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| Letter From the
President |
 Two
words……thank you!
Thank you for making the 2007 Chicago Shamrox
Inaugural Season of indoor pro lacrosse a season to
remember.
From our amazing Opening Night on January 6 with a
huge crowd and an exciting victory, to the season
finale on April 14 with another great crowd and big
victory, it was one heck of first season. We tied
for 4th in the Eastern Division with perennial
powers Toronto and Philadelphia, and missed out on
the Playoffs because of a tie-breaker. For an
expansion team to be in the playoff race all season
was a big-time accomplishment.
We averaged over 6,000 fans per game at the Sears
Centre. Again, a major statement by Shamrox fans in
Chicago. It was so gratifying to hear our fans say
how much they enjoyed attending Shamrox games and
“how much fun it was on game day”. Your support,
encouragement and energy have made an impact on the
Chicago sports scene.
We planted the Shamrox flag in the Chicago sports
market and it is flying proudly.
The Chicago Shamrox, from ownership, management,
players, coaches, dance team and staff, have worked
under the “Unit of One” philosophy…..working
together to give Shamrox fans the best in
everything….on and off the field. And we won’t stop
working and trying as hard as we can to deliver for
our fans. We work for the fans.
We now have our sights set on the 2008 season. The
Season Ticket renewal process has begun and our
Season Ticket Holders will be contacted to renew
their seats for 2008. Those fans looking to become
new season ticket holders are able to indicate their
sections of preference right now. And Group Leaders
will be contacted as well, to begin building their
group programs for 2008. So as you can see, the
“off-season” is really the “on-season”, because 2008
will be here before you can say “GO ROX”.
In this addition of Shamrox Scoop, you’ll get a
Season in Review, info on our upcoming NLL
Championship TV Party, Merchandise info including
Game Worn Shamrox uniforms for sale, the Shamrox
“Fans Choice” Awards, plus other Shamrox news and
ways to stay connected and give input to the
Shamrox.
Again, Shamrox fans, thank you for a great season.
GO SHAMROX!!
Conrad “Connie” Kowal
President
Chicago Shamrox
connie@ChicagoShamrox.com |
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Shamrox NLL Championship Viewing Party |
 Join the Shamrox on Saturday, May 12, at 2:30
p.m. CDT at Buffalo Wild Wings at 2540 New
Sutton Road in Hoffman Estates for a TV party
for the 2007 NLL Championship Game presented by
EDGE Active Care between the Arizona Sting and
the Rochester Knighthawks. Meet and greet
members of the Shamrox front office, Dance Team
and superstar forward Chris Panos.The TV Party
is $20 for adults (includes wing buffet,
bottomless chips, salsa, soft drinks and one
free raffle ticket), and $8 for children 12 or
under. There is a 100 person max, so call Ray
Kincaid at the Shamrox office at 877-SHAMROX or
email at ray@chicagoshamrox.com to reserve your
spot now! |
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| Vote for the Shamrox Fans Choice Awards |
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 Send
us an email and place
your votes for the 2007 Shamrox Fans Choice Awards. In
your email, please include votes for MVP, Offensive
Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year,
Transition Player of the Year, Rookie of the Year and
Unsung Hero. Please write “Awards” in the subject line
when placing your vote. Don’t delay, the deadline for
votes is May 14. |
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Reserve Your 2008 Season Tickets NOW!!! |
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The Chicago Shamrox organization would like to thank
our Shamrox fans for a great 2007 Inaugural Season
of indoor pro lacrosse. It was a terrific season
with plenty of great games and great memories. It is
now time to set our sights on 2008. For all of our
Season Ticket Holders, thank you for your support.
It is also time to start the process for renewing
your season tickets for 2008. For those fans looking
to become a New Season Ticket Holder, you can get on
the 2008 “Early Bird” reservation list for new
season tickets. Call 1-877-SHAMROX, click on the
2008 Season Tickets link, or e-mail
Tony@ChicagoShamrox.com to renew your Season Tickets
or become a New Season Ticket Holder. |
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Inaugural Season In Review: A summary of the 2007 season |
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By Barrett Sallee |
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Chicago Shamrox 15 N.Y. Titans 12 |
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Sears Centre, Hoffman Estates, Ill. - January 6,
2007 |
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Photo by Grabowskiphoto.com |
The inaugural game in the history of both
franchises couldn’t have been better for the Shamrox
or the 8,456 Shamrox fans at the Sears Centre. After
falling to a 2-0 lead, Jason Clark took a pass from
Tom Montour and snuck it past Titans goaltender
Curtis Palidwor for the first goal in Shamrox
history. Rookie Bill McGlone tallied the
game-winner, 10:26 into the 4th quarter, to seal the
win. Goaltender Brandon Miller was the MVP of the
game, making 46 saves on 58 shots. McGlone, Josh
Wasson-McQuigge, and Chris Panos all secured
hat-tricks on the night. |
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Chicago Shamrox 11 Minnesota Swarm 10 |
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Xcel Energy Center, St. Paul, Minn. - January 13,
2007 |
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The Shamrox improved to 2-0 on the year with a gutsy
performance against the Minnesota Swarm for the
first road win in franchise history. After digging
themselves into a 4-0 hole in the 1st quarter, the
Shamrox outscored the Swarm, a playoff team from
2006, 6-3 in the second half to get the victory.
Chris Panos notched the game-winning goal with 4:29
to play after taking a shot that ricocheted off the
back wall, over the goal, off a defenseman’s stick
who was battling with Shamrox forward Cody Jacobs,
and into the net. Goaltender Brandon Miller made 43
saves on 53 shots on the night, keeping the Shamrox
in first place in the NLL East. |
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N.Y. Titans 11 Chicago Shamrox 9 |
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Madison Square Garden, New York, N.Y. - January 20,
2007 |
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History was made as the Shamrox and Titans competed
in the first ever indoor lacrosse game at Madison
Square Garden, “The World’s Most Famous Arena.” The
game was scoreless for the first 12:05 thanks to
some spectacular saves from Shamrox goaltender
Brandon Miller. The Titans ripped off four-straight
goals late in the 2nd quarter to take a 7-3 lead
into halftime. That proved to be the difference as
the Titans held off a five-minute major penalty to
hold off the surging Shamrox and secure their first
ever win. |
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Chicago Shamrox 11 San Jose Stealth 10 |
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HP Pavilion, San Jose, Calif. - January 26, 2007 |
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Photo by Ken Arnold/SJ Stealth |
The Shamrox first trip to the west coast was a
successful one. Tom Montour gathered in a long,
outlet pass from Miller at 6:07 in the 4th quarter
and put it past Stealth net-minder Anthony Cosmo to
give the Shamrox an 11-9 lead. The Shamrox defense
only allowed one goal over the last 9:53 to secure
the win and remain in first place in the NLL East.
Rookie Bill McGlone was the offensive star of the
night, with six points (3g, 3a). |
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Rochester Knighthawks 13 Chicago Shamrox 8 |
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Blue Cross Arena, Rochester, N.Y. - February 3, 2007 |
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A winter storm greeted the Shamrox as they faced off
against the Rochester Knighthawks in a battle for
supremecy in the NLL East. After goals from Chris
Panos and Jon Harasym gave the Shamrox a 2-1 lead
6:32 into the first quarter, the Knighthawks ripped
off 7-straight goals, including a natural hat-trick
from Scott Evans, to build an 8-2 lead at the half.
The Shamrox rallied behind two goals each from Jason
Clark and Tom Montour to cut the lead to 11-8 midway
through the 4th quarter. But the Shamrox rally came
to an abrupt halt as Steve Toll and Ken Millin
scored late goals to put the game out of reach late
in the final frame. |
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Buffalo Bandits 12 Chicago Shamrox 11 |
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Sears Centre, Hoffman Estates, Ill. - February 11,
2007 |
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The Shamrox finally return home after a four-game
road trip to meet the defending NLL East champion
Buffalo Bandits. Mat Giles scored with :50 left in
the fourth quarter to cut the lead to one. After
calling a timeout with :15 left, Shamrox Head Coach
Jamie Batley pulled goaltender Brandon Miller to set
up a potential tying goal but the Bandits defense
hung tough, forcing a turnover to seal the win. The
Bandits were 5-for-5 on power plays on the night. |
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Toronto Rock 11 Chicago Shamrox 10 |
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Air Canada Centre, Toronto, Ontario - February 18,
2007 |
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Friendly faces greeted many Shamrox players as many
of them returned to their native Ontario to take on
the Toronto Rock. The game started off with solid
defense that was broken by Chicago’s Mat Giles (3g,
2a) who notched in the first goal of the game 8:23
into the first quarter, which was followed by a slew
of goals. During the second quarter, Chicago
catapulted ahead of Toronto by scoring five goals in
a row over seven and a half minutes. Giles and Tom
Montour (2g, 1a), both formally of the Toronto Rock,
played an intricate part in the Shamrox early lead
by each scoring two goals a piece during the first
half. Toronto’s Blaine Manning began the 3rd quarter
with a goal and the Shamrox lost it from there. The
Rock managed to score four goals in the 3rd quarter
and chalked up another three during the 4th. |
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Minnesota Swarm 19 Chicago Shamrox 11 |
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Sears Centre, Hoffman Estates, Ill. - February 24,
2007 |
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Photo by Grabowskiphoto.com |
The Swarm walked into the Sears Centre with
revenge on their minds after the Shamrox spoiled
their home-opener in January. They got it. Minnesota
jumped out to an early 4-0 lead, but the Shamrox
ripped off six of the next seven goals, including a
penalty shot goal by Josh Wasson-McQuigge, to take a
6-5 lead early in the second quarter. But then,
while on a 5-on-3 advantage, the Shamrox allowed two
shorthanded goals, surrendered the lead, and the
Swarm never looked back. The Swarm went on a 10-1
run that lasted part of the 2nd and all of the 3rd
quarters. The hole was too big for the Shamrox to
claw their way out of. |
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Arizona Sting 11 Chicago Shamrox 7 |
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Jobing.com Arena, Glendale, Ariz. - March 2, 2007 |
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After travel issues in the northeast prevented the
Shamrox from arriving in Glendale on March 1, the
Shamrox finally arrived hours before the opening
face-off versus the Arizona Sting. After Chris Panos
and Mat Giles gave the Shamrox a 2-0 early in the
first quarter, Sting All-Star forward Dan Dawson
took over, notching 8 points on five goals and three
assists, to lead the Sting to an 11-7 win. Jon
Harasym was the offensive star of the night for the
Shamrox, tallying a hat trick. The loss dropped the
Shamrox to 3-6 on the year, but kept them just one
game out of the final playoff spot in the NLL East. |
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Rochester Knighthawks 15 Chicago Shamrox 12 |
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Sears Centre, Hoffman Estates, Ill. - March 17, 2007 |
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Photo by Grabowskiphoto.com |
A raucous St. Patrick’s Night crowd of 8,017
greeted the first-place Rochester Knighthawks on
“Code Green” night. Green beer was flowing, the
crowd was loud, and the players sported special
green jerseys to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. This
back and forth contest featured three goals from
newly-acquired veteran Jonas Derks, making his first
appearance for the Shamrox after nearly one year
away from the NLL. Mat Giles scored a power-play
goal with 3:32 seconds left in the game to tie it at
12, but Knighthawks Scott Evans, John Grant and Bill
Greer scored to pull away and take a 15-12 win. |
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Philadelphia Wings 12 Chicago Shamrox 11 |
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Wachovia Center, Philadelphia, Pa. - March 24, 2007 |
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The Shamrox traveled to Philadelphia to battle the
Wings for the front end of a back-to-back weekend
that could have vaulted them back into playoff
contention. The Shamrox jumped out to an 11-6 lead
late in the third quarter behind three goals from
Philly native Bill McGlone. After a big fight
between Wings forward Geoff Snider and Shamrox
defenseman Drew Candy, the Wings grabbed the
momentum and ripped off six straight goals, the
game-winner coming from Kyle Fiat with just :40
remaining, to steal the win. |
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Chicago Shamrox 12 N.Y. Titans 8 |
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Sears Centre, Hoffman Estates, Ill. - March 25, 2007 |
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After flying back home from Philadelphia, the
Shamrox hosted the New York Titans for a Saturday
afternoon matinee at the Sears Centre. The two teams
played to a 6-6 tie at the half, and then Brandon
Miller dominated in net, stopping 20 of the 22 shots
that he saw in the second half. The Shamrox
continued their balanced offensive attack in the
second half, scoring six more goals to get the win
and end the 7-game losing streak. Kevin Leveille,
Tom Montour, Cam Woods and Bill McGlone each scored
two goals in the game. |
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Buffalo Bandits 15 Chicago Shamrox 10 |
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HSBC Arena, Buffalo, N.Y. - March 31, 2007 |
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Another back-to-back weekend approached as the
Shamrox looked to cling to their playoff chances.
