1996 Major Indoor Lacrosse League season
| 1996 MILL season | |
|---|---|
| League | Major Indoor Lacrosse League |
| Sport | Indoor lacrosse |
| Duration | December 30, 1995 - April 12, 1996 |
| Number of teams | 7 |
| Regular season | |
| League champions | Buffalo Bandits |
| Runners-up | Philadelphia Wings |
| Season MVP | Gary Gait (Philadelphia Wings) |
| Top scorer | John Tavares (Buffalo Bandits) |
| Champion's Cup | |
| Champions | Buffalo Bandits |
| Runners-up | Philadelphia Wings |
| Finals MVP | Pat O'Toole (Buffalo) |
The 1996 season began on December 30, 1995 and concluded with the championship game on April 12, 1996.
Team movement
The Charlotte Cobras played their only season in 1996, in the process achieving the only winless season in the history of the league.
Regular season
Reference: [1]
| P | Team | GP | W | L | PCT | GB | Home | Road | GF | GA | Diff | GF/GP | GA/GP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Buffalo Bandits – xyz | 10 | 8 | 2 | .800 | 0.0 | 3–2 | 5–0 | 173 | 127 | +46 | 17.30 | 12.70 |
| 2 | Philadelphia Wings – x | 10 | 8 | 2 | .800 | 0.0 | 4–1 | 4–1 | 165 | 114 | +51 | 16.50 | 11.40 |
| 3 | Boston Blazers – x | 10 | 6 | 4 | .600 | 2.0 | 4–1 | 2–3 | 146 | 114 | +32 | 14.60 | 11.40 |
| 4 | Rochester Knighthawks – x | 10 | 6 | 4 | .600 | 2.0 | 4–1 | 2–3 | 148 | 137 | +11 | 14.80 | 13.70 |
| 5 | Baltimore Thunder | 10 | 4 | 6 | .400 | 4.0 | 3–2 | 1–4 | 144 | 163 | -19 | 14.40 | 16.30 |
| 6 | New York Saints | 10 | 3 | 7 | .300 | 5.0 | 2–3 | 1–4 | 124 | 144 | -20 | 12.40 | 14.40 |
| 7 | Charlotte Cobras | 10 | 0 | 10 | .000 | 8.0 | 0–5 | 0–5 | 85 | 186 | -101 | 8.50 | 18.60 |
x: Clinched playoff berth; c: Clinched playoff berth by crossing over to another division; y: Clinched division; z: Clinched best regular season record; GP: Games Played
W: Wins; L: Losses; GB: Games back; PCT: Win percentage; Home: Record at Home; Road: Record on the Road; GF: Goals scored; GA: Goals allowed
Differential: Difference between goals scored and allowed; GF/GP: Average number of goals scored per game; GA/GP: Average number of goals allowed per game
All Star Game
No All-Star Game was played in 1996.
Playoffs
| Semifinals | Championship | ||||||||
| 4 | Rochester | 10 | |||||||
| 1 | Buffalo | 18 | |||||||
| 2 | Philadelphia | 10 | |||||||
| 1 | Buffalo | 15 | |||||||
| 3 | Boston | 8 | |||||||
| 2 | Philadelphia | 10 | |||||||
Awards
| Award | Winner | Team |
|---|---|---|
| MVP Award | Gary Gait | Philadelphia |
| Rookie of the Year Award | Darren Fridge | Boston |
| Championship Game MVP | Pat O'Toole | Buffalo |
Weekly awards
Each week, a player is awarded "Player of the Week" honours.
| Week | Player of the Week |
|---|---|
| 1 | J.J. Pearl |
| 2 | Steve Dietrich |
| 3 | Gary Gait |
| 4 | Tom Phair |
| 5 | Darren Fridge |
| 6 | Andy Piazza |
| 7 | John Tavares |
| 8 | Eric Seremet |
| 9 | Dallas Eliuk |
| 10 | John Tavares |
| 11 | John Tavares |
| 12 | Steve Dietrich |
| 13 | Charlie Blanchard |
| 14 | Kevin Bilger |
Monthly awards
An award is also given out monthly for the best overall player.
| Month | Player of the Month |
|---|---|
| Jan | Gary Gait |
| Feb | John Tavares |
| Mar | John Tavares |
All-Pro Teams
First Team:
- Gary Gait, Philadelphia
- Paul Gait, Rochester
- Tom Marechek, Philadelphia
- John Tavares, Buffalo
- Jim Veltman, Buffalo
- Dallas Eliuk, Philadelphia (goalie)
Second Team:
- Chris Bates, Charlotte
- Thomas Carmean, Boston
- Chris Driscoll, Rochester
- Kevin Finneran, Philadelphia
- Duane Jacobs, Rochester
- Steve Dietrich, Rochester (goalie)
Statistics leaders
Bold numbers indicate new single-season records. Italics indicate tied single-season records.
| Stat | Player | Team | Number |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goals | Gary Gait | Philadelphia | 43 |
| Assists | Jim Veltman | Buffalo | 40 |
| Points | John Tavares | Buffalo | 81 |
| Penalty Minutes | Tom Phair | Buffalo | 53 |
| Shots on Goal | Gary Gait | Philadelphia | 126 |
| Loose Balls | Jim Veltman | Buffalo | 125 |
| Save Pct | Pat O'Toole | Buffalo | 76.3 |
See also
References
- ↑ "National Lacrosse League - 1996 Regular Season - Standings". NLL.com. Retrieved April 28, 2013.