May 14, 2008

by Tom Borrelli, Special to Lacrosse Magazine Online

Ten years later, it could very well be playoff game seven in the series between Dallas Eliuk and the Buffalo Bandits.

Not to infer that the 43-year-old goaltender is a one-man team, far from it. But the 18-year National Lacrosse League veteran has already endured enough thrills and spills against Buffalo to write a book.

The next may come Saturday night at HSBC Arena, when his Portland LumberJax (8-10) go for their first Champion's Cup against the Bandits (12-6).

The league's career saves leader spent the first 15 seasons of his career with the Philadelphia Wings, who he backstopped to championships in 1994, '95, '98 and 2001. He was the Most Valuable Player in the last two of those title games.

If not for Eliuk, it's unlikely the third-year LumberJax could have won the West Division title. He replaced injured starting goaltender Matt Disher 16 minutes into last Saturday night's 16-12 victory in Calgary - Portland's fourth in its last five road games - and stopped 35 of 43 shots.

"Dallas came in under some very difficult circumstances, but he closed the door," said LumberJax coach Derek Keenan. "He's really been a nice luxury to have."

The Bandits, who have won four straight overall, nine of 11 and five consecutive home games, sewed up the East with a physical 19-12 triumph over the New York Titans.

The Champion's Cup final will be a rematch of the April 26 regular-season finale, which the Bandits won, 14-10, to clinch home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. Disher didn't make the cross country trip that night so Eliuk started and made 36 saves on 49 shots. That brought his regular season record against Buffalo to 14-13 with 329 goals allowed and 1,004 saves.

But the playoffs are where the real Eliuk/Bandits story has been written. This could be his seventh postseason start against Buffalo, and he comes in with three wins, two losses, one concussion and one title won at the Bandits' expense.

Here's the breakdown:

1992: This one is painful for Eliuk, who doubles as the LumberJax's community relations director. Like this year's Jax, his Wings reached the championship despite a losing record (3-5) in the regular season and faced an expansion team riding the emotional wave of a seven-game winning streak. Eliuk made 26 saves and passed out three assists in the first half, and the Wings seemed poised for an upset, ahead 7-5 at intermission. But Eliuk had been struck squarely in the mask on a first-quarter shot by current Bandits coach Darris Kilgour - at the time one of the league's hardest shooters. Eliuk suffered a concussion and Dwight Maetche finished the game. John Tavares potted the winner for the Bandits 1:45 in overtime with a pretty behind-the-neck whip that broke a 10-10 tie before 13,017 in the Spectrum.

1993: In Dave Evans' final game as Philly's head coach, Eliuk's 42 saves weren't quite enough in Buffalo's thrilling 13-12 victory - its 18th straight - before a sellout crowd of 16,325 at Memorial Auditorium. That enabled the Bandits to win their second straight North American Cup, symbolic of Major Indoor Lacrosse League supremacy. After Philly's Chris Flynn was whistled for tripping with 50 seconds left, Kilgour took a pass from current Edmonton Rush coach and general manager Bob Hamley and buzzed a 10-foot shot that grazed off Eliuk's body and into the net with 29.7 seconds remaining. On the Wings' last possession and with Eliuk pulled for an extra attacker, Rob Shek's pass intended for Kevin Finneran was picked off by Tavares, who rolled the ball into the Philly end as time expired.

1994: Revenge was sweet for Eliuk, who made 28 saves and passed out three assists in a 26-15 win before 16,284 at Memorial Auditorium in the championship game. Buffalo led, 10-7, at halftime but Hall of Famer Paul Gait was ballistic, scoring five times in Philly's 12-goal third quarter. He finished with eight goals and three assists, making it a fairly easy night for Eliuk. The Wings outshot the Bandits, 67-39, and handed Buffalo its first postseason defeat ever.

1995: The Bandits snuck into the playoffs with a 3-5 record and the Wings made sure the stay was short with a 19-16 semifinal win before 10,557 at Memorial Auditorium. (Remember, the MILL used to award home playoff games based on attendance). Eliuk had 42 saves - stopping an incredible 21 of 24 shots in the first quarter alone - added two assists and watched Gary Gait go for six goals and three assists as the Wings won their eighth straight after a season-opening 17-13 loss at Buffalo. Two weeks later, Gait's overtime score gave the Wings a 15-14 home win over the Rochester Knighthawks in the championship game.

