Around the National Lacrosse League for the games of Week Twelve, 17-18 March 2006 (Summaries are based on best-available information and may be amended as necessary.)

Calgary Roughnecks at Edmonton Rush
Friday, 9:30 PM - Rexall Place
Info: Game Stats

Lewis Ratcliff scored four times as the Roughnecks pounded the Rush, 16-9.

Calgary (6-4) clinched the season series, three games to one, in large part on a sizzling first quarter. After falling behind 2-0, the Riggers ran off five goals in the final six minutes of the period.

The second quarter was more of the same, as the Roughnecks won the period 5-2 en route to a 10-4 halftime lead.

Edmonton (1-11) went scoreless until the final minute of the third quarter, when Mat Giles finally ended a Rush scoring drought of almost 24 minutes. That made it a 14-5 game.

Edmonton scored the game's final three goals to make the final score closer.

Ratcliff had six points (4 goals, 2 assists) to lead all scorers. Brad Dairon (3 goals, 1 assist) and Jamey Bowen (4 assists) had four points each for the Rush.

Minnesota Swarm at Portland LumberJax
Friday, 10:30 PM - Rose Garden
Info: Game Stats

Kasey Beirnes scored two fourth-quarter goals and assisted on two others, leading the Swarm to a come-from-behind 14-12 victory over the LumberJax.

Portland (5-5) led 4-1 after one quarter, then held on for a 6-4 lead at halftime.

Minnesota (6-5) scored three times in the first 5:39 of the second half to tie the game at 7-7, but, led by a pair from Ryder Bateman, the LumberJax scored four of the next five and led 11-8 going to the fourth.

Minnesota's Mark Miyashita scored to open the final period, but Calgary took back the goal second later on a Shawn Cable strike. Beirnes quickly put Minnesota back on track, then assisted on the next two goals as the Swarm moved into a 12-12 tie.

Brock Boyle then put the Swarm ahead with 3:11 to go, and Beirnes added an insurance goal with less than a minute and a half remaining.

Ryan Ward had a ten-point night for the Swarm, on three goals and seven assists. Bruce Alexander had two goals and five assists for the LumberJax.

Buffalo Bandits at Rochester Knighthawks
Saturday, 8:05 PM - Blue Cross Arena
Info: Game Stats

Kim Squire's goal 3:41 into overtime gave the Bandits a 14-13 victory over the Knighthawks.

Rochester (7-5) struck first, on a Scott Evans goal less than two minutes in, then extended its lead to 3-1 in the ninth minute and 5-2 at the end of one period.

Buffalo (5-4) pulled to within 7-5 at halftime by running off three straight goals midway through the second quarter, one each from Roger Vyse, A.J. Shannon, and Cory Bomberry.

The Bandits inched yet closer, 10-9, after three periods by stringing together goals from Bomberry, John Tavares and Dan Teat to close the period.

Teat scored again to open the fourth, tying the game at 10-all, but the Knighthawks quickly went back on top, 12-10. It took late goals from Delby Powless and Shannon to force overtime.

Tavares led all players in scoring, tallying seven points on two goals and seven assists. Grant (2 goals, 3 assists) and Scott Evans (1 goal, 4 assists) had five points each for Rochester.

Colorado Mammoth at Arizona Sting
Saturday, 9:30 PM - Glendale Arena
Info: Game Stats

Andrew Burkholder scored four goals in his Mammoth debut, keying a 15-11 victory over the Sting.

In a back-and-forth first quarter, Colorado (6-5) went ahead 2-0 after three minutes, was down 4-2 with 2:28 left, and surged to score the final three goals of the period.

Arizona (5-5) tied the game a couple times early in the second period, then (after allowing two Mammoth goals) scrambled to collect two quick goals for an 8-8 halftime tie.

The third quarter was all Mammoth, with Burkholder scoring twice in a four-goal run and Gord Nash holding the Sting scoreless until the final minute of the period (a 19:14 scoring drought, going back to the second quarter).

Despite a Lindsay Plunkett goal early in the fourth quarter, the Sting never got much of a foothold and failed to draw close to Colorado.

Burkholder, acquired from Rochester this past week, and Jay Jalbert had four goals each for Colorado. Dan Dawson, Craig Conn, and Plunkett recorded hat tricks for Arizona.

Calgary Roughnecks at San Jose Stealth
Saturday, 10:30 PM - HP Pavilion

Gary Rosyski's fourth goal, 55 seconds into sudden death overtime, gave the Stealth a 14-13 victory over the Roughnecks.

San Jose (5-4) led 6-1 at one point and 7-3 after the first quarter, but as quick as the Stealth built that lead, Calgary (6-5) tore it down with a 6-1 third quarter, for a 10-9 lead.