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**truebluefan** · 02-25-2008, 07:59 PM

For the fourth straight season, Rochester Knighthawks forward John Grant has been named to the starting lineup for the National Lacrosse League All-Star Game. The starters for the East and West Division were announced today for the contest, which will be played at Rexall Place in Edmonton, on Saturday, March 16th at 4:00 p.m. Eastern/2:00 p.m. Pacific.

The night before, the Knighthawks take on the Edmonton Rush at 6:00 p.m. (EST). The game was moved from 9:30 to 6:00 p.m. to accommodate the NLL Skills Competition, which begins at 9:00 p.m. (EST).

The starters were determined by a combination of fan voting, team general managers/head coaches voting, and league media voting. Each accounted for one-third of the total vote for the starting lineups. The remaining 12 reserve players on each All-Star team will be named later this week.

Grant currently ranks tied for fourth in the NLL in points with 43 points. He is also tied for fourth in goals (20) and is tied for 10th in assists (23). Last season, he led the NLL in scoring en route to his first league MVP award. He was also named the MVP of the NLL Finals, as he led Rochester to the 2007 Champion's Cup.

Grant is Rochester's all-time leading scorer with 367 goals, 395 assists and 762 points. The Knighthawks' alternate captain is a seven-time NLL All-Star and played in the 2002, 2005, 2006 and 2007 NLL All-Star games. Grant was the first pick overall in the 2000 NLL Entry Draft and was named the Rookie of the Year in his inaugural season. In the summer, he also plays for the Rochester Rattlers of Major League Lacrosse.

Rochester's Ed Comeau will serve as Head Coach of the East All-Stars, while Buffalo's Darris Kilgour will serve as assistant coach. Edmonton's Bob Hamley will serve as head coach of the West All-Stars, while San Jose's Walt Christianson will serve as assistant coach. The four All-Star Game coaches are the head coaches who led their teams to the Divisional Finals last season.

EAST STARTERS F Athan Iannucci, Philadelphia F John Tavares, Buffalo F John Grant, Rochester T Mark Steenhuis, Buffalo D Ryan Cousins, Minnesota G Nick Patterson, Minnesota

WEST STARTERS F Jeff Zywicki, San Jose F Dan Carey, Colorado F Gavin Prout, Colorado T Brodie Merrill, Portland D Eric Martin, San Jose G Gee Nash, Colorado

**truebluefan** · 02-25-2008, 08:00 PM

The National Lacrosse League announced the starting lineups for the 2008 All-Star Game, which takes place on Sunday, March 16th at 4PM Eastern at Rexall Place in Edmonton. The starters were determined by a combination of fan voting, team General Managers/Head Coaches voting, and league media voting. Each accounted for one-third of the total vote for the starting lineups.

Philadelphia's Athan Iannucci will make his first career All-Star appearance. The second-year forward leads the league with 25 goals in five games, an average of five goals-per-game.

Buffalo forward John Tavares will make his seventh All-Star appearance. The league's all-time leading scorer is currently second in the league with 32 assists. Teammate Mark Steenhuis will make his fourth All-Star appearance. The 27-year-old transition player is currently tied for fourth in league scoring with 20 goals.

Rochester forward John Grant will make his fifth All-Star appearance. The 2007 league MVP is tied for fourth in league scoring with 20 goals.

Minnesota's Nick Patterson will make his first All-Star appearance. The 25-year-old goaltender currently leads the league with 327 saves and has backstopped the Swarm to a 6-2 start. Teammate Ryan Cousins will make his fourth All-Star appearance. The 26-year-old defenseman has seven goals, including two overtime game-winners for the Swarm.

Rochester's Ed Comeau will serve as Head Coach of the East All-Stars, while Buffalo's Darris Kilgour will serve as Assistant Coach.

In the West, Colorado has the most All-Star starters with three. Forwards Dan Carey and Gavin Prout will make their third and sixth All-Star appearances, respectively. Carey leads the Mammoth with 17 goals, while Prout tops the league in assists with 34. Goaltender Gee Nash makes his fourth All-Star appearance. Nash currently leads the league with a 10.10 Goals Against Average.

Portland's Brodie Merrill makes his third All-Star appearance. The 26-year-old transition player currently leads the league with 97 loose balls in eight games.

