Sting Defeat Lumberjax 11-4

January 20, 2007 - National Lacrosse League (NLL)
Arizona Sting News Release


GLENDALE, AZ --- The Arizona Sting took the first of a two-game series with the Portland Lumberjax on Friday night, besting the previously unbeaten squad from the Pacific northwest by a score of 11-4 in what proved to be a record-setting night for goaltender Rob Blasdell. The 5,729 fans in attendance at Jobing.com Arena witnessed NLL history, as Blasdell tied an NLL record by holding the Lumberjax to four goals in an 11-4 victory. The veteran net minder also tied a Sting record on Friday night by making 49 saves on 53 shots.

"I saw the ball really well out there tonight," said Blasdell. "I made a couple of tough saves early on and I was definitely in a good rhythm from there on in. Our defense played really well in front of me and our offense controlled the ball exceptionally well. This was definitely our best total team effort of the season."

Star forward Dan Dawson led the way for Arizona offensively with 2G-5A-7P on the night. Lindsay Plunkett and Derek Malawsky both tallied hat tricks in the match, and sophomore lefty Matt Brown chipped in with a quintet of assists.

Arizona struck first Friday night, with Dan Dawson netting a power play tally midway through the first quarter. Dawson scored again with 4:12 remaining in the opening frame, as he fought his way past Portland defensemen Pat Jones and Brodie Merrill and buried a shot past Lumberjax goalie Dallas Eliuk to give the Sting a 2-0 lead. The Arizona lead was added to by Lindsay Plunkett, who threw a shot over his shoulder while driving to the net that beat Eliuk high. Rob Blasdell was perfect in the first quarter; the 36-year old made 15 saves on 15 shots to keep the Lumberjax off the scoreboard.

Derek Malawsky opened the second quarter with a goal for the Sting, extending their lead to four with a rocket of a shot that found the back of the Portland net and nearly went through it. Derek's brother Curt put the home team up by five shortly thereafter, diving through the air and tucking a well-placed shot past Eliuk for his third tally of the season. Blasdell continued to confound the Lumberjax attack in the second period. The former NLL Goalie of the Year turned aside all 13 shots he faced in the frame, bringing his first half total to 28.

The second goal of the game by Derek Malawsky made the score 6-0 for the Sting midway through the third quarter. The Lumberjax finally beat Blasdell 8:43 into the third period, halting Blasdell's franchise record shutout streak at 38:43. Portland struck again near the end of the period, as Mike Hominuck scored his second goal of the year to pull his team to within four of the Sting lead. Lindsay Plunkett and Derek Malawsky then scored back-to-back goals for Arizona, establishing an 8-2 lead in the process.

Lindsay Plunkett completed his hat trick 1:33 into the fourth quarter, beating Dallas Eliuk with a low shot to put the Sting up by a converted touchdown. The Arizona onslaught continued, as Craig Conn netted his fifth goal of the season to propel his team's goal total into double digits. Conn's sixth of the year made the score 11-2 in favor of the Sting with 7:10 remaining in regulation. Ryan Powell and Mike Hominuck then scored consecutive goals for Portland to end Rob Blasdell's bid at the NLL record for fewest goals allowed in a single game, which he ended up tying as the final score read Arizona 11 - Portland 4.

"It's always important to win at home," said Sting Head Coach Bob Hamley. "When you're playing a team twice in a row and the second game is on the road, it becomes even more important. This was a big win for us, and we've got to try and keep the momentum going into tomorrow."

The Sting and Lumberjax face-off tomorrow night at the Rose Garden in Portland; game time is 8:00pm Arizona time. Fans can watch the game live by logging onto B2 Networks (www.b2now.com).



National Lacrosse League Stories from January 20, 2007


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