HAMILTON NATIONALS - JORDAN HALL Q&A

Jordan Hall has been playing for the Nationals for 5 years, two of which were in Toronto before moving to Hamilton. This past season he put up 12 points for Hamilton including 8 goals and 4 assists. Hall put in a game-winning goal against the Bayhawks while on the road for an over time win to continue the 5-0 start for Hamilton. Hall also plays for the Philadelphia Wings in the NLL with teammates Kevin Crowley, Brodie Merrill, and rookie Tucker Durkin. Digital Media coordinator, Becca Luden had a chance to sit down and talk to with Jordan about his lacrosse career.

Becca Luden: How did you get started in lacrosse?

Jordan Hall: I was actually a playing soccer with a bunch of buddies and they’re dad was really into it and soccers in the fall and spring and they told me I should go play lax and that was kinda it.

BL: Did you play any other sports other than soccer when you were younger?
JH: I actually quit soccer pretty young. When I was really young I played baseball and soccer and then that changed to soccer and lacrosse. And all my lacrosse buddies were playing hockey so it became lax and hockey from basically 9 or 10 years old and on.

BL: When did you stop playing Hockey?

JH: Right up until like I think 11^th or 10^th grade, up until the point I knew I had a lacrosse scholarship and then I just focused on lacrosse.

BL: What is your greatest accomplishment in your lacrosse career?

JH: Probably winning the world championships in 2006 with team Canada.

BL: Who is your Athletic motivation?

JH: I was always a bigger fan of Trevor linden cause he wasn’t always flashy but he was more of a two way guy. You know he got back checked hard and things like that so I guess you could say Lindin.

BL: What song is on your ipod that you wouldn’t want people to know about?

JH: It’s a Bruno mars song, I cant remember the name of it...hold on let me look it up… So when I go to itunes .. just an old man comment.. oh wait there it is. Library.

Bruno Mars – If I knew.

BL:  hahah, I’ll have to give it a listen… So how do you prepare for a game, do you have any weird superstitions or anything like that?

JH: No I try and stay pretty loose, I would say pre game nap is a big one. And I just started following brodie around and eating whatever he eats on the weekend.

BL: Trying to eat healthier?

JH: Yeah I literally follow him and if there’s a buffet I follow him in line and grab whatever he does and jump in the backseat and go to whole foods with him.

BL: If you went on amazing race who from the nationals would you want as your partner and why?

JH: I think I might take Thul, because he would drive me to do better because his military training and he could protect me in any situation and he’s got training for whatever they might have us do.

BL: What’s your favorite holiday?

JH: Halloween

BL: Does that count?

JH: Uh yes it does.

BL: Ahaha alright so why?

JH: I really like the costumes and you get a lot of candy.  I put more into my Halloween costumes than Christmas presents. It’s a bad thing to say but it’s probably true.

BL: I put quite a bit of thought into mine too, so it’s not that bad… What is your favorite meal?

JH: Probably, it’s a three-way tie between pizza, sushi, or a nice steak house.

FIVE NATIONALS DRAFTED IN NLL DRAFT 2013

After the National Lacrosse League’s draft last night, five more Nationals will be playing in the Indoor league this winter. The Minnesota Swarm picked Jason Noble second overall, before Dillon Ward went third overall to the Colorado Mammoth. Ward was the highest picked goalie since 1999 when Gee Nash went second overall. Cameron Mann joins Ward with the Mammoth as he was picked in the fourth round (32nd overall). Tucker Durkin joins three other Nationals in Philadelphia, after being picked up the Wings in the third round. Reid Acton was picked in the third round by the Swarm and will join Noble in Minnesota.

Nationals playing in the NLL this winter:

Rochester Knighthawks:
Joe Walters
Cody Jamieson
Stephen Keogh
Sid Smith

Philadelphia Wings:
Brodie Merrill
Jordan Hall
Kevin Crowley
Tucker Durkin

Edmonton Rush:
Jeremy Thompson

Minnesota Swarm:
Jason Noble
Reid Acton

Colorado Mammoth:
Dillion Ward
Cameron Mann

Watch for your Nationals this winter in the NLL, with the league opener on December 28^th with three match ups … including all of your Nationals! The Wings are in Buffalo to take on the Bandits; Colorado will host the Rush, and the defending back-to-back Champions will take on the Swarm in Rochester. To keep track of all of your Winter Nationals make sure to follow the Nationals on twitter (@NationalsLax) 

THREE NATIONALS ON U.S. TRAINING ROSTER

This season the Hamilton Nationals’ rookies had great years, from breaking records to being selected to the All-MLL team. Three of the rookies from the Nationals headed to the Team USA Tryouts in Baltimore just a week after being in Philadelphia for Championship Weekend. Garrett Thul, Tucker Durkin and Mike Poppleton were three of eight Hamilton players to attend the tryouts, but were the only three that will continue on the trimmed down 52-man training roster.

With just one week between the end of the Nationals season and the tryouts, Durkin said it was more of a mental preparation than a physical one.

“I just kind of rested, tried to get ready, and mentally I just thought about the things I learned this summer from Brodie and from the Canadians. I tried to use that to my advantage and it went really well,” said the 2013 All-MLL Team defenseman.

Team USA invited 96 players to try out for what will end up being a 23-man roster to play in the 2014 Championship. Poppleton said that making the training roster was a huge honor.

“I would hate to be in the war room when the coaches were picking from this list because there are so many different factors and so many good players,” said the Johns Hopkins product. “They’re all awesome athletes so it’s a privilege.”

Lastly, Thul, who was an important piece of the Nationals’ offense this season, was almost speechless but said it’s a great opportunity and an honour. The West Point grad finished seventh on the Nationals with 13 points and was tied for the team-lead with three two-point goals.

“I don’t even know how to describe it just yet,” he said. “I’m just looking forward to having the opportunity to show everyone what I’ve got and compete at the highest level of our sport”

Thul, Durkin, and Poppleton will join the rest of the training roster in a series of events throughout the fall and winter that will end with a Champion Challenge that will determine the 23 spots on the roster. The annual event will be hosted on January 24th to the 26th at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Lake Buena Vista, Fla.

Nationals Notes - Playoff Edition

The Hamilton Nationals finished the regular season in a tie for second place in Major League Lacrosse (9-5), and will now meet the defending champion Chesapeake Bayhawks (9-5) in the MLL Semifinals. The Nationals will take on the Bayhawks on August 24th at 4:00 p.m.

The winner will advance to the Championship Game that will play Sunday at 3:00 p.m. The other semifinal features the Denver Outlaws (14-0) and the Charlotte Hounds (7-7). Championship Weekend, presented by Smartlink, will take place at PPL Park in the Philadelphia Area Saturday, August 24th through Sunday, August 25th. Tickets for the two day event are available at www.majorLeagueLacrosse.com/championship-weekend or by calling ComcastTix at 1-800-298-4200.

 

On Saturday, the Nats concluded the regular season with an 18-12 loss to the Denver Outlaws. Kevin Crowley led the Nationals with a six-point performance, including his third two-pointer of the season. Crowley finished with the season 55 points, which tied him for the league lead with Denver’s Chris Bocklet, who had a five-point performance on Saturday.

 

Crowley’s first goal of the game came at 8:13 in the first quarter, which would tie not only the game at 2, but also the team record for points in a regular season. The record was set in 2009, but Merrick Thompson. Joe Walters had a four-point game, putting in two goals and adding two helpers to move his point streak to 26 games. Walters led the MLL this season with 26 assists.

 

Although Kevin Cunningham had a three-point performance, his team record assist streak came to an end. The streak ended at nine games, which broke the previous record (8) set by Joe Walters. Rookie Mike Poppleton won 24 face offs Saturday, which also set a new team record, breaking Matt Dolente’s mark of 23 set in 2012.

 

This season, the Nationals have put in a total of 10 two-point goals, doubling last year’s total.

 

Two-point goals in 2013:         

• Kevin Crowley: 3
• Garrett Thul: 3 
• Martin Cahill: 2 
• MJ Kiekebelt: 1
• John Austin: 1

HALFTIME - Nationals vs Denver

Denver’s leading scorer Chris Bocklet found the back of the net to start off the scoring and give the outlaws the 1-point lead. Bocklet’s goal was his 39^th this season, to set a new team record for Denver. Hamilton’s Jordan Hall put the Nationals on the board at 4:59 in the first. Kevin Crowley answered Eric Law’s goal, but the Outlaws went on a 2-goal streak for 3 points to end the first quarter up by 3.

Denver opened up the second with a goal from Chris Bocklet to bring the goal streak into the second. The Nationals had over a 15 minute long drought before Joe Walters found the back of the net. At the end of the first half the Outlaws are up 11 to 4.

Within the first half Mike Poppleton won 10 of 15 face offs for the Nationals.

Know Your Nationals - Garrett Thul

Garrett Thul, the West Point product, was drafted in the third round by the Hamilton National. Thul had a career high night against the Boston Cannons on July 27^th, collecting six points from his five goals. This season, he has 13 points (10+3+0) in just five games. He made his MLL debut in Denver on June 8th, putting in three goals against the Outlaws. Hamilton Nationals Digital Media Coordinator Becca Luden had a chance to sit down with Garrett and talk about his lacrosse career.

How did you get started in lacrosse?

Actually I had a mentor. He’s 10 years older than I and is my dad’s brother’s son. He ended up going to West Point and was captain of the lacrosse team. He got me into lacrosse and I started playing when I was in second grade in a program for third and fourth graders. So, I started pretty early I guess. It was mostly because of the guy that I like idolized.

Did you play any sports other than lacrosse?

I played football for a little bit.

What has been your greatest accomplishment in your lacrosse career?

I’d say from a team perspective, beating Navy five times in my career. I never lost to Navy when I was at Army. My class, my senior class, is the only class in West Point lacrosse history to go undefeated against Navy.

How do you prepare for a game, do you have any weird superstitions at all?

I always do the same eye black on my face. It’s really the only thing that I can think of. I used to have a bunch of superstitions when I was younger, but they take too much energy so I just kind of do whatever.

