MANNING, LEBLANC WIN NLL AWARDS FOR WEEK 5

The National Lacrosse League announced today that Toronto’s Blaine Manning is Week #5 Overall Player of the Week as well as Offensive Player of the Week. Stephan Leblanc was named NLL Rookie of the Week.

The offensive duo posted a combined 31 points in two Rock wins last weekend to push Toronto further into first place in the NLL East Division with a 5-1 record.  

Manning scored 17 points and scooped 12 loose balls over the weekend. On Friday he scored three goals and added six assists in a 19-11 home win against the Philadelphia Wings. On Saturday Manning scored five goals and three assists in the Rock’s 14-10 road win at Buffalo.

“He really stepped it up,” said Toronto head coach Troy Cordingley of Manning. “We’re real happy with how he played against Buffalo in their arena; it’s a tough place. To score five goals in that game tells you a lot about Blaine Manning and what he is worth to our team.

“He is a real good leader in our dressing room and on the floor.”

Leblanc had five goals and nine assist in Toronto’s two weekend games and was credited with an assist on the winning goal against Philadelphia Friday. With 36 points through six games in 2010, he leads all league rookies in assists with 25 so far this season.

“Stephan has been, from day one, unbelievable,” said Cordingley. “He keeps getting better and better and his hard work is playing off. He’s willing to do whatever it takes to do for our team to succeed.”  

This is the first 2010 weekly player award for Blaine Manning or Stephan Leblanc. The NLL Weekly Player Awards are determined each week by a vote of the General Managers & Head Coaches of the league’s eleven member clubs. 

The Rock have another double header weekend in store. Toronto hosts the Edmonton Rush at the Air Canada Centre on Friday, February 12 then travels to Calgary to play the 2009 NLL Champion Roughnecks on Sunday, February 14. Fans can watch Sunday’s game live from Pengrowth Saddledome in Calgary on TSN2 at 6:30 p.m.