San Jose's Jeff Zywicki makes his second All-Star appearance. The 26-year-old forward is second to only Iannucci with 24 goals in seven games. Teammate Eric Martin will make his first All-Star appearance. The 26-year-old defenseman has scooped 76 loose balls in seven games, second in the West to only Merrill.

Edmonton's Bob Hamley will serve as Head Coach of the West All-Stars, while San Jose's Walt Christianson will serve as Assistant Coach. The four All-Star Game coaches are the head coaches who led their teams to the Divisional Finals last season.

The remaining 12 reserve players on each All-Star team will be named later this week.

EAST DIVISION ALL-STAR STARTERS

F Athan Iannucci, Philadelphia

F John Tavares, Buffalo

F John Grant, Rochester

T Mark Steenhuis, Buffalo

D Ryan Cousins, Minnesota

G Nick Patterson, Minnesota

WEST DIVISION ALL-STAR STARTERS

F Jeff Zywicki, San Jose

F Dan Carey, Colorado

F Gavin Prout, Colorado

T Brodie Merrill, Portland

D Eric Martin, San Jose

G Gee Nash, Colorado

**truebluefan** · 03-03-2008, 10:42 PM

New York's Casey Powell was named both the Overall Player and Offensive Player of the Week after scoring three goals and six assists in the Titans' 14-11 road-win over the Rochester Knighthawks on Saturday at Blue Cross Arena. The 32-year-old right-hander also added three assists to lead the Titans to the franchise's first win over the defending champs. The nine points were a season-high for Powell, who also scooped eight loose balls in the victory.

Buffalo's Daniel Sams was named both Defensive Player and Rookie of the Week. With both starter Mike Thompson and backup Ken Montour out of the lineup due to injury, the 21-year-old goaltender recorded a franchise-record 60 saves and held Chicago to just eight goals on Sunday at Sears Centre. It was the first career start for Sams, who started the season on the Bandits practice squad and has only logged 15 previous minutes in goal in his career.

Philadelphia's Rob Van Beek was named Transition Player of the Week. The 24-year-old left-hander scored a career-high three goals and one assist and scooped 11 loose balls in the Wings' 17-8 win over the Minnesota Swarm on Friday at Wachovia Center.

Week 8 Results

Friday, February 22

Minnesota 8 at Philadelphia 17

Calgary 9 at Portland 13

Saturday, February 23

New York 14 at Rochester 11

San Jose 11 at Edmonton 8

Sunday, February 24

Buffalo 13 at Chicago 8

Colorado 9 at Calgary 12

The Weekly Player Awards are determined by a vote of the General Managers and Head Coaches of the league's 12 teams.

**truebluefan** · 03-03-2008, 10:42 PM

The National Lacrosse League has announced the reserves for the 2008 NLL All-Star Game, which will be played at Rexall Place in Edmonton on Sunday, March 16th at 4PM Eastern. The East and West Division teams will each have 12 reserves, combined with the six starters that were previously announced, for a total of 18 players on each All-Star Team.

Nine East Division All-Star reserves were selected by head coach Ed Comeau (Rochester) and assistant coach Darris Kilgour (Buffalo), and nine West Division All-Star reserves were selected by head coach Bob Hamley (Edmonton) and assistant coach Walt Christianson (San Jose). Three reserves for each division were appointed by the league.

East Division All-Stars

Forwards:

John Grant, Rochester (starter - 5th appearance)

Athan Iannucci, Philadelphia (starter - 1st)

John Tavares, Buffalo (starter - 7th)

Scott Evans, Rochester (2nd)

Casey Powell, New York (5th)

Andy Secore, Minnesota (1st)

Transition:

Mark Steenhuis, Buffalo (starter - 5th)

Geoff Snider, Philadelphia (2nd)

Steve Toll, Rochester (3rd)

Jim Veltman, Toronto (6th)

Defense:

Ryan Cousins, Minnesota (starter - 4th)

Peter Lough, Toronto (4th)

Jarett Park, New York (1st)

Scott Self, Chicago (2nd)

Chris White, Buffalo (1st)

Taylor Wray, Philadelphia (3rd)

Goal:

Nick Patterson, Minnesota (starter - 1st)

Bob Watson, Toronto (3rd)

West Division All-Stars

Forwards:

Dan Carey, Colorado (starter - 3rd apperance)

Gavin Prout, Colorado (starter - 6th)

Jeff Zywicki, San Jose (starter - 2nd)

Mike Accursi, Edmonton (1st)

Dan Dawson, Portland (2nd)

Colin Doyle, San Jose (7th)

Ryan Powell, Portland (2nd)

Lewis Ratcliff, Calgary (4th)

Transition:

Brodie Merrill, Portland (starter - 2nd)

Jeff Shattler, Calgary (1st)

Josh Sims, Colorado (2nd)

Jimmy Quinlan, Edmonton (2nd)

Defense:

Eric Martin, San Jose (starter - 1st)

Andrew McBride, Calgary (1st)

Chris McElroy, Edmonton (1st)

Bruce Murray, Colorado (1st)

Goal:

Gee Nash, Colorado (starter - 4th)

Anthony Cosmo, San Jose (3rd)

**truebluefan** · 03-03-2008, 10:43 PM

The National Lacrosse League Hall of Fame inducted three new members and recognized its second member of the media earlier tonight at a ceremony held in Philadelphia.

Johnny Mouradian, Tony Resch and Sal LoCascio were inducted into the NLL Hall of Fame. Neil Stevens was recognized by the Hall for his contributions to the game as a member of the media. Each of the four members of the Class of 2008 attended the ceremony with family, friends and colleagues from their NLL careers. The men took turns at the podium, where they made speeches and then joined their presenters in unveiling a plaque which includes their likeness and a brief description of their accomplishments and contributions to the game.

"I'll tell you, for all of us who have benefited from this sport of ours, it was a big focus of my life when I was younger and still today I really love this game and I'm really fortunate to be in the hall of fame", said Mouradian, who was presented by fellow Hall of Famer and Philadelphia Wings Co-owner Mike French.

"When I think of my 14 years it's a bit overwhelming. I had no idea what I was getting into when I started out. It was just mind boggling for us to have the opportunity to play in front of so many fans. The opportunity to compete against the Gait's, the Kilgour's, was just incredible. The environment in some of those buildings - it was just an unbelievable opportunity and I'll never forget those games", said Resch, who was presented by former Wings teammate and coach John Nostrant. "We trusted him. He was unbelievable. He treated everyone the same way. That's how Tony was. He continues to be that way. He held everyone to the same standard. I just have so much respect for him for how he carried himself," said Nostrant. "I would put him up against anyone in the lacrosse world. It's an honor for me to be up here to represent my teammates and the Philadelphia Wings organization."

"Indoor lacrosse for me was really a challenging sport to play. If you look at where the league is today, it just amazes me. It's truly an unbelievable feat where this league is today. In 10 years of playing and a couple years of coaching I had a lot of great coaches and teammates. I'm very proud to be one of the more successful American goalies in the game", said LoCascio, who was presented by his nephew, Joseph LoCascio.

"There's been a lot to write about and I enjoy doing it. We do the best we can and I'm proud to be part of it because it's a great sport. I've interviewed plenty of interesting people in the NLL, and there are more than 200 men on NLL rosters right now so I know there's a lot more to write about and I'll go do that", said Stevens, who was presented by Doug Fritts, the league's Vice President of Communications.

The league also unveiled a new website dedicated to the Hall of Fame and its members, National Lacrosse League Hall of Fame. The website includes biographies, pictures and videos of all Hall of Fame members, including the Class of 2008.

"It is our goal to one day have a permanent building to host the NLL hall of fame. We have received numerous inquiries from cities all over North America wanting to host our Hall of Fame and someday, we will have a permanent building to call home", said NLL Commissioner Jim Jennings during the ceremony. "For now, we are pleased to announce tonight the launch of NLL Hall of Fame website. The site will serve as a lasting tribute to all inductees including the class of 2008."

The Class of 2008 will also be honored at halftime of the Third Annual NLL Hall of Fame Game, which takes place on Friday, February 29th at Wachovia Center when the Philadelphia Wings host the New York Titans at 8:00 PM ET.

The Class of 2008 is the third group to be welcomed into the Hall of Fame. In 2006, five charter members were inducted: Les Bartley, Russ Cline, Chris Fritz, Gary Gait and Paul Gait. The Class of 2007 included three inductees: Mike French, Darris Kilgour and Tom Marechek. The Hall also recognized Tom Borrelli for his contributions to the game as a member of the media in 2007.

Hall of Fame, Class of 2008

Johnny Mouradian

Upon joining the expansion Buffalo Bandits in 1992, Mouradian built a team that became an overnight success, winning the league championship in its inaugural season. Under Mouradian's watch, Buffalo set league records for winning that remain intact today, including the longest winning streak (22 games) and the only team to go undefeated through an entire season in league history (10-0 in 1993). Buffalo reached the playoffs in all six seasons during Mouradian's tenure as General Manager (1992-1997).

Mouradian repeated his quick path to success as general manager of the Toronto Rock. On his watch, the club won league championships in 1999 and 2000, the second and third seasons of the existence of the franchise. Mouradian's five championships are the most won by any general manager in league history. In 2003, Mouradian became the GM and Head Coach of the San Jose Stealth. He was named the league's General Manager of the Year for the 2004 season, in which the Stealth went 11-5. The club has made the playoffs in two of its four seasons in San Jose, most recently reaching the Western Division Final in 2007. Overall, Mouradian's teams have made the playoffs in 11 of his 15 seasons as a GM with a combined won-loss record of 121-84, which includes a record of 17-6 in playoff games. He continues to serve as the President and General Manager of the Stealth.

Tony Resch

Tony Resch has been directly involved in all six of the Philadelphia Wings world championships. He played six seasons for the Wings, from 1988-1993. As a player, Resch was a defensive specialist, playing in 47 games and scored 22 points on 12 goals and ten assists. A team leader, Resch served as team captain for three seasons, helping the Wings win championships in 1989 and 1990. He was a member of the 1991 American Division All-Star Team. Resch took over as Head Coach in 1994, leading the Wings to a 6-2 record in the regular season and then beat the Buffalo Bandits 26-15 in the 1994 Championship Game. The eleven point margin of victory stands as the largest in the history of the league in a championship game. The following season in 1995, the Wings went 7-1 in the regular season and then went on to secure their second consecutive championship, giving the coach championships in each of his first two seasons as head coach. Resch secured two more championships in his final four seasons as Head Coach (1998, 2001) before retiring at the end of the 2001 season.

In eight total seasons as a Head Coach, Resch won four championships and led the Wings to five Championship Games. With a 59-27 career regular season record as a Coach, Resch currently ranks fourth all-time on the coaching wins list, and his 68.6% win percentage in the regular season, is the third best all-time. Resch tallied a 10-4 post season record in his career, ranking second all-time on the post season wins list behind the late Les Bartley, who is a Charter Member of the NLL Hall of Fame.

Sal LoCascio

Sal LoCascio enjoyed an eleven-season career in the pro indoor game from 1990-2000. Sal played his entire indoor career with the New York Saints, and was a five-time league all-pro (1991-1994 & 1997). He also led the Saints to four playoff appearances.

LoCascio logged 3,903 minutes of action in his pro career, made 2,284 saves, a save percentage of 73.36% and had a Goals Against Average of 12.79. Those numbers all are tops among the league's retired goaltenders.

He also coached the Saints for two seasons (2001-2002), compiling an 11-19 record. He remains involved in the league, having servied as a color analyst on game telecasts for the New York Titans last season.

Hall of Fame to recognize Neil Stevens for contributions to the game as member of the media

Neil Stevens has been covering the Toronto Rock and the National Lacrosse League for the Canadian Press (CP) since 1998 when the franchise began play in Hamilton (Ontario Raiders). Stevens was hired by CP in 1974 and is among the senior writers in the sports department of Canada's premier national news agency. Highly respected by journalists throughout North America, Stevens is routinely assigned to cover Canada's top sporting events, including Toronto Maple Leafs hockey, the Olympics and Olympic-related events. Despite a busy schedule of covering national events, Stevens always makes time to cover lacrosse, a sport that he played at organized levels from the ages of 5 to 23 and is truly passionate about. He is a fixture in the press box at Rock home games. He also takes the time to cover games in other cities when his schedule allows. "Neil's love for lacrosse shows daily", said Neil Davidson, Sports Editor of The Canadian Press. "I believe he has long led the country in lacrosse coverage and has helped expose the sport to thousands of readers."

Stevens will become the second member of the media to be recognized by the Hall of Fame. Tom Borrelli, who covers the Buffalo Bandits and the NLL for The Buffalo News and Lacrosse Magazine, became the first member of the league's media to be recognized by the Hall of Fame last year.

About the National Lacrosse League Hall of Fame:

On June 16, 2005, the National Lacrosse League officially announced the establishment of the NLL Hall of Fame. It opened with five charter members who have made immeasurable contributions to the league and the sport of lacrosse. The five charter members of the National Lacrosse League Hall of Fame are league founders Russ Cline and Chris Fritz; legendary players Gary Gait and Paul Gait, and the late Les Bartley, the winningest coach in league history. The charter members of the National Lacrosse League Hall of Fame were officially inducted on February 23, 2006.

NLL Hall of Fame inductees and those recognized by the Hall are voted on by the league's Board of Governors. Voting is based upon the individual's record, ability, integrity, sportsmanship, character and contributions to the league or the team(s) that individual was affiliated with. The field of candidates consists of players, coaches, referees and team or league executives. The league will also recognize the contributions of journalists, broadcasters and others who have made a contribution to the game of professional indoor lacrosse.

Following the induction of the five charter members in 2006, the league inducted its next class of Hall of Fame members in 2007. The Class of 2007 consisted of three inductees: Mike French, a former player, coach, executive and now part-owner of the Philadelphia Wings; Tom Marechek, a former Wings player who is among the league's all-time leading scorers; and Darris Kilgour, a former player and current General Manager and Head Coach of the Buffalo Bandits, who has been a key part of the team's three championships and overall success in the history of the franchise. The Hall of Fame also recognized Tom Borrelli in 2007 for his contributions as a member of the media. Borrelli has covered the Bandits and the league for The Buffalo News since the team's inception in 1992. He is also the lead NLL writer for Lacrosse Magazine, a publication of US Lacrosse.

**truebluefan** · 03-03-2008, 10:44 PM

The Philadelphia Wings have traded forward Brendan Thenhaus to the Edmonton Rush in exchange for a second round pick in the 2008 National Lacrosse League Entry Draft according to Wings General Manager Lindsay Sanderson. The draft pick was originally property of the Wings and was sent to Edmonton as part of a deal that secured Philadelphia the 25th pick in 2007 NLL Entry Draft, which the team used to draft forward David Mitchell.

The Wings have also added rookie forward Drew Westervelt from injured reserve to their 23-man roster to replace Thenhaus.

"With so much depth on our right side, it was difficult to get Brenden into the lineup," said Wings' General Manager Lindsay Sanderson. "The move to Edmonton will give him the chance to play. It will also allow us to get Drew Westervelt on our roster after spending the past couple of months on injured reserve."

Thenhaus has six points (3G, 3A) and 25 loose balls in seven career games. He was acquired by the Wings as a free agent on December 12, 2007. Thenhaus played for the Buffalo Bandits in 2007.

Westervelt was drafted by the Wings in the third round (37th overall) in the 2008 NLL Entry Draft. The UMBC graduate has been cleared to play after being on injured reserve since November due to a Jones fracture in his left foot.

The Wings face the New York Titans in their next home game at Wachovia Center on Friday, February 29 at 8:00 p.m. Great seats are still available and can be purchased by visiting Official site of the Philadelphia Wings - Wings or at the Wachovia Complex Box Office. Party Packs, which include four tickets, four hot dogs, and four sodas, are just $68 and are great way to enjoy Wings lacrosse with family and friends. Party Packs are available at wingslax.com or by calling (215) 389-WING (9464).

**truebluefan** · 03-03-2008, 10:45 PM

Edmonton, AB---This is the third and final meeting of the 2008 season between the clubs who entered the National Lacrosse League as expansion rivals for the 2006 season.

The LumberJax have already won the season series thanks to a sweep of a home-and-home series in February. Portland took an 11-10 decision at Rexall Place back on Feb. 2 and the LumberJax took care of business again back at home on Feb. 17 with a 14-8 victory.

The Rush have managed just one win in seven previous meetings with the LumberJax.

In the first meeting of this season, Jimmy Quinlan anchored the Rush attack as he pocketed five points on three goals and two assists - a performance that earned him Transition Player of the Week honours from the NLL. Mike Accursi also had a three-goal game for the Rush while Dan Stroup supplied a goal and three assists.

In the rematch two weeks later, the Rush fell behind 7-1 and couldn't recover as they suffered their worst loss of the season. Dan Stroup led the Rush with a four-goal effort while both Mike Accursi and A.J. Shannon chipped in a goal and four assists. That defeat marked the final game for GM/Head Coach Paul Day who, along with assistant coaches A.J. Jomha and Jim Milligan, was relieved of his duties two days later. Day had guided the Rush since the club's inception but despite a massive overhaul of player personnel in the off-season, the Rush were off to a sluggish start and Day's overall record with the team ended at a dismal 7-30.

The teams split last season's two matchups with the Rush taking a 9-8 overtime win - the club's first victory in OT and first over their expansion rivals. Chris Gill led the Rush attack with three goals while Ryan O'Connor notched the game winner.

Portland earned a measure of revenge by taking a 14-10 decision at the Rose Garden. Quinlan paced the Rush with four goals and one assist while Randy Daly added a hat trick.

In the clubs' inaugural season of 2006, the LumberJax swept all three meetings. Portland topped the Rush 15-12 at Rexall Place despite a five-point night from Jamey Bowen. Jason Clark set a Rush record (later equaled by Chris Gill) by registering eight points on three goals and five assists but his effort wasn't enough as the Jax won 14-10 in Portland. The teams wrapped up the '06 season with a second straight meeting at the Rose Garden and Bowen notched another five-point game but the LumberJax picked up an 11-7 win

New GM/Head Coach Bob Hamley took over the Rush last week and, along with assistant coach Jamey Bowen and Chris Stachniak, was behind the bench for the Rush's matchup with the San Jose Stealth at Rexall Place. Despite holding a halftime lead and getting a four-point effort from Mike Accursi, the Rush fell on their home floor 11-8 to remain winless on the year.

Mike Accursi has surged ahead on the Rush scoring chart, leading the club with 27 points on a team-leading 10 goals and a team-leading 17 assists. A.J. Shannon along with veterans Dan Stroup and Chris Gill are all tied for second in team goal-scoring with eight apiece and Jimmy Quinlan sits third with seven goals. Quinlan is second on the Rush with 13 assists, two ahead of both Shannon and Ben Prepchuk.

Stroup leads the Rush with three power-play goals while Accursi and Quinlan are tied with six power-play assists. Chris McElroy is the top loose-ball collector with the Rush at 45 with Ian Hawksbee next at 42. Transition player Cam Bergman, who represented the Rush at the 2006 NLL All-Star Game, returned to the lineup last week and collected nine loose balls.

The Rush have two players amongst the NLL's top 20 in shooting percentage. Captain Chris McElroy in ninth with four goals on just 10 shots (40.0%) and newcomer Kyle Goundrey, a former assistant captain with the Calgary Roughnecks, is tied for 19th with six goals on 19 shots (31.6%).

Matt Disher, who has assumed the starting goaltender spot with the Rush, stands eighth in the NLL with an 11.65 goals-against average and he is 10th in the league in minutes played at just over 216.

Edmonton, which has a league-low 57 goals, sits last in the NLL on the power play at 12-for-33 (36.4%). The Rush's penalty-killing has also snuck to the bottom of the league allowing 14 goals in 23 shorthanded situations (39.1%). The Rush have not scored and have not allowed a shorthanded goal this season.

Portland's power play is tops in the NLL, coasting at a 25-for-43 clip (58.1%), while the LumberJax penalty-killing is 11th in the league having allowed 25 goals in 46 shorthanded situations (45.7%). The Jax have scored one shorthanded goal but are tied for third in the league having given up six shorthanded markers.

Trade Move

In his first move as GM/Head Coach of the Edmonton Rush, Bob Hamley has acquired forward Brenden Thenhaus from the Philadelphia Wings in exchange for a third-round pick in the 2008 National Lacrosse League Entry Draft.

Thenhaus, 21, played in three of the Wings' five games this season, registering one goal and one assist along with 13 loose balls. Both of his points came in a 19-11 win for Philadelphia over the Chicago Shamrox on Jan. 12.

In 2007, Thenhaus spent his rookie season in the NLL with the Buffalo Bandits where he picked up two goals and two assists in four games. He joined the Wings this past December by signing as a free agent.

Recently, the six-foot-two, 210-pounder was chosen second overall by the Kitchener-Waterloo Kodiaks in the 2008 draft for the Major Series Lacrosse - the Ontario-based summer pro league. Last summer in Junior A, Thenhaus finished third in scoring with the Brampton Excelsiors with 10 goals and 26 assists for 36 points in 10 games. While with Brampton, he was a teammate of 2007 Rush draft pick Jordan Coffey.

In 2006 with the Oakville Buzz, Thenhaus, who was an assistant captain with the team, led entire Ontario Junior B League in scoring and then guided the Buzz to the Founders Cup national title.

