Jax Season Finale Ends In 14-10 Victory Over Rush

Published on April 14, 2007 under National Lacrosse League (NLL)
Portland Lumberjax News Release


PORTLAND, April 13, 2007 - The Portland LumberJax (4-12) upset the Edmonton Rush (6-9) tonight 14-10 in the Rose Garden Arena in front of 10,037 fans. The Jax were led by forward Ryan Powell who scored a goal and contributed five assists for the night. Peter Morgan and Matt Holman each earned hat tricks during the competition, with Holman posting his fourth in a row.

The Jax also said their farewell to forward Del Halladay who announced his retirement at tonight's game. In ten years of play, Halladay has scored 212 goals and notched 238 assists. The Jax forward will continue to work on his Elephant Island Orchard Winery in Naramata, British Columbia with his wife and two children.

Defenseman Richard Morgan (1G) was awarded a penalty for holding to kick off the game at 1:54. The violation allowed the Rush to score the first goal of the night on a power-play opportunity at 3:04. Forward Powell then hit Holman on his way to the goal during a power play before he cut through the crease and placed the ball in the back of the net to tie the game at 5:39. Powell then found Scott Stapleford (2G, 1A) in front of the net which led to a point-blank goal from the Windsor, Ontario native. However, Edmonton was able to claw back when they fired in a shot from close range at 11:14 and then tallied a third goal at 12:12. With 17 seconds left in the quarter, Stapleford tied it up at 3-3, placing the ball in the top right corner of the net with the help of Powell's third assist of the game.

The Rush quickly scored their fourth goal 21 seconds into the second quarter, taking a 4-3 lead. Catching his own rebound, Holman flew through the crease to get his second tally of the night and tie the game at 4-4. Fighting hard for possession, the Jax were able to claim their fifth goal at 8:07 from P. Morgan. Both teams exchanged goals before a ball got lodged into Dallas Eliuk's (14 SOG, 9 SV) mask, injuring the veteran and forcing Matt King (27 SOG, 22SV) into the net. The Jax were then able to capture their seventh goal of the night along with a 7-5 lead heading into the locker room at the half.

Edmonton's Jimmy Quinlan was the first to score in the third at 2:31, but soon after two Rush players were sent to the box for simultaneous penalties [tripping and roughing] at 3:50. Portland was able to capitalize on both power play opportunities with goals from Powell (3:55) and Tyler Heavenor (5:42; 1G, 4A) to build a 9-6 advantage. Bruce Alexander (1G) was sent to the box at 11:34 for holding, which allowed Edmonton to score a power-play goal at 11:50. Just under three minutes later the Rush pulled their goalie for an extra-man advantage and were able to score at 14:27, narrowing the margin to a 9-8 Jax lead with one quarter remaining.

In the fourth, King came out of the goal for a looseball but the Rush recovered and scored on an open net at the two minute mark. Play continued up and down the turf with solid goaltending from both clubs for five and a half minutes before Edmonton broke the drought at 7:28, taking a lead (10-9) for the first time since early in the second. The Jax responded though and fought back by scoring three consecutive goals to claim a 12-10 lead. With Edmonton's playoff hopes slowly fading, the Jax notched another tally at 13:05. To seal the victory for the night, Darren Reisig (1G) scored the final goal at 14:22, helping the Jax secure a 14-10 win in the team's home and season finale.

The Jax will be back in 2008 and ready to begin their pursuit of the National Lacrosse League (NLL) Champion's Cup. Returning season ticket holders get first dibs on their seats, and any early renewal guarantees first priority seating. Call the Jax Ticketing Office at 503.797.9739 to secure your $25 per seat deposit.

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