished the game with 5 blocked shots, never shying away from an opportunity.
Another part of Toronto’s special sauce on this two-game run has been transition goals. After an errant pass near the restraining line, Challen Rogers beat the Roughnecks player to the ball and took it down the floor for a breakaway goal.
Rogers made significant hustle plays when he stepped foot on the offensive sice of the floor. His offensive skill and athleticism are off the charts that lead to him getting a number of isolation looks within the Rock’s offensive scheme. After getting stripped on an isolation dodge at the right wing, Rogers chased down the Calgary defender and made a silky over-the-head check to dislodge the ball and regain possession. On the ensuing possession, Tom Schreiber scored his second of the game.
A goal like that wouldn’t have been possible with both Rogers and Schreiber gone during the Rock’s five-game losing streak to start the season. Rogers missed the first four games, while Schreiber missed the first five.
Challen Rogers is heartbeat of this Toronto Rock group, which is evident every time he steps on the floor. He finished the game with 1 goal, 6 loose balls, 5 blocked shots, and 1 CTO.Â
Warren Jeffrey, Colorado Mammoth
Warren Jeffrey doesn’t get enough credit for what he does for Colorado Mammoth’s defensive unit. He is arguably their best cover defender, locking down opponents through his size, strength, and IQ.
Rochester’s MO saturday night was looking for skip passes from the shooter to low corner. On multiple occasions Saturday, he was able to make life difficult for Rochester by keeping his stick in lanes that took away those chances and throwbacks.
During the final possession of the second quarter, Jeffrey forced the ball carrier down the wall in the two-man game. Robert Hope hedged the slide, taking away the path to the cage which forced the player to turn back. Jeffrey was there and got his stick up to knock down a pass to the man rolling towards the middle. With the ball on the ground, he body checked the Rochester player to prevent him from picking up the ball preventing them from getting a shot on cage before the clock expired.
In a one-goal comeback win, those little plays add up. Jeffrey finished the game with 1 assist, 4 loose balls, 1 blocked shot, and 2 CTOs.
Ryan Dilks, Vancouver Warriors
Ryan Dilks, a recent guest on Back of the Bird, reminded us all why he’s regarded as one of the best defenders in the game.
In Vancouver’s 8-4 win over the Ottawa Black Bears Saturday, Dilks drew the Jeff Teat matchup for most of the night, which has puzzled most NLL defences since he first graced the floor in 2022.
But in this one, Dilks and the Warriors held Teat without a goal for the first time since April 22, 2023.
Where Dilks stood out was his quickness by matching feet with Teat throughout his gauntlet of moves. Teat’s speed and agility make him extremely evasive, but Dilks was up for the task staying with him every step of the way.
Causing multiple turnovers during the game, Dilks made a couple nifty takeaway checks by using his deceptive reach to pry the ball away from opponents.
Dilks’ impact didn’t stop there–he fought tirelessly for defensive zone loose balls and off the faceoff. He routinely chasing down loose balls into the corner without ever shying away from putting his nose on it.
When Dilks and this Vancouver defence play as strong as they have recently, it raises the question: is Vancouver a dark horse for the NLL cup? Time will tell, but the way Dilks played tonight by shutting the door on Teat really makes me wonder what this group has in store.
Dilks finished the game with 5 loose balls and 2 CTOs.