The Anaheim Storm suspended operations today, with the team losing more and more money and a potential sale having recently fallen apart.

Anaheim becomes the fifth National Lacrosse League team to suspend operations in the past three years, following the Montreal Express, Ottawa Rebel, New York Saints, and Vancouver Ravens.

"We are grateful for the support we have received from the local community, the Arrowhead Pond and the National Lacrosse League," Storm president and governor Chip Santye said. "The decision to suspend team operations was a financial one and it was not easy for us."

In four years, the Storm never gained much of a foothold attendance-wise, finishing at or near the bottom of the NLL in average crowd size during both its two-year stint in New Jersey and its two seasons in Anaheim.

Storm owner Who Knew Sports & Entertainment fumbled a chance earlier this spring to sell the team to fashion designer Angela Batinovitch, who decided instead to purchase the expansion Portland franchise.

The Storm fared little better on the turf, compiling a four-year record of just 14-50. Its 5-11 record in 2005 not only tied for the best record in team history, it marked the first time the Storm did not finish last in its division.

However, there were signs of improvement this year as the Storm settled on Derek Keenan, a protégé of the late Les Bartley, to build a competitive squad, after having cycled through four coaches in its first three seasons.

Arrowhead Pond management expressed interest in bringing lacrosse back to the Orange County arena. That can not happen until at least 2007, as the NLL announced today that it will not add any more expansion teams for the upcoming 2006 season.

There had been media reports that equipment manufacturer Shamrock Lacrosse was close to placing a team at Madison Square Garden in New York, but that apparently fell through. The Big Apple, as well as several venues in New England, remain as top contenders for 2007 expansion teams.