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**truebluefan** · 04-16-2008, 08:44 PM

Buck Stobart doesn't score many goals, but he picked a great time to notch his first of the season for the Edmonton Rush.

With the score knotted 9-9 in the late fourth quarter, Stobart slipped in behind the Calgary defence and snapped a shot through Calgary goalie Pat Campbell's legs to put the Rush up by a goal. It was only the third goal in 36 career games for the 6-foot-4, 240-pound defenceman.

Mike Hominuck scored 17 seconds later at 13:12 of the final frame and the Rush (4-7) held for an 11-9 win, their fourth in the past five games since starting the season 0-6.

"It was a huge game," Edmonton forward Jimmy Quinlan told Shaw TV after the victory. "We stayed the course which we knew we had to and pulled it out in the end."

Quinlan had a big game for the Rush with four goals and an assist, Hominuck and Lindsay Plunkett had two goals and two assists each, while Dan Stroup also scored twice.

It was a tough loss for the Roughnecks (4-9), who held a one-goal lead over their northern counterparts on five separate occasions.

"These games are like playoff games right now," Calgary owner Brad Banister told Shaw TV. "Both teams want to win badly to get that last spot in the playoffs."

Scott Ranger led the way for the Riggers with a hat trick, while captain Tracey Kelusky scored once and set up three others.

Newcomer Josh Sanderson, had two goals and one assist in his first game as a Roughneck, Kelly Hall and Jeff Shattler each had a goal and two helpers, while Kaleb Toth also scored. Defenceman Devan Wray had his most productive game of the season with three assists and he won nine of 16 faceoffs.

Despite giving up the two late goals, Campbell played well in between the pipes for the Riggers with 37 saves on 48 shots. At the other end, former Roughneck goalie Curtis Palidwor stopped 32 of the 41 shots he faced in the Rush net.

The Roughnecks led 2-1 after the first quarter, while the score was tied 5-5 heading into halftime. Both teams scored just one goal each in a tight-checking third quarter before the Rush took control of the game in the final frame.

The same two teams will face off against each other next Saturday night (April 12 at 7:30 p.m.) at the Pengrowth Saddledome. They'll then meet again in Edmonton at Rexall Place Saturday, April 26 in the final game of the season for both teams.

**truebluefan** · 04-16-2008, 08:45 PM

In a game pitting brother against brother and one potentially playoff- bound team against one struggling for wins, the San Jose Stealth beat the Portland LumberJax 12-9 at the Rose Garden in Portland.

With a tremendous defensive stand in the middle of the game, the Stealth built an 11-4 third-quarter advantage only to watch Portland chip away and narrow the score to 11-9 with 1:39 remaining. Stealth leading scorer Jeff Zywicki then sniped his fifth goal of the night into an empty net to allow San Jose to breathe easy.

The win puts the Stealth ever closer to securing a playoff spot. Should they beat Portland on Sunday at HP Pavilion, San Jose would jump back into the playoffs. Sunday's game starts at 4 p.m. at San Jose's HP Pavilion. Tickets are available.

This was also the first game without starting forward Luke Wiles, who broke his foot in the 12-5 loss last Saturday in Edmonton. Gary Rosyski and Peter Veltman picked up for their hobbled mate and there didn't appear to be much of a drop off.

No fireworks flared between Stealth defensemen Paul Dawson and his younger brother, forward Dan Dawson of Portland. Dan finished with a goal and three assists, while Paul played solid defense and had two shots on goal blocked.

Eric Martin reduced the Dawsons to sidebar status, by scoring a hatrick. Martin had three breakaways and scored on all three.

The Stealth defense was the story of this game, holding Portland without a goal for 31:22. San Jose turned a 4-2 deficit into the 11-4 lead during that time.

**truebluefan** · 04-16-2008, 08:46 PM

PORTLAND, April 5, 2008 - Portland LumberJax forward Derek Malawsky (3 goals, 1 assist) scored four points as did forward Dan Dawson (1 goal, 3 assists), but the San Jose Stealth pulled out a hard fought, physical matchup in front of 10,359 fans at the Rose Garden Arena Saturday night. The 10,359 who crammed the Rose Garden made up the fourth largest regular season crowd in team history.

