Chicago's Indoor Lacrosse Team Shamrox Remains Undefeated, Eyes NLL Title

The Chicago Shamrox improved to 2-0 in their inaugural season for the National Lacrosse League by virtue of five 4^th quarter goals in an 11-10 defeat of the Minnesota Swarm on Saturday.

The Chicago team went into halftime down 7-5, having trailed 4-0 at one point, but made the necessary adjustments to scratch out their second win of 2007. "We got off to a slow start," Shamrox coach Jamie Batley acknowledged. "We threw the ball away too much and at halftime we decided not to do that. We worked hard out there and we never quit."

The second half saw an offensive flurry of six goals by the Chicago Shamrox. Still down 10-9 but fighting back, Shamrox forward Josh Wasson-McQuigge tied the game up at 11:01 of the 4^th quarter. The game-winner came just thirty seconds later when forward Cody Jacobs sent a zinger past Swarm goaltender Nick Patterson. The goal came lightening fast off a ricocheted missed shot from teammate Chris Panos.

For his part, Chicago Shamrox goalie Brandon Miller stifled the Swarm for the remainder of the game to secure the win. Rebounding from a rough start -- allowing seven first half goals -- Miller saw only three shots get by on goal during the 2^nd half. He had 43 blocked shots total.

It was an exciting game in what is fast becoming an exciting new professional team in the always hungry Chicago sports market. Indoor lacrosse enjoys wide popularity in Canada. Its small, enclosed playing field, which is basically a hockey rink with artificial turf layered on top of the ice, makes for a fast-paced, high-scoring game despite the small (roughly 4-by-4 foot) goal. The Chicago Shamrox, especially if they keep racking up such thrilling wins, just might have a big future in the City of Big Shoulders.

Fittingly, the city's new indoor lacrosse team shares its name with the old Chicago Shamrocks that played in the American Hockey Association from 1930 to 1932. Chicago's new entry to the National Lacrosse League held a public contest that drew over 1,500 submissions for the team's moniker. Making a list of ten finalists -- including Blast, Breeze, and Freeze -- the organization announced that fans had voted on "Shamrox" last May.

Indoor lacrosse, also called "box lacrosse," is usually a high-scoring affair, especially compared to traditional field lacrosse. Games in the National Lacrosse League are no exception as contests between the Chicago Shamrox and their opponents have thus far proven.

The Shamrox opened up the 2007 season against the New York Titans with a 15-12 win before a home crowd of 8,456 at the Sears Center in suburban Hoffman Estates, Illinois.

The next contest for the Shamrox will be a rematch with the New York Titans at Madison Square Garden on Saturday, January 20. It will be game two of a four-game road trip for Chicago's new indoor lacrosse team. Coach Batley and the Shamrox return to the Sears Center to try and capture victory from the Buffalo Bandits on Sunday, February 11.

If the Shamrox are still holding on to first place at that juncture, then Chicago sports fans will know that these netted-stick wielding, rubber-ball flinging Leprechauns mean business. And they just might want to consider a trip out to the Sears Center in Hoffman Estates to check out the action in person.