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Jax Host Wings in Regular Season Home Finale

April 9, 2008 - National Lacrosse League (NLL)
Portland Lumberjax News Release


PORTLAND, April 9, 2008 - As the weeks continue, the National Lacrosse League's playoff picture becomes more and more fuzzy. Only one game separates third through fifth place in the Wild West Division as the final month of the regular season rolls on.

The Portland LumberJax (5-8) and Edmonton Rush (4-7) enter tied for third place with the rival Calgary Roughnecks (4-9) sitting one game behind. The Jax can continue their march to the Champion's Cup Playoffs as they host the Philadelphia Wings at 7:30 p.m. at the Rose Garden Arena on Friday, April 11.

This is the Wings' first ever visit to the Rose City. The teams have met twice in the past. In 2006, Portland won a hard fought battle at the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia, 15-12. Last season the Jax won again, this time by a margin of 14-12 in Philadelphia.

Dealing with their own playoff shuffle, the Wings (8-4) bring one of the most loaded offensive teams in the NLL. Star forward Athan Ianucci leads the league in goals (54) and is third in points scored (76). Ianucci is fast approaching the NLL single-season goal scoring mark, which sits at 61 and was set by Hall-of-Fame forward Gary Gait in 2003. It's not a question of will he break the record; it's a matter of when.

Transition player Geoff Snider leads the NLL in loose balls collected with 171 and forward Jason Crosbie has paced Philadelphia with a team-leading 34 assists. Jax defenseman Brodie Merrill sits three loose balls behind Snider. In 2007, Merrill became only the third player to ever lead the league in loose ball's when he collected 196.

After dropping their first meeting of the season against the San Jose Stealth on April 5th, the Jax evened the score the next day as they beat San Jose 12-10 in California. Goalie Matt Disher was the top story as the nine-year veteran made a season-high 42 saves en route to the critical win. Disher was a key trade deadline deal which paid immediate dividends in his second appearance with the team.

Forward Derek Malawsky added four assists to up his point total for the season to 51. Malawsky has now scored 50 points or more in the last nine seasons he's played. The nine-year veteran also passed Hall-of-Fame forward Tom Marechek for eighth all-time in assists with 376.

Seven of the 11 goals scored came from the forward trio of Dan Dawson, Ryan Powell and Peter Morgan. Even rookie forward Peter Jacobs got in the act, scoring one goal and adding three assists for a career-high four points.

A story line that is hard to ignore revolves around future Hall-of-Fame goalie Dallas Eliuk. The Jax goalie spent 15 season in Philadelphia where he won four MILL/NLL Championships (1994, 1995, 1998 and 2001), was named an All-Pro nine times, was named the Championship Game Most Valuable Player twice (1998 and 2001) and amassed 5,372 saves.

There's nothing Eliuk would like better than to have his team get a "W" against his old mates, especially as Portland plays the role of hunter in the West Division.

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National Lacrosse League Stories from April 9, 2008


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