The Stealth scored an early first quarter goal, but the Jax quickly responded off a goal from rookie forward Peter Jacobs with 13:39 left in the first quarter. All-Star forward's Ryan Powell (1 goal, 2 assists) and Dawson were credited with assists on the game-tying goal.

The goal of the game came with 8:21 left in the first. Newly re-signed defenseman Bruce Alexander played air tight defense, forcing a loose ball that forward Scott Stewart picked up and hit a streaking Brodie Merrill (1 goal, 1 assist) to make it 2-1.

After another Stealth goal, Portland went on a 2-0 run to close the quarter. Malawsky scored with 6:07 left in the quarter. Then, after one of goalie Matt Disher's 33 saves, he ignited a fast break by hitting Peter Morgan (1 goal, 2 assists), who easily beat the outstretched Anthony Cosmo with 4:08 left in the quarter.

The second quarter belonged to the Stealth as they scored all five goals to take a 7-4 lead into the break.

The San Jose scoring run continued into the third quarter as the Stealth netted the first four goals before Portland responded with a Malawsky goal with 2:42 left in the third quarter to make 11-5 in favor of San Jose.

Tempers flared with 2:03 left in the third as Malawsky and Stealth defenseman Steve Panarelli traded blows. Both were subsequently jailed for five minutes due to their fight.

The Jax added a late goal with 48.8 seconds left in the quarter as they showed a little brotherly love. Defenseman Richard Morgan scored off an assist from his brother, P. Morgan to make it 11-6 heading into the final quarter of regulation.

The Stealth had little answer for the Jax scoring run as they opened the quarter with first three goals. Powell scored on a power play with 8:22 left and then Dawson scored off passes from Malawsky and transition player Tyler Codron 32-seconds later. Then, Malawsky netted the hat trick with 1:34 to play, pulling Portland within two. Alexander tallied his first assist of the season on Malawsky's goal.

However, San Jose added a late empty net goal for the 12-9 win. Jeff Zywicki led the Stealth with five goals and defenseman Eric Martin scored three goals.

The Jax are back in action on Sunday, April 6 when they play at the HP Pavilion against the Stealth at 4 p.m.

Notes: Powell has now scored in the 39 regular season games he's appeared in with Portland...Powell has tallied an assist in 38 straight regular season games...P. Morgan has scored in the 42 regular season games he's appeared in with the Jax...Portland is now 5-2 all-time during the month of April in the regular season...Merrill became the third player in franchise to amass 100 career points with his one goal, one assist performance.

**truebluefan** · 04-16-2008, 08:47 PM

The San Jose Stealth came into Sunday afternoon's game needing a win to clinch a playoff berth in the West Division. Behind five points from forward Ryan Powell (3 goals, 2 assists), the Portland LumberJax (5-8) kept the champagne on ice as they rolled the Stealth (7-6) 12-10 in front of 3,418 at the HP Pavilion in San Jose. Portland continued to work on its own playoff aspirations as the win gives the Jax a one game lead over the Calgary Roughnecks for the fourth and final playoff spot in the West Division.

"This was a huge win", said Head Coach/General Manager Derek Keenan. "We really needed it after last night. Matt Disher was outstanding in goal for us today."

Disher's critical play helped set the tone for a back-and-forth game that Portland jumped ahead in by virtue of an early goal by Powell with 11:05 left in the first quarter. Rolling off a screen, Powell took a pass from defenseman Brodie Merrill (1 goal, 1 assist and 13 loose balls) and beat Stealth goalie Anthony Cosmo. 45-seconds later, Portland went ahead 2-0 as forward Cory Conway beat Cosmo through the five-hole. Off passes from forward's Peter Morgan (2 goals, 1 assist) and Spencer Martin, Conway fired amidst congestion and beat Cosmo through the five-hole.

San Jose would later score the final goal of the quarter to make it 2-1 after one quarter of play.

Wasting little time, the Jax scored 15-seconds into the second quarter to extend the lead to 3-1. Powell scored off passes from forward Derek Malawsky (4 assists) and transition player Tyler Codron. The Stealth were able to knot the game at three as they went on a 2-0 run.

