The Albany Attack held the defending champion Toronto Rock to only seven
goals Thursday night, but lost when they only came up with four of their
own. Josh Sanderson is the young scoring star everyone is counting on to
help the Attack live up to their nickname. He talked about it with PLPA
correspondent Ben Knight immediately following the game
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Bit of a long night for you guys tonight. What went on out there?
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I thought we played pretty good. It was a tight battle. We knew it was
going to be a tight game. We played well, they played well. We've just
got to bear down on offence a bit more.
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The last time you were in Toronto, you tore up a knee ligament in the
opening minute of the game. It's nine months later now, so how's the knee
doing?
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Actually, tonight is the first night it's felt really good. It was good
to get the first shift over with!
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Your style of play involves lots of cutting and quick changes of
directions. Have you had to change your game at all after the knee injury.
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No. Not at all. Each week it seems to get a bit stronger and a bit
better. I was cutting hard on it tonight, so I think it will get better as
the season goes on. I thought we played really well tonight, and our
offence is going to start clicking sooner or later.
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This is still a very new team, just starting its second season. Do
things feel a bit more organized, and is there more direction for this team
this year?
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Oh, definitely. Everyone's got a year under their belts. We had a lot
of rookies last year. We've made a couple of trades, and the new players
have been playing really well for us. Our goal isn't just to make the
playoffs. We want tp get a home playoff date. We want to finish first or
second. Tonight's game was two good teams battling for top spot.
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You guys seem to be doing really well in your own end of the floor, but
things seem not quite to work so well when you get to the other end.
What's happening when you come across centre?
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I'm really not sure. It's going to come. We have a lot of good
offensive players here, and all we can keep saying is that the goals are
going to come. Our goaltending and our defence have been unbelievable, and
all our guys are playing well. We've just got to keep working, and they're
going to start going in. That was a big, strong Toronto defence we were up
against tonight. We're going to get going. Definitely.
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Last year, in your first pro season, what was the biggest difference
between the NLL and playing Jr. A for the Orangeville Northmen?
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The size, the strength and the speed. In junior, it's a fast game. But
here, it's the top players in the world, so everybody has to be smart with
the ball. If you're not, you look out of place.
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Now, there's lots of guys who have been coached by their father through
midget and junior. But not many carry that on into the pros. What's it
been like to be on so many Terry Sanderson-coached teams over the years?
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Oh, it's fine. I like the way he coaches. I really know his style, and
Ryan, Phillip (the two other Sandersons on the Albany roster) and I have
played under him for I don't know how many years now. We all enjoy it, and
we want to keep winning.
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Any individual goals for this season?
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No, not really. I just want to get in the playoffs and win. I haven't
won since junior, and I'm getting sick of losing. Our team goal is to get
into the playoffs, and then it's one game, sudden death. Anything can happen.
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