Milestone alert: it's now ten in a row for the Colorado Mammoth in the Lacrosse-Network.com Experts Poll.

Colorado took the top spot this week for the tenth straight poll (nine this season and the final poll of 2006), earning the same 103 points as last week -- seven experts placed the Mammoth first on their ballots, and one slotted the team second.

The other first-place vote again went to the Eastern Division-leading Rochester Knighthawks (97 points), who have little ability to move up in the Experts Poll as long as the Mammoth keep winning.

The Buffalo Bandits again earned the third-place ranking, gaining a couple of points, to 83, after defeating Philadelphia for the second straight week. The Wings fell from fourth to fifth, slipping behind Arizona (74 points).

Minnesota, fresh off a dominant 19-11 victory over Chicago, leapfrogged Toronto for seventh place, outpolling the Rock, 56-55.

Further down the rankings, there are two ties: Chicago and Edmonton stand level for ninth place (36 points), while Portland and San Jose are deadlocked in eleventh (21 points).

Our panel of eight experts includes a wide range of top lacrosse minds, including Outsider's Guide writers, players, and coaches. Scoring is on an 13-12-11-etc. basis, so that the maximum score a team can earn is 104 points and the minimum is eight points.

The complete rankings from this week's Experts Poll, with comments (win-loss record through Sunday is in parentheses):

WEEK NINE                                       Pts  Prv
 1. Colorado Mammoth (9-1)                      103    1
    Returns in March for Eastern road swing
 2. Rochester Knighthawks (7-2)                  97    2
    Pulling away from tight pack in East
 3. Buffalo Bandits (5-4)                        83    3
    Puts three-game win streak on line at MIN
 5. Arizona Sting (5-3)                          74    5
    Played its best, then its worst at ROC
 4. Philadelphia Wings (4-4)                     70    4
    Still hasn't mastered art of holding lead
 6. Calgary Roughnecks (5-4)                     66    6
    Goodbye, Hall; Hello, refreshed Riggers?
 7. Minnesota Swarm (5-3)                        56    8
    Quickly turning into major player in East
 8. Toronto Rock (4-4)                           55    7
    Next stop: Manhattan
 9. Chicago Shamrox (3-5)                        36    9
    3-1 start seems so long ago
    Edmonton Rush (3-4)                          36   10
    No longer a doormat
11. Portland LumberJax (2-8)                     21   11
    At least Keenan still has Angela's support
    San Jose Stealth (2-5)                       21   12
    Beat NY in Battle of the Basement...
13. New York Titans (1-8)                        10   13
    ...but how do you lose that game at home?