However, the Jax responded with their own 2-0 run. Forward Dan Dawson (2 goals, 4 assists) muscled his way through the San Jose defense and slipped one past Cosmo with 11:40 left in the half. Forward Peter Jacobs (1 goal, 3 assists) and Malawsky were credited with assists on the goal. The assist, the 375th of Malawsky's career, put him eighth all-time in National Lacrosse League history passing Tom Marachek.

On the ensuing face-off defenseman Pat Jones won the draw and forward Scott Stewart (1 goal, 1 assist) scooped up the loose ball. Weaving through the Stealth traffic like an Indy Car Series Driver, Stewart flashed a few fakes before squeezing a goal past Cosmo with 11:34 remaining in the second quarter to make it 5-3.

San Jose countered with a goal 13-seconds later before tying the game at five with 1:31 left in the half on the power play.

San Jose took its first lead of the game as the Stealth scored the first two goals of the third quarter before Portland countered with four straight goals that began with a goal from Jacobs with 10:49 left in the third quarter. Then, P. Morgan tied the game at seven as he scored on the power play with 9:04 left in the quarter.

The Jax took their second lead of the game at 8-7 as Powell netted the hat trick with 3:38 left in the third quarter. Dawson hit Powell, who sliced through the San Jose defense for his third goal of the game. Portland made it 9-7 before the third quarter ended. Merrill collected a San Jose turnover and went the length of the field for his first goal of the game with 1:05 left in the quarter.

San Jose stopped the Portland scoring run with 14:15 left in the fourth quarter as they trimmed the lead to 9-8. The 4-0 run, which lasted 12-minutes and 12-seconds, truly was the difference in the game for Portland.

"We were executing on all cylinders during the run", said Keenan. "Not only were we scoring when we had the opportunities, but we stayed out of the box for that time and limited their scoring chances"

After a series of slashing penalties by the Stealth, the Jax took full advantage of the two-man advantage. Dawson scored with 10:40 to play to make it 10-8. Then, the Jax took their largest lead of the game at 11-8 as P. Morgan scored his second goal of the game with 9:16 left in regulation. Looking to create space in the San Jose end, P. Morgan used every bit of his 230-lb. frame to level a Stealth defender. Unguarded, Jacobs hit Morgan who easily beat Cosmo.

As the Portland offensive pressure mounted, Disher remained stellar in between the pipes. The nine-year veteran, who finished with a season-high 42 saves, helped keep San Jose quiet until Cam Sedgwick scored with 4:18 left to cut the Jax lead to 11-9.

The Stealth continued to make things interesting as Kyle Sorensen scored with 2:10 to play, beating Disher on the high side to make it 11-10. After loading up his defense, Keenan used a late timeout with 21-seconds left. He had a very simple message for his players.

"They needed the ball back and we weren't going to give it to them unless we scored", said Keenan.

The message was clearly understood as defenseman Richard Morgan scored an empty net goal with five-seconds left, icing Portland's fifth win of the season and thus giving the ball back to the Stealth for the final five-seconds.

Notes: Powell has now scored in the 40 regular season games he's appeared in with Portland...Powell has tallied an assist in 39 straight regular season games...P. Morgan has scored in all 43 regular season games he's appeared in with the Jax...The road team has won six of the eight meetings between the two clubs...Portland is now 6-2 all-time during the month of April in the regular season...The win was the 20th for Keenan as Head Coach/G.M. of the Jax.

**truebluefan** · 04-16-2008, 08:48 PM

PHILADELPHIA - The home field and a strong defense were all Philadelphia needed in an 11-9 win Sunday against Toronto at the Wachovia Center in front of 10,244 fans. The team had lost three straight on the road since the All-Star break. Athan Iannucci led the Wings with four goals and an assist, while goalie Rob Blasdell made 51 saves. With the win, the Wings are now tied for first place in the East Division with the Minnesota Swarm. The Wings next home game is Saturday, April 19 vs. the New York Titans at 8:00 p.m.

"Our defense played great all night," said Wings' Head Coach Dave Huntley. "We got a little off the mark (the last few games) but it seemed like we got back on track. This was an important game." The goalies stole the show in the first quarter, combining for 27 saves. Each team registered just one goal, from Philadelphia's Jake Bergey and Toronto's Ryan Benesch. The Rock opened the scoring in the second quarter, but Philadelphia took the advantage with a hat trick from Athan Iannucci. Merrick Thomson also added a goal for Philadelphia. The Wings took a 5-3 lead into halftime.

Toronto scored the first goal of the second half from Blaine Manning, but was shut out for the rest of the third quarter. Philadelphia netted four unanswered goals (Sweeney, Christmas, Iannucci, Rooney) to go up by five with one quarter remaining. The Wings barely held on in the final quarter as they were outscored, 5-2.

Athan Iannucci (4G,1A) led the Wings in scoring with five points. Six other players scored goals for Philadelphia, including Jake Bergey (1G,3A), Merrick Thomson (2G,3A), John Christmas (1G,3A) , Jamie Rooney (1G,3A), A.J. Shannon (1G), and Kyle Sweeney (1G,1A). Goaltender Rob Blasdell made 51 saves.

Ryan Benesch led the Rock in scoring with four points (3G,1A). Five other players scored for Toronto, including Kasey Beirnes (1G), Lewis Ratcliff (2G,2A), Aaron Wilson (1G,1A), Blaine Manning (1G,1A), and Scott Campbell (1G,1A). Goaltender Bob Watson had 50 saves.

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 travel to Portland and Minnesota before returning for their final home game of the regular season on Saturday, April 19 at Wachovia Center at 7:30 p.m. Great seats are still available and can be purchased by visiting Official site of the Philadelphia Wings - Wings or at the Complex Box Office.

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.

**truebluefan** · 04-16-2008, 08:48 PM

In the second game of back to back division match-ups this weekend, the Toronto Rock invaded hostile ground in Philadelphia to take on the Wings. In what was another defensive tussle, the Rock dug themselves a deep hole in the third quarter and then fought back with a valiant fourth quarter rally that fell just short in an 11-9 loss to the Wings.

The game, which left the Rock 0-2 for the weekend, started tentatively from an offensive perspective. Both teams struggled with their passing and seemed overmatched by the opposition's defense. For the remainder of the quarter the teams' defensive confidence grew and pushed each other's offense further out of synch. Key saves by Rock goaltender Bob Watson and Wings keeper Rob Blasdell kept the score deadlocked until late in the first frame when Philadelphia took a 1-0 lead and the Rock responded on a goal by Ryan Benesch, his 15th of the season.

The second quarter saw the Rock get off to a strong start with a goal by Kasey Beirnes, which gave Toronto a 2-1 lead. The game then saw a number of momentum changes, first with the Wings scoring a pair of quick goals, re-establishing their one goal lead at 3-2. Then a key save by Bob Watson led to an offensive set highlighted by a goal by Lewis Ratcliff, his 4th as a member of Rock, tying the game at 3-3. However, the tie was short lived as Philadelphia sniper Athan Iannucci made his mark on the 2nd quarter with his second and third goals of the game to spread the Wings advantage to 5-3 to end off the first half.

The Rock got back into the game early in the third quarter on a goal by Blaine Manning, his 23rd of the season, which cut the deficit to one goal at 5-4. Unfortunately, for the remainder of the quarter the Rock offense went dry and the Wings took control of the game with four goals in a row, extending their lead to 9-4. Iannucci played a key role in the surge, scoring his fourth goal of the game.

The fourth quarter began positively for Toronto with an early power play marker by Ryan Benesch, his second of the game. The Wings responded with a quick marker, before Benesch scored again to complete his hat trick and bring the Rock to within four at 10-6.

The Rock continued to roll with another goal by Aaron Wilson to make the score 10-7 and ignite hopes of a fourth quarter comeback. An unexpected source, defender Scott Campbell fanned those comeback flames with his 2nd goal of the season on a quick transition, and suddenly Toronto had all of the confidence and momentum, trailing only 10-8.

The Wings finally ended the Rock run with a goal making the score 11-8, but a power play marker by Lewis Ratcliff kept the Toronto comeback alive and brought the Rock back to within two goals at 11-9. Despite a number of great chances and close calls, the Rock couldn't cut into the lead any further.

Despite the loss, the Rock remained in fourth place in the East Division, now one full game behind the Buffalo Bandits, who dropped into third with the Wings victory. Toronto's lead over the 5th place New York Titans for the final playoff spot in the East shrunk to only a half game.

The Rock were led by another standout performance from Bob Watson and offensively Toronto's pace was set by Ryan Benesch (3 goals, 1 assist) and Lewis Ratcliff (2 goals, 2 assists) who each contributed four points. Defensively Rob Marshall had a strong effort running the floor and picking up 14 loose balls.

Toronto (7-6) will look to recover from a difficult weekend and strengthen their position in the playoffs with a match-up against the Chicago Shamrox (4-7) on Saturday April 12th at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto. The Rock opened their season with an 11-9 victory in Chicago and will be looking to sweep the season series against their division opponents.

**truebluefan** · 04-16-2008, 08:50 PM

The Boston Blazers ( The Official Site of the Boston Blazers - Blazers) today announced the appointment of Doug Reffue to the position of Team President. Reffue will report directly to team ownership and is responsible for all aspects of the Blazers' lacrosse and business operations. The Blazers begin play in the National Lacrosse League in January 2009.

"Doug is the perfect candidate to build a first-class indoor lacrosse franchise both on and off the field," said Boston Blazers owner Tim Armstrong. "Doug's expertise in brand management and developing successful marketing and sales businesses will provide the framework for a successful Blazers franchise that Boston sports fans will be proud to support. Doug, along with Head Coach Tom Ryan, will help grow interest in our new team, the National Lacrosse League and the sport of lacrosse throughout New England."

Reffue, a 12-year industry veteran and leading innovator in branding and marketing, joined the Blazers after serving as Director of Brand Management at Yankee Candle Company where he managed a portfolio of company brands. During Reffue's tenure, he played a key role in developing Yankee Candle's brand architecture while driving the company's overall profitability. Prior to his role with Yankee, Reffue worked several years in the sporting goods industry as Director of Brand Management at Brine Inc., a leading provider of lacrosse, soccer, volleyball and field hockey equipment.

"Leading the Blazers in our inaugural season in the great sports city of Boston is an exciting opportunity that I truly appreciate given my passion for the sport," said Reffue. "Lacrosse is the fastest growing sport in the country, and we will build on that momentum as we grow interest in the Boston Blazers and in professional indoor lacrosse throughout New England."

Reffue's role with the Boston Blazers, the 13th franchise of the National Lacrosse League, will concentrate on the key areas of driving corporate and fan interest in the indoor lacrosse team. He will oversee all aspects of the team's operations, including brand strategy, marketing, ticket sales, public relations, community relations and corporate sales.

Reffue is a graduate of Boston College's Carroll Graduate School of Management, where he concentrated in marketing as he earned his MBA in 1995. Reffue spent several years as Senior Brand Marketing Manager for the Polaroid Corporation where he managed marketing strategies, brand management and product development on a national and global level. Reffue also worked in product management with Tyco International of Mansfield, Mass., where he assisted with the development of several new programs for Kendall Healthcare Products.

A native of Gloversville, NY, Reffue was a standout soccer player at Colgate University, where he served as team captain while earning Regional All-American honors and currently ranks as the school's No. 4 all- time leading scorer. Reffue resides in the greater Boston area with his wife and two children.

The Blazers are in the process of building a business staff. The organization is currently accepting applications and referrals for a Director of Ticket Sales along with several other key positions.

The Blazers' 2009 schedule will be announced in the near future. Fans can purchase tickets by calling (877) 859-2233. About The Boston Blazers

The Boston Blazers will begin indoor professional lacrosse play in January 2009 in the National Lacrosse League. On May 9, 2007, the NLL awarded owner Tim Armstrong a Boston franchise, making it the 13th member of the league. That same day, Tom Ryan was introduced as the Blazers head coach. For more information, please see: The Official Site of the Boston Blazers - Blazers.

