LumberJax formula: chemistry = victories

Portland goes into season with most of its top guns intact

By jason vondersmith

The Portland Tribune, Jan 5, 2009, Updated Oct 30, 2009

Veteran Portland LumberJax defenseman Brodie Merrill continues to commute from the Toronto area, calling pro lacrosse more of a passion than a job.

KATIE HARTLEY / TRIBUNE FILE PHOTO

One or two goals is usually all that separates teams in National Lacrosse League games, and the Portland LumberJax feel well-equipped to defend their Western Division title because of one intangible: chemistry.

General Manager/coach Derek Keenan has emphasized chemistry and team since helping launch the franchise four years ago. That philosophy continues to this day, as the LumberJax prepare to begin their 16-game season with a 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 3 match against Minnesota in the Rose Garden.

“There’s not one guy who places himself above the team,” veteran forward/defenseman Peter Morgan says. “We have Brodie Merrill and Ryan Powell — big names — but those are very selfless guys. They put the team first — they’re great teammates and leaders.

“It starts with the veteran guys and goes down to the rookies,” Morgan adds. “Everyone is treated equally, and you can tell when we’re on the floor together that everyone truly supports each other and is truly playing for the betterment of the team.”

It’s not easy to build chemistry in the NLL, which has a different team dynamic than other pro leagues. Most NLL clubs have the majority of their players and coaches commuting from Canada, where most players have real jobs to improve on the limited pay they get in lacrosse.

Portland has been one of the extreme examples, in part because of its distance from eastern Canada. To cut costs, the Jax have asked more players to live in Portland, but about half of the players on the 23-man roster still fly or drive in from north of the U.S. border. Keenan, Merrill and captain Pat Jones still live in Ontario.

The Portland resident players will get together for practice once a week, and the team goes through some bonding events during game weekends — dinners and such — but it’s still difficult to be a cohesive unit.

Merrill, maybe the NLL’s best defenseman, says lacrosse is not just a job to him —it’s a passion.

“I love playing the game, and I appreciate the opportunity,” says Merrill, who has taken a coaching job at his family’s private school, the Hill Academy in suburban Toronto. “It’s rare you can do what you love, that’s my mentality. It gets tough at times with the travel, but a lot of other guys in the league do it, as well.

1 | 2 Next Page >>

Facebook	Digg	Del.icio.us
Newsvine	Stumbleupon	Reddit