What is your favorite part about coming to Canada?

It’s gotta be the postgame poutine.

So is there like no poutine in the States?

I’ve heard of poutine before, but I don’t know a single place in the States that sells poutine. I think I’m just going to open up a poutine stand in New Jersey or New York.

If you had a super power which one would it be and why?

That’s a good question. I don’t know if I really ever thought about that before. I’m probably going to go with the typical meat head response and go super strength. You could lift anything and knock anything down that’d be pretty badass.

Haha. That would definitely be pretty awesome. So what song is on your I-pod that you wouldn’t want people to know about?

I love all sorts of like really corny 90’s pop music. Like, it’s the best. I have SirusXM and I always have it on 99.9 and jamming to Hanson and I don’t even remember the names of half the bands, but they’re boy band songs.

So NSYNC or Backstreet Boys?

I’m going to have to go with NSYNC on that one.

What celebrity do people tell you that you look like the most?

I don’t know the actors name, but Cameron from "Ferris Bueller's Day Off".

Oh yah, I can see that for sure.

Yeah, I just don’t have a Detroit Red Wings jersey to make it perfect.

What is your favorite Disney movie?

I was just looking through my video cabinet and I saw a ton of them. But you can’t really go wrong with “Aladdin” or “Lion King”.

So how many Disney movies do you have?

Well, I have the standard collection; I have a sister so we’ve got like all of them

So you just blame your sister?

I’ll fess up to about half of them. I don’t know the exact number of how many though.

If you were to go on the show the “Amazing Race”, who from the team would you want to be your partner, and why?

That’s tough. Everybody’s got some good qualities for that. I’d probably have to go with Durkin.

Why?

He’s just an animal. I think we would tear it up. Two big meat sticks destroying everyone else.

Yah, I think you guys could probably win.

I think we would definitely win.

Nationals vs Hounds Game Recap

The Hamilton Nationals and Charlotte Hounds had quite the dogfight tonight, falling 14-11. Although the Nationals were unable to clinch the No. 2 seed, Charlotte did, however, clinch its first ever playoff berth.

Kevin Crowley’s five-point performance wasn’t enough to keep the Hounds at bay, as Charlotte’s Matt Danowski notched six goals and seven points. Crowley put in four points in the first half, three of which came in the first quarter. He started off the Nationals with a two-point goal, which was the second of his career. Crowley extended his team record point streak to 28 games.

Rookie Garrett Thul followed Crowley with another two-point goal for the Nationals. Thul was coming off a career best five-goal, six-point effort on July 27th. Also in the first, Kevin Cunningham and Joe Walters would score for the Nationals. Walters extended his point streak to 25 games.

Martin Cahill would score the lone goal for the Nationals in the second, which would be the fourth two-point goal of the contest and the third for Hamilton. Danowski would keep the Hounds and Nationals tied at the end of the first half with two goals in the second quarter.

Stephen Keogh and Cunningham connected for a Nationals’ goal to give Hamilton a 10-9 lead to start the third quarter. Cunningham’s assist set a new team record for consecutive games with an assist, as he reached nine games. The record was originally set by current teammate Joe Walters. Although the Nationals opened the scoring, the Hounds responded with three straight goals to give them a 12-10 lead heading into the fourth and final quarter. 

Jake Tripucka (three goals) continued the Hounds’ goal-scoring streak in the fourth with his second goal of the game before Crowley would break the streak and cut the Hounds lead to two points. Ryan Young put in his third of the game to end the fourth and give the Hounds a 14-11 win over Hamilton. 

The Nationals (9-4) will conclude the regular season on Saturday, August 10th when they face off against the No. 1 seeded Denver Outlaws at 3:00 p.m. For tickets, call the Nationals ticket office at 905-525-NATS (6287).

Nationals vs Hounds - Halftime

Kevin Crowley opened up the scoring with a two pointer, which would be his second of the season as well as the second of his career in order to take his game point streak to 28 games.Also in the first, Rookie Garrett Thul connected with Joe Walters for his third two-pointer of his career. Out of the eight two-point goals for the Nationals this season, Thul has put in three of them. Walters would also find the back of the net as well as Kevin Cunningham. Crowley would put one more in to finish the Nationals scoring throughout the first. As for Charlotte, Matt Danowski put in three for a hat trick early on in the game to keep the Nationals within reach of the Nationals, as Jake Tripucka would tie the score at 7 to end the first quarter.

Danowski gave the Hounds their first lead of the game with his fourth goal of the game, which came almost 7 minutes into the second. A long drought for both teams, until National's Martin Cahill ripped one from behind the arc for two. Cahill's goal would be answered shortly after by Danowski who would put in his fifth of the game to bring the game to a tie once again. 

Ending the first half Kevin Crowley is just three points away from the team record for points in a season that was set in 2009 by Merrick Thompson. The standard currently sits at 50 points. Both Crowley and Walters have extended their game point streaks. After Boston's loss earlier today, Charlotte could clinch their first ever playoff spot with a win over Hamilton. Goalie Brett Queener stopped a total of 8 shots within the first half to hit the 500 mark.