Edmonton, AB - This is the second of three meetings this season between the Edmonton Rush and the Portland LumberJax - the National Lacrosse League’s expansion cousins of 2006.

The two teams met just 15 days ago in Edmonton and both entered the game struggling with 0-3 records. The LumberJax got a pair of late goals to edge the Rush 11-10, leaving the Rush as the only winless team in the NLL. The Rush have not played since that loss while the LumberJax have played twice but they lost both outings - 15-12 at Colorado and 14-13 in overtime at Minnesota.

Portland and Edmonton will meet for a final time in 2008 on Saturday, March 1. The Rush have managed just one win in six previous meetings with the LumberJax.

Jimmy Quinlan had his best game of the season against Portland when he pocketed five points on three goals and two assists His performance earned him Transition Player of the Week honours from the NLL but Portland still managed to escape with the win thanks to goals by Derek Malawsky and Dan Dawson in the final minutes. Mike Accursi also had a three-goal game for the Rush while Dan Stroup supplied a goal and three assists.

The teams split last season’s two matchups with the Rush taking a 9-8 overtime win - the club’s first victory in OT and first over their expansion rivals. Chris Gill led the Rush attack with three goals while Ryan O’Connor notched the game winner.

Portland earned a measure of revenge by taking a 14-10 decision at the Rose Garden. Quinlan paced the Rush with four goals and one assist while Randy Daly added a hat trick.

In the clubs’ inaugural season of 2006, the LumberJax swept all three meetings. Portland topped the Rush 15-12 at Rexall Place despite a five-point night from Jamey Bowen. Jason Clark set a Rush record (later equaled by Chris Gill) by registering eight points on three goals and five assists but his effort wasn’t enough as the Jax won 14-10 in Portland. The teams wrapped up the ’06 season with a second straight meeting at the Rose Garden and Bowen notched another five-point game but the LumberJax picked up an 11-7 win.

Mike Accursi leads the Rush in scoring with 18 points on seven goals and a team-leading 11 assists. Accursi’s seven goals put him in a three-way tie for top spot with the Rush alongside Chris Gill and A.J. Shannon. Accursi leads the Rush with five power-play points and he is 43-for-78 in the faceoff circle.

With his five-point game against the Jax, Quinlan has moved into second spot on the Rush scoring chart with 15 points on six goals and nine assists. Shannon, who missed more than half of last season while rehabbing a knee injury, is third in team scoring with 14 points on seven goals and seven assists.

Team Captain Chris McElroy continues to pace in the Rush in loose balls as he has collected 27 so far this season. Ian Hawksbee, a key off-season acquisition brought in for his hustle, sits next with 22 loose balls while Accursi and Buck Stobart are next with 20 apiece.

Newcomer Matt Disher, who was acquired in a trade during the 2007 Dispersal Draft, has moved into third spot among NLL goaltenders with a 10.99 goals-against average. Disher has played just under 131 minutes and sports a .758 save-percentage.

Edmonton’s power play is ranked 10th in the league at 34.8% (8-for-23) while the penalty-killing sits 12th at 41.2% (10 goals allowed in 17 shorthanded situations). The Rush have not scored or allowed a shorthanded goal. Portland currently has the NLL’s No. 1-ranked power play at a 61.5% clip (23-for-38) while the Jax penalty-killing is 11th at 46.3% (22 goals allowed in 41 shorthanded situations). Portland has allowed five shorthanded goals and scored one.