"Twice in championships he stonewalled us and was really the difference," said Bandits captain Rich Kilgour. "We need to stick to our normal game plan and hopefully get to him early and often. We have some good shooters and we're not afraid of him."

1996: For the fifth straight season, Buffalo and Philadelphia met in the playoffs, this time before 16,230 for the championship in the Bandits' final appearance ever at Memorial Auditorium. Jason Luke scored three goals and original Bandits Rich Kilgour and Tavares each had a goal and four assists as Buffalo bolted to a 13-5 lead en route to a 15-10 triumph that denied Philly's third consecutive title, despite Eliuk's solid 44-save performance.

1998: Buffalo was at the tail end of its first dominant run and was no match for Eliuk or the Wings in a 17-12 semifinal loss before 9,795 at the Wachovia Center. Eliuk made 34 saves and Jake Bergey had three goals among eight points as the Wings scored five straight in the fourth quarter and advanced to the only best-of-three championship series, where they swept the Baltimore Thunder. "I knew athletically that we were the better team," Eliuk said that night. "And in a close game, that's the team that usually wins."

Eliuk may start in place of Disher, who strained the medial collateral ligament in his right knee. On Wednesday afternoon, Keenan said Disher's rehabilitation is going well, but his playing status remains unclear. Mike Thompson gets the call in goal for Buffalo.

Both goalies will have to contend with plenty of athletes.

Start with Portland's Dan Dawson, who had five goals and five assists against the Riggers, giving him an incredible 12 goals and 10 assists in two playoff games. Though this is new stuff for the Jax, it's old hand for Dawson, who helped the Arizona Sting reach the Champion's Cup final in 2005 and '07.

"The key is Dan Dawson," said Darris Kilgour. "Everything they do is off of him. He's always prepared for slides and doubles. It will come down to who executes the game plan better."

Portland had never before scored as many as 34 total goals in back-to-back games. But that's what the Jax have posted in two playoff road victories this year.

NLL Transition Player of the Year Mark Steenhuis, who had a team-high 34 goals, 41 assists and 121 loose balls during the regular season, potted a Buffalo franchise-record seven goals against New York last weekend.

"I think the first thing you have to do is take care of him in transition," Keenan said. "That's the big part. When he gets a step to the net he's very, very strong with a low center of gravity. If he gets that step, forget about it. And you can't just let him shoot from the outside either." Tavares had two goals and 10 assists for the second double-digit points game of his 17-year postseason career.

"With Mark, you know what you're going to get every game," said Darris Kilgour. "He's going to create his own opportunities and shots. [Tavares] had the quietest 12 points I've ever been a part of. I had no idea he had 10 assists. That's how quiet and unassuming he is. He's been through everything. If we get him the ball in the right situation, he's always going to make the right play."

Award winners

* Tavares (29 goals-58 assists-87 points) and Steenhuis (34-41-75) both made the NLL First All-Pro team, which also includes forwards Athan Iannucci of Philadelphia (71-29-100), Casey Powell of New York (32-54-86), defenseman Ryan Cousins of Minnesota (9-5-14) and goaltender Bob Watson of Toronto (10.34 goals against average-79 save percentage). The second team features forwards Colin Doyle (27-61-88) and Jeff Zywicki (48-42-90) of San Jose, Colorado's Gavin Prout (25-67-92), transition man Geoff Snider of Philadelphia (13-38-51), defenseman Scott Self of Chicago (4-11-15) and goaltender Matt Vinc of New York (11.35-77).

* Cousins captured the league's Defensive Player of the Year honor for the second consecutive season. "Ryan is our captain and the main ingredient in our quick transition from expansion team to competitor", said Swarm General Manager Marty O'Neill. "He is always assigned to stop one of the top two offensive players among our opponents and does a great job." Two of Cousins' nine goals came in overtime and he scooped 87 loose balls.