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JAX' JACOBS MAKES HISTORY

18-year-old forward is youngest to ever play for title

05/13/2008

When Peter Jacobs steps on the turf at HSBC Arena on Saturday, he'll be exactly 18 years, five months and 16 days old.

Jacobs was born on November 1, 1989, which makes him the youngest player in the National Lacrosse League this season, and the youngest player to ever compete in the Edge Championship Game.

The 18-year-old left-hander renounced his collegiate eligibility to go pro, and was drafted in the second round (24th overall) by Portland. Because of his age, Jacobs was overlooked by many GMs, and was one of the few significant impact rookies to be drafted outside of the first round.

"I think only us and one other team really knew about him," said LumberJax head coach Derek Keenan. "We feel really fortunate to get him. He's mature beyond his years both mentally and physically. It's hard to believe he's 18 when you watch him play."

The Akwesasne native relocated to Portland for NLL season, and it didn't take long for him to prove himself, as he impressed both coaches and teammates in training camp.

"When he came into camp he played awesome," said Jax forward Dan Dawson. "Right away he was doing moves a lot of guys wouldn't be confident doing. He's very confident in his ability and poised under pressure."

Jacobs scored one goal and two assists in his debut, a 14-11 home loss to New York, and was a consistent contributor. He chipped in with multiple-point performances more often than not, earning a spot in the lineup for the final six games of the regular season.

"He's a very quiet individual and he's extremely mature for his age," said Dawson. "Minus maybe his eating habits. He loves McDonalds and Burger King."

Portland is 7-6 with Jacobs in the lineup and just 1-4 with him out.

"We're not surprised at all that he's done this well," added Keenan. "He has a ton of natural ability. He doesn't seem to get overwhelmed or rattled in any circumstances."

Despite his consistency, Jacobs was held to a single goal or less in his first 10 starts. That changed on April 26th, when Jacobs exploded for four goals in the Jax regular-season finale, a 14-10 loss at Buffalo.

"I knew I had a lot of family in the crowd that game," said Jacobs. "I felt good. I just went out and tried to play my hardest to show the team that I'm able to do what needs to be done."

If Portland wins on Saturday, Jacobs may not yet be old enough to sip champagne from the Champion's Cup, but he'll certainly earn the right to raise it over his head.

ESPN2 will air the Edge 2008 NLL Championship Game on Tuesday, May 20th at 2 PM ET. The game will air LIVE on ESPN360, The Score Television Network, Eurosport2 and online at NLL.com. SIRIUS Satellite Radio will air the game live on channel 119.

--Scott Neiss/NLL.com

Note: Jacobs is noted in the league's official stats with (akw), abbreviated for Akwesasne, to differentiate him from Philadelphia Wings veteran defenseman Peter Jacobs.