About the National Lacrosse League

The National Lacrosse League (NLL) is North America's professional indoor lacrosse league, featuring the best lacrosse players in the world. Founded in 1987, the 2008 season will mark the 22nd season of pro indoor lacrosse. Average attendance for the 2007 season was over 10,000 fans per game, with several games played in front of crowds in excess of 16,000 fans. The NLL has twelve teams playing in major markets of the United States and Canada: Buffalo Bandits, Calgary Roughnecks, Chicago Shamrox, Colorado Mammoth, Edmonton Rush, Minnesota Swarm, New York Titans, Philadelphia Wings, Portland LumberJax, Rochester Knighthawks, San Jose Stealth and Toronto Rock. Several NLL clubs are owned and/or operated by the National Hockey League (NHL) and/or National Basketball Association (NBA) teams in their respective markets, and play in the same arenas used by those teams. Teams each play a 16-game regular season schedule followed by the Champion's Cup Playoffs. All games are played on weekends. Professional indoor lacrosse combines the physical play of hockey with the high scoring, fast pace and play-making style of basketball. Indoor lacrosse is played inside the confines of a NHL hockey rink, with glass and rink boards intact. The playing surface consists of a green turf carpet that is laid down over the hockey ice. The two teams combine to score an average of 25 goals in an NLL game.

The 2008 regular season concludes on April 26. The Playoffs consist of a total of seven games, all in a single-game elimination format. Eight teams advance to the playoffs, four from each of the two divisions (Eastern and Western). The Playoffs begin on the weekend of May 2-4 and conclude with the Championship Game on the weekend of May 16- 18.

The league uses a host of media platforms in broadcasting its games. ESPN, NBC and VERSUS are among the networks that have aired NLL games on national television over the past three seasons, as well as Rogers Sportsnet in Canada. Games also air on leading regional sports networks including Comcast Sportsnet, Time Warner Sports Network and Altitude. The league also broadcast games outside of North America for the first time last season on Eurosport2, an international sports network that reaches more than 50 countries worldwide. SIRIUS Satellite Radio airs a live NLL Game of the Week and a weekly one-hour NLL talk show hosted by lacrosse icon Casey Powell. The league also offers live video webcasts of every NLL game via the league website, NLL.com -- Official Website of the National Lacrosse League - Home.

For more information, visit the official website of the National Lacrosse League at: NLL.com -- Official Website of the National Lacrosse League - Home.

**truebluefan** · 04-16-2008, 08:51 PM

Wings' forward Athan Iannucci is eight goals away from breaking the NLL's single season goal scoring record. The current record of 61 goals was set by the Colorado Mammoth's Gary Gait in 2003. Iannucci currently has 54 goals, averaging 4.5 goals per game. The Wings have four regular season games remaining including this Friday, April 11 against the Portland LumberJax at the Rose Garden and Saturday, April 12 against the Minnesota Swarm at the Xcel Energy Center.

"Athan is a very gifted lacrosse player," said Head Coach Dave Huntley. "It's amazing that in his second year as a pro that he has been able to play at such a high level each night. He is an instrumental part of the team success that we have had this season."

Iannucci, who scored his 54th goal in the Wings 11-9 win over the Toronto Rock on Sunday, is currently tied for fourth on the NLL's single-season goal scoring list with Paul Gait (Washington-2002) and John Grant (Rochester-2006). The top three spots are all held by Gary Gait, who also played for the Wings from 1993-97.

The current NLL single-season goal record, 61, is a significant number in all of sports. Roger Maris recorded 61 home runs during the 1961 season to break Babe Ruth's previous mark of 60; Maris' record stood for 38 years. In basketball, Los Angeles Laker Elgin Baylor scored 61 points in game 5 of the 1962 NBA Finals game versus the Boston Celtics, a single game NBA Finals record. In hockey, Wayne Gretzky holds or shares 61 different records, including the most goals scored through the first 50 games of a season, which he set in the 1981-82 season when he netted 61 goals.