**truebluefan** · 03-03-2008, 10:46 PM

Toronto - The Toronto Rock (4-3) host the Calgary Roughnecks this Saturday night, March 1st at the Air Canada Centre. The Rock are returning to the ACC after a week off that followed a hard fought 11-8 victory over the Buffalo Bandits on February 15th.

In 2007, the Rock and Roughnecks split the season series one a piece with both teams winning on the road. Josh Sanderson led the Rock with a total of 17 points (5 goals, 12 assists) vs. Calgary last season.

Bob Watson, who was recently honoured as NLL Defensive Player for the second time this year and the rest of the Rock are ready to face the Roughnecks for the first time this season. Blaine Manning leads the Rock with 37 points (14 goals, 23 assists). Watson, along with Rock Captain Jim Veltman and defender Peter Lough were all named to the East Division All-Star team this week to represent the Rock at the 2008 All-Star game in Edmonton on Sunday March 16th.

Led by forward Lewis Ratcliff, Calgary (3-5) is coming off a big 12-9 home win against the Colorado Mammoth last weekend. Ratcliff is tied for fourth as the NLL scoring leader with 20 goals and leads the Roughnecks with 46 points.

Fans are encouraged to join the entire Toronto Rock team outside Gate One of the ACC immediately following the game this Saturday evening for Autograph Night, sponsored by Sharpie/Staples. The first 10,000 fans through the gates receive a FREE Toronto Rock team cheer card provided by Toronto Sun & Woodbine.

This weekend's game will also be broadcast live on Rogers Sportsnet Ontario at 7:00 p.m. EST. Also available live on Rogers Sportsnet Ontario next weekend, Saturday March 8th will be Rock vs. Wings broadcast from the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia, PA at 1:00 p.m. EST.

The game tomorrow night will also be available on the B2 Network. The live webcast can be purchased online for $7 USD. A high-speed internet connection and a current version of Microsoft Windows Media Player will be required to watch the game. Fans can access the webcast by clicking the B2 icon at Toronto Rock ::.

**truebluefan** · 03-03-2008, 10:48 PM

PHILADELPHIA - Athan Iannucci proved why he was named to the NLL All-Star team as he led the Wings past New York, 16-12, Friday at the Wachovia Center in front of 11,419 fans. Iannucci netted six goals and two assists, while eight other Philadelphia players also contributed to the victory. It was a tight game through three quarters, but the Wings pulled away in the final quarter with four straight goals and never looked back. Goalie Rob Blasdell made 41 saves on 53 New York shots.

"I thought our guys had a tough first half, but we kept on doing the things we're capable of doing ," said Wings' Head Coach Dave Huntley. "Iannucci has been terrific all year and everybody contributes every day, even if it doesn't show up on the scoreboard. Everyone's chipping in and doing what they need to do."

Iannucci scored the only goal in the first quarter, while Blasdell stopped all 10 New York shots. Philadelphia took a two-goal lead in the second quarter, but allowed the Saints to climb back after penalty trouble. New York scored both a power-play and penalty-shot goal. The two teams battled back and forth throughout the quarter, with the Wings taking a 6-4 edge into halftime on an Iannucci short-handed goal.

The game remained close in the third quarter with each team scoring four goals. The Wings started to pull away in the fourth quarter with four unanswered tallies. It became a physical matchup midway through quarter with two fights and a lot of pushing and shoving, resulting in 26 minutes in penalties. Philadelphia continued to dominate after the interruptions and never let the Saints back in the game.

Athan Iannucci (6G,2A) led the Wings in scoring with eight points. Eight other players scored goals for Philadelphia, including Rob Van Beek (1G,1A), Jake Bergey (2G,5A), John Christmas (1G,0A), Taylor Wray (1G,1A), Jamie Rooney (1G,0A), Jason Crosbie (1G,2A), Merrick Thomson (2G,2A), and Thomas Hajek,(1G,0A) . Goaltender Rob Blasdell made 41 saves.

Pat Maddalena led the Titans in scoring with seven points (3G,4A). Five other players scored for New York, including Casey Powell (2G,1A), Mike McLellan (3G,1A), Brendan Mundorf, (2G,4A), Jordan Hall (1G,5A), and Jeff Ratcliffe (1G,0A). Goaltender Matt Vince had 42 saves on 60 shots.