They got off to a slow start in Buffalo versus the
Bandits, digging themselves into a 15-10 hole at
halftime. The never-say-die attitude of the Shamrox
emerged from the locker room at the start of the
second half as they roared back to cut the lead to
12-10 mid-way through the fourth quarter behind two
goals each from rookies Bill McGlone and Josh
Wasson-McQuigge. The Shamrox couldn’t hang on, as
the legendary John Tavares, rookie Brett Bucktooth
and All-Star Game MVP Mark Steenhuis scored late in
the game to put the game out of reach and secure a
15-10 Bandits win. |
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Edmonton Rush 8 Chicago Shamrox 6 |
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Sears Centre, Hoffman Estates, Ill. - April 1, 2007 |
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After returning home early Sunday morning, the
Shamrox faced-off against the Edmonton Rush for a
Sunday matinee at the Sears Centre needing a victory
to stay in the playoff race. Following the same
script as the previous night in Buffalo, the Shamrox
started slow, taking an 8-2 deficit into the fourth
quarter. Darryl Gibson scored twice and Bill McGlone
and Mat Giles each scored once to cut the Rush lead
to 8-6, but that was as close as the Shamrox could
get, as Rush goaltender Curtis Palidwor stopped 43
of the 48 shots that he faced to get the win. |
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Chicago Shamrox 15 Toronto Rock 13 |
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Sears Centre, Hoffman Estates, Ill. - April 7, 2007 |
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Photo by Grabowskiphoto.com |
After being eliminated from playoff contention
the previous week, the Shamrox looked to play
spoiler the final two home games of the year. First
on the list was the Toronto Rock, who beat the
Shamrox on a disputed goal earlier in the season in
Toronto. A back-and-forth first half gave way to a
Shamrox offensive explosion in the third quarter, as
the Shamrox erupted for eight goals in the period,
including two each from Mat Giles and Chris Panos.
Tom Montour scored two goals midway through the
fourth quarter to put the game out of reach and
spoil the Rock playoff party for at least another
week. |
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Chicago Shamrox 17 Philadelphia Wings 11 |
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Sears Centre, Hoffman Estates, Ill. - April 14, 2007 |
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Photo by Grabowskiphoto.com |
The Shamrox closed out their inaugural season
with “Fan Appreciation Night” in front of 7,096 fans
at the Sears Centre as they faced off against the
Philadelphia Wings. The Wings, after losing the
previous night, needed a win coupled with a New York
Titans win over the Rock, to make the playoffs. A
stellar first half by the Shamrox, including two
goals each from Cody Jacobs, Chris Panos, Josh
Wasson-McQuigge and Jason Clark stunned visiting
Wings and sent them into halftime down 12-7. At
halftime, the Wings learned that the Rock had lost,
so they needed to win to get in. That didn’t happen.
Jacobs scored two more goals, sandwiching a
power-play tally from Mat Giles, to balloon the
Shamrox lead to 15-7 mid-way through the third
quarter. The Shamrox then put it into cruise
control, the final goal of the game coming from Bill
McGlone on a highlight-reel goal from behind the
net, to close out the season in style, 17-11, over
the Wings. Brandon Miller was once again solid in
net stopping 47 of the 58 shots that he faced. |
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| How To Reach Us |
| We are always accessible to talk to
our fans. Below is a directory of Shamrox owners,
executives, addresses, etc. Feel free to contact any
one of us if you have questions, comments or
concerns. |
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Chicago Shamrox | 5401 Trillium
Blvd. | Suite 320 | Hoffman Estates, IL 60192 |
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1-877-SHAMROX |
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