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Jax Summer Update: 7-23

July 23, 2008 - National Lacrosse League (NLL)
Portland Lumberjax News Release


PORTLAND, July 23, 2008 - The playoff picture is becoming clearer in both the Western Lacrosse Association (WLA) and Major Series Lacrosse (MSL). In the WLA, the four playoff teams are set but seeds have yet to be determined. In the MSL, the first place Brampton Excelsiors and second place Peterborough Lakers earned a first round bye and sit idle as four other teams battle to get to the second round.

The WLA and MSL are the two subdivisions of the Canadian Lacrosse Association (CLA). Both divisions compete independently from May to August. The winners of each division meet for the Mann Cup in September.

In the WLA, The New Westminster Salmonbellies (14-1-1) have a three point lead over the second place Coquitlam Adanacs (12-3-1). Defenseman David Morgan has played in 13 of the Salmonbellies' games, scoring three goals, adding two assists and collecting 21 penalty minutes. Forward Peter Morgan has scored two goals and added two assists in two games of action. Forward Scott Stewart has yet to see any action.

Defenseman Ray Guze has continued his enforcing ways, spending 41 minutes in the penalty box for the second place Adanacs. In the 12 games he's played, Guze has scored one goal and taken seven shots.

Forward Cory Conway has split time between the third place Victoria Shamrocks (7-7-1) and with the Shamrocks' Junior A club. With the parent club, Conway has appeared in two games and tallied an assist. In the junior ranks, Conway scored nine goals and added 29 assists during the regular season.

Also tied for third place are the Burnaby Lakers (7-7-1), who feature defenseman Mike Kilby and forward Spencer Martin. In 11 games, Kilby has scored four goals, added two assists and has led the team with 65 penalty minutes. Martin has scored two goals and added three assists in the five games he's appeared in.

Despite being eliminated from the postseason, the fifth place Maple Ridge Burrards (5-11) have represented the Portland LumberJax well. Assistant General Manager Daren Fridge coaches the Burrards, who also have transition player Tyler Codron and practice player Derek Lowe on the roster. Codron has scored four goals and added three assists and Lowe is third on the team with 38 points (21 goals, 17 assists).

Also eliminated from the postseason are the Langley Thunder. The Thunder (3-12) feature two Portland players on the roster. Forward Kyle McEwen is fourth on the team with 25 points (12 goals, 13 assists) and practice player Jonathan Munk has added two assists in 12 games of action.

Awaiting their postseason opponent, the Excelsiors (14-3-1) featured defenseman Brodie Merrill. Merrill added nine assists in four games of action during the regular season. Merrill has also played this summer in Major League Lacrosse (MLL) for the Rochester Rattlers. An All-Star, Merrill has scored three goals, added seven assists and collected 48 ground balls this season.

Also playing in the MLL is forward Ryan Powell. Powell set an MLL All-Star Game record by scoring six goals adding an assist for a seven point performance. Playing in his first season for the Denver Outlaws, Powell has scored 12 goals and added 20 assists.

In the junior ranks, forward Peter Jacobs split time between MSL's Junior A Akwesasne Indians and with the Iroquois National Team at the World Under-19 Field Lacrosse Championships. Jacobs has since returned to the Indians and is part of their playoff push. Goalie Joel Weber enjoyed a fine regular season with the Junior A Coquitlam Adanacs, stopping 86% of the shots he faced.

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The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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