NOTES: Wings forward Athan Iannucci was chosen as part of the starting lineup for the 2008 NLL East Division All-Star Team. Iannucci, a second year forward, currently leads NLL in goal scoring and number of points per game. The 2008 NLL All-Star Game will be played on Sunday, March 16 at Rexall Place at 4 pm EST in Edmonton, Alberta...The Wings have their first back-to-back games this weekend hosting New York team at home on Friday night and heading to Buffalo to face the Bandits at HSBC Arena on Saturday...The Philadelphia Wings' Rob Van Beek was named the NLL's Transition Player of the Week for his performance in his team's 17- 8 victory over the Minnesota Swarm last Friday at the Wachovia Center. Van Beek scored three goals, had one assist, and scooped 11 loose balls to help the Wings improve to 5-0 on the season, their best since 1993 when the team went 7-0.

For a complete scoring of tonight's game, log on to Pointstreak.com - Hockey, Lacrosse, Soccer Stats - Real-time Scoring and League Management System .

The Wings face the Buffalo Bandits on March 1 before returning home to host the Toronto Rock on Saturday, March 8 at Wachovia Center at 1 p.m. with dollar dogs and photos with the players following the game. Great seats are still available and can be purchased by visiting Official site of the Philadelphia Wings - Wings or at the Complex Box Office. Pro-rated season tickets are available by calling the Wings ticket office at (215) 389-WING(9464).

**truebluefan** · 03-03-2008, 10:49 PM

BUFFALO, NY - After a 6-0 start to the season, the Philadelphia Wings suffered their first loss to the Buffalo Bandits by a score of 21-12 at HSBC Arena in Buffalo, NY. The loss comes in the second game of the Wings first back-to-back series of the season. Philadelphia defeated New York last night by a score of 16-12 at the Wachovia Center. The Wings will return home next Saturday to face the Toronto Rock at 1 p.m.

"We knew this game was going to be a challenge being the second game in our first back-to-back weekend," said Head Coach Dave Huntley. "We took a lot of bad penalties throughout the game. We had some opportunities to come back in the fourth, but Buffalo had a hot goaltender and we just couldn't get back in the game."

Philadelphia got off to a quick start, scoring four straight goals in the first quarter. But 19 minutes of Wings penalties in the first half worked to Buffalo's favor. The Bandits were able to capitalize on five of seven power play opportunities in the half and outscored the Wings 8-3 in the second quarter, to give Buffalo a 13-9 lead going into halftime.

Buffalo held their lead through the third as the Wings continued to be plagued by penalties. Down 16-11 going into the fourth, Philadelphia had an opportunity to get back in the game when the Bandit's Rich Kilgour received a five-minute major for high-sticking. But former Wings goaltender Ken Montour seemed unbeatable, only allowing a single Philadelphia goal in the fourth quarter.

Leading the Wings in scoring were Athan Iannucci with five points (4G, 1A), Merrick Thomson with five points (3G, 2A), Drew Westervelt with four points (2G, 2A), Geoff Snider with four points (1G, 3A), Jamie Rooney with three points (1G, 2A), and Rob Van Beek with one goal. Goaltender Rob Blasdell had 27 saves in the first 53:02 of play and Jay Preece had eight in the final 6:57.

Leading the Bandits in scoring were Mark Steenhuis with ten points (4G, 6A), Cory Bomberry with ten points (3G, 7A), Delby Powless with eight points (3G, 5A), John Tavares with eight points (2G, 6A), Roger Vyse with six points (3G, 3A), Billy Dee Smith with four points (3G, 1A), Dan Teat with two goals, and Clay Hill with one goal. Goaltender Mike Thompson had four saves in the first 5:18 of the game before being replaced by Ken Montour who made 41 saves on the night.

The Wings face the Toronto Rock next Saturday, March 8 at the Wachovia Center at 1 p.m. The matinee contest is dollar dog day with a special post-game photo session with the entire Wings squad on the concourse after the game. Great seats are still available and can be purchased by visiting Official site of the Philadelphia Wings - Wings or at the Wachovia Complex Box Office. Party Packs, which include four tickets, four hot dogs, and four sodas, are just $68 and are great way to enjoy Wings lacrosse with family and friends. Party Packs are available at wingslax.com or by calling (215) 389-WING (9464).

The Philadelphia Wings are owned and operated by Philadelphia Wings L.P., whose principal owners are Russ Cline, Chris Fritz and Michael French. Comcast-Spectacor serves as the marketing, promotional, advertising, sponsorship and publicity arm of the Wings.

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