Wear your red and join the Red Sea when the Wings face the New York Titans in their next home game at Wachovia Center for Dollar Dog Night on Saturday, April 19 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are still available and can be purchased by visiting Official site of the Philadelphia Wings - Wings or at the Wachovia Complex Box Office.

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, sponsorship and publicity arm of the Wings.

NATIONAL LACROSSE LEAGUE SINGLE-SEASON GOAL SCORING

Name Team Year Goals

Gary Gait Colorado Mammoth 2003 61

Gary Gait Baltimore Thunder 1998 57

Gary Gait Colorado Mammoth 2004 55

Athan Iannucci Philadelphia Wings 2008 54*

Paul Gait Washington Power 2002 54

John Grant Rochester Knighthawks 2006 54

Chris Gill Vancouver Ravens 2002 53

John Grant Rochester Knighthawks 2002 52

Roy Colsey New York Saints 2001 51

John Tavares Buffalo Bandits 2001 51

**truebluefan** · 04-16-2008, 08:52 PM

San Jose's Jeff Zywicki was named Overall Player of the Week for the third time this season. The 27-year-old right-hander recorded seven goals, seven assists and 18 loose balls in last weekend's home-and-home series with the Portland LumberJax. Zywicki leads the Stealth and is second in the league with 43 goals. San Jose (7-6) can clinch a playoff berth with a win on Sunday against Edmonton, or a Calgary loss to Edmonton on Saturday.

Minnesota's Ryan Ward was named Offensive Player of the Week. The 27-year-old right-hander scored three goals and four assists in the Swarm's 12-9 win over New York on Saturday. Minnesota (8-4) is currently tied for first place in the East with Philadelphia and is a perfect 5-0 at home.

Chicago's Scott Self was named Defensive Player of the Week. The 28-year-old defender scored two goals and one assist, and scooped 10 loose balls in the Shamrox' 15-14 overtime win over Philadelphia on Saturday.

Teammate Bobby McBride was named Rookie of the Week. The 25-year-old transition-man scored two goals, including the overtime game-winner, and scooped 10 loose balls. Chicago (4-7) has won three straight over East powerhouses Minnesota, Rochester and Philadelphia, and is still alive in the playoff race.

Buffalo's Mark Steenhuis was named Transition Player of the Week. The 28-year-old right-hander recorded three goals, three assists and eight loose balls in the Bandits' 12-11 win over Colorado on Saturday. Buffalo (8-5) is currently in third place in the East Division standings.

Week 16 Results Thursday, April 3 Rochester 8 at Colorado 11

Saturday, April 5 Rochester 9 at Toronto 6 New York 9 at Minnesota 12 Philadelphia 14 at Chicago 15 (OT) Colorado 11 at Buffalo 12 Calgary 9 at Edmonton 11 San Jose 12 at Portland 9

Sunday, April 6 Portland 12 at San Jose 10 Toronto 9 at Philadelphia 11

**truebluefan** · 04-16-2008, 08:53 PM

SAINT PAUL/MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. - The National Lacrosse League (NLL) announced today that Minnesota Swarm forward Ryan Ward has been named the NLL Offensive Player of the Week. He recorded seven points (3-4=7) and five loose balls to help lead the Swarm to a 12-9 victory over the New York Titans at Xcel Energy Center last Saturday.

The win improved Minnesota's home record to 5-0 and moved the team into a tie for first place in the East Division. The 5-foot-9, 190-pound native of Victoria, British Columbia leads the Swarm with 25 goals this season and ranks second with 57 points.

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

The Swarm (8-4) hosts the Philadelphia Wings (8-4) on Saturday, April 12 at 7:00 p.m. in a battle for first place in the East Division. Great lower level seats can be purchased for each upcoming Swarm home game. Tickets range from $12 - $52 and can be purchased in advance or at the Xcel Energy Center Box Office. Family packs and student discounts are also available. Contact Ticketmaster at 651-989-5151 or Tickets for Concerts, Sports, Arts, Theater, Family, Events, more. Official Ticketmaster site to get the best seats available. For more information on Swarm season tickets call 888-MNSWARM or info@mnswarm.com.

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