By: Marcelo A. Sagüez, NLL Correspondