Sports stats



Jax vs. Mammoth: Round I

January 21, 2008 - National Lacrosse League (NLL)
Portland Lumberjax News Release


PORTLAND, January 21, 2008 - Redemption has been the word of the week as the Portland LumberJax have been preparing for their next opponent, West Division rival Colorado Mammoth. The Jax (0-1) host the Mammoth (2-0) at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, January 24 at the Rose Garden Arena.

This is the first of three scheduled regular season meetings between the two teams. Two games will be played at the Rose Garden and one at the Pepsi Center in Denver. The Jax are 2-3 all-time against the Mammoth. In 2006, it was all Portland as the Jax won both meetings. 2007 was the year for the regular season West Division Champion Mammoth as they won all three meetings over the Jax.

The Mammoth currently sit atop the West Division with a perfect record. Forward Dan Carey has led a very balanced scoring attack that is seventh in the National Lacrosse League in goals scored (24 goals). Carey is one five Mammoth players who have scored at least five points in the first two games. All five are forwards, so the Mammoth will clearly be a very formidable opponent.

Despite the loss to the New York Titans on Jan. 12, the home and season opener was a record setting day for new forwards Dan Dawson and Derek Malawsky. Both players scored eight points each (4 goals, 4 assists). It was the most goals scored and points scored in a season and home opener in team history. The four assists also tied a home opener-high with forward Ryan Powell.

The announced crowd of 10,893 was also a record for a home opener. In 2006, 9,916 witnessed the Jax win its first-ever game. The beginning of the 2007 saw the Jax win over the Buffalo Bandits in front of 8,437 fans at the Rose Garden. Jan. 12's attendance easily shattered the previous home-high and was also the second largest Jax crowd in team history. The all-time Jax high is 11,408, which was on 4/14/06 vs. Edmonton. Saturday's crowd was also larger than the Jax home playoff game in 2006.

Overall, Jan. 12's crowd was the third largest ever to witness a lacrosse game at the Rose Garden. The all-time high is the 12,856 who witnessed the 2007 NLL All-Star Game. It's clearly a sign of the Jax impact on the Portland community and the loyal following that are present at every game.

Dawson and Malawsky will once again lead the Jax attack that will look to maximize the scoring opportunities while staying out of the penalty box.

Of the 14 goals the Jax surrendered in the 14-11 loss to New York, nine were on a power play, including the first five goals of the game that gave the Titans an early 5-0 lead. Overall, the Titans were 9-12 on the power play. When constantly playing a man down, it's quite difficult to lock down every scoring threat.

With the 12-day break, the team's had an opportunity to reflect on what went right and what went wrong. Players have kept the fitness levels high and studied the game film. Head Coach/General Manager Derek Keenan and his expert coaching staff have also dissected the game film and feel very confident playing the Mammoth.

This is the first of two regular season Thursday night home games and the Jax are thirsty for a victory.

• Discuss this story on the National Lacrosse League message board...

National Lacrosse League Stories from January 21, 2008


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.

Other Recent Portland Lumberjax Stories



Sports Statistics from the Stats Crew
OurSports Central