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"Why Not Us?"

LumberJax (8-10) confident heading into NLL final at Buffalo; goalie Matt Disher 'questionable'

By Jason Vondersmith

The Portland Tribune, May 11, 2008, Updated Oct 30, 2009 (6 Reader comments)

KATIE HARTLEY / THE PORTLAND TRIBUNE

LumberJax forward Richard Morgan looks to make a pass in a game against San Jose this season.

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Despite a losing regular-season record, the Portland LumberJax maintained their confidence and came up with a motto: “Why Not Us?”

The LumberJax always believed they had the talent and chemistry to win the National Lacrosse League championship. Next Saturday, they get their chance.

Portland (8-10) beat Calgary 16-12 in the West Division final Saturday night, and now takes on Buffalo (12-6) at 4:30 PT Saturday at HSBC Arena in Buffalo for the NLL Champions Cup.

“Guys are very aware we have one more hurdle to clear,” general manager/coach Derek Keenan says. “The job’s not done, yet. We don’t want to get ahead of ourselves. We have a great opportunity.”

The game will air live on ESPN360.com and will re-air at 11 a.m. PT on Tuesday. The game will air live on The Score in Canada. As always, the game is available via the B2 networks.

Buffalo beat New York in the East Division final, and back on April 26 downed the Jax 14-10 at home. Portland played without goalie Matt Disher, defenseman Bruce Alexander and forward Peter Morgan.

Goalie Dallas Eliuk played at Buffalo the last time, and might play again Saturday. He replaced Disher, who strained a knee making a save, and led the Jax to victory at Calgary. Disher remains questionable, Keenan says, but he will travel with the team. “It might be a Saturday decision,” Keenan says.

It’s not like Eliuk, the NLL’s all-time best goalie, hasn’t been in this position. The 43-year-old netminder has won four league titles, including 2001 when his Philadelphia team won at Toronto, where Keenan served as assistant coach.

“Packed house, championship game, and it was him that beat us,” says Keenan, who won a title with Toronto as a player in 1999, and as an assistant coach in 2000, 2002 and 2003. “Had we won, we would have won five in a row.

“He’s capable of doing that again.”

John Tavares, 39 and the NLL’s all-time leading scorer, had four goals and four assists in the April 26 game — and led the Bandits to the title game with a 12-point performance (three goals, nine assists) in the 19-12 win over New York.

Mark Steenhuis had six goals and two assists against New York. The Bandits have many good offensive players, like Calgary, and “you can’t focus on one guy or one side of the floor,” Keenan says.

“We’ll try to get some matchups as best we can, and our guys have to be prepared to check the guy next to him, because everybody can score.”

The bottom line is, “we need to pressure John Tavares — can’t let him get nine assists. And we can’t let Steenhuis get to the net, because he’s deadly around the net.”

Mike Thompson beat the Jax in goal back in April, but Ken Montour beat New York. Keenan says the Jax have to prepare for both goalies.

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