Around the National Lacrosse League for the games of Week Nine, 22-24 February 2008. (Summaries are based on best-available information and may be amended as necessary.)

Minnesota Swarm at Philadelphia Wings
Friday, 8:00 PM - Wachovia Center
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After a slow start, the Wings exploded for eleven fourth-quarter goals, exterminating the Swarm, 17-8.

Philadelphia (5-0) took so long to get going, it couldn't even net a first-quarter goal. The Swarm led 3-0 after one quarter, on goals by Craig Point, Sean Pollock and Dean Hill.

The Wings pulled to within 3-2 early in the second quarter, Jamie Rooney and Athan Iannucci scoring, but Minnesota (6-2) stayed a step ahead with a Point goal moments later. Iannucci again brought the Wings to within a goal and mid-quarter, but Point again responded, for a 5-3 halftime lead.

After goals by Jake Bergey and Rob Van Beek tied the game at 5-5, Jason Crosbie scored late in the third quarter to give the Wings their first lead. It was short-lived, with Mike Hominuck and Chad Culp netting goals in the final 61 seconds as the Swarm took a 7-6 lead.

Van Beek, Bergey and Iannucci all scored in the opening minute of the fourth quarter, putting the Wings in front, 9-7. Ryan Ward struck two minutes later for the Swarm, but it was entirely Philly the rest of the way -- eight more goals, including three more by Iannucci and the first career goals by David Mitchell and Jim Borell.

Iannucci finished with six goals and an assist, leading all scorers with seven points. Point finished with three goals and an assist for the Swarm.

Calgary Roughnecks at Portland LumberJax
Friday, 10:30 PM - Rose Garden
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Peter Morgan scored twice in a seven-goal second-half run, leading the LumberJax to a 13-9 win over the Roughnecks.

Portland (3-5) led 2-1 after one quarter, but found itself trailing 4-2 after a couple Nolan Heavenor goals followed by one from Scott Ranger. Richard Morgan scored late in the quarter, pulling to LumberJax to withn 4-3.

Lewis Ratcliff and Curt Malawsky scored early in the third quarter, extending the Calgary (2-5) lead to 6-3. Portland countered with a quick pair from Dan Dawson and Brodie Merrill, and the teams exchanged goals a couple times for an 8-7 Riggers lead.

The fourth quarter was all Portland, with Morgan's goal to end the third period touching off a run in which Matt Holman, Spencer Martin, Dawson, Morgan, Cory Conway and Merrill all netted goals for the LumberJax, securing the win.

Dawson (2 goals, 3 assists) and Malawsky (1 goal, 4 assists) had five points each for the LumberJax. Calgary was paced by three goals and an assist from Ratcliff.

New York Titans at Rochester Knighthawks
Saturday, 7:35 PM - Blue Cross Arena
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Mike McLellan, Pat Maddalena, and Casey Powell recorded hat tricks as the Titans upset the Knighthawks, 14-11.

Rochester (3-4) took a 2-0 early in the first quarter and led 3-1 after about five minutes, but allowed the Titans to rattle off three goals in 63 seconds and eventually limped out of the period down a goal, 5-4.

Led by a pair of goals from McLellan to begin the period, New York (4-4) took a 9-4 lead with four and a half minutes to play in the first half. John Grant netted a late goal for Rochester, narrowing the gap to 9-5.

Relentless, the Titans kept building their lead in the third quarter, only to fall back a step on a Knighthawks goal moments later. Finally, a McLellan tally with five seconds left secured a five-goal lead, 12-7, heading to the fourth.

New York tacked on another two goals to start the final period before Rochester made a late run. The four straight goals pulled the K'Hawks to within three with five minutes to play, but sputtered the rest of the way.

Powell finished with nine points, on three goals and six assists. Scott Evans and Grant each tallied three goals and three assists in defeat.

San Jose Stealth at Edmonton Rush
Saturday, 9:30 PM - Arena
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The Stealth posted a 6-1 second-half run, rallying past the winless Rush, 11-8.

Edmonton (0-6) opened solidly for new coach Bob Hamley, taking a 2-1 lead after one quarter and grabbing a 6-3 advantage midway through the second quarter. Six different Rush players, including Dan Stroup and Mike Accursi, scored in the run.

San Jose (4-3) began climbing back with a Kyle Sorensen goal two minutes before halftime, then wrapped third-quarter goals from Colin Doyle and Steve Panarelli around a Stroup tally and trailed just 7-6 heading to the fourth period.

Luke Wiles and Frank Resetarits scored within the first five minutes of the quarter, staking San Jose to its first lead since Doyle made it 1-0. Accursi then tied the game at 8-8 a minute later.

Jeff Zywicki soon scored twice for the Stealth, the first just 22 seconds after Accursi's goal, and Doyle later added an insurance goal, sealing the victory.

Doyle finished with four goals and two assists to lead all scorers in points. Accursi had two goals and two assists for the Rush.

Buffalo Bandits at Chicago Shamrox
Sunday, 3:00 PM - Sears Centre
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The Bandits scored eight first-period goals and never looked back, defeating the Shamrox, 13-8.

Buffalo (5-4) opened a 5-0 lead in just over six minutes, including a pair from Dan Teat. After a Chris Panos goal for the Shamrox, Mark Steenhuis added consecutive goals and Cory Bomberry closed out the period by scoring for an 8-2 lead.

Callum Crawford scored four minutes into the second quarter for Chicago (1-5), in what ended up as the only goal of the period. Mat Giles scored to open the third quarter, but the Bandits struck back again, Rusty Kruger and John Tavares. Ten-four.

Tavares scored again late in the third quarter, putting the game out of reach -- not that Chicago didn't try, with Giles scoring twice and Panos adding a goal inside of five minutes. A couple late goals by Buffalo ended that dream.

Steenhuis posted the game-high in points, nine, on two goals and seven assists; four other Bandits also scored twice. Panos had two goals and four assists for the Shamrox, while Giles added four goals.

Colorado Mammoth at Calgary Roughnecks
Sunday, 5:00 PM - Saddledome
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A 10-1 run spanning almost thirty minutes was enough to push the Roughnecks past the Mammoth, 12-9.

Colorado (5-2) led in the early going, on goals by Gavin Prout and Tom Ethington. However, tallies by Scott Ranger late in the first and Chris Seller early in the second tied the game at 2-2.

After Dylan Llord put the Mammoth back in front, 3-2, Calgary (4-3) ripped off three goals in succession (two by Nolan Heavenor) for a 5-3 halftime lead.

That was just the beginning for the Riggers, who cranked out rope-finders from Lewis Ratcliff, Jeff Moleski and Jeff Shattler for an 8-3 lead. Dan Carey stopped the bleeding with a goal at 7:58, but Shattler and Heavenor continued the carnage moments later.

Ratcliff and Ranger added goals early in the fourth quarter, effectively ending the game at 12-4. Colorado fought valiantly to make it close, though, scoring the game's final five goals.

Ranger (2 goals, 3 assists) and Curt Malawsky (5 assists) finished with five points each for the Roughnecks. Prout had two goals and two assists for the Mammoth, which has now lost two straight after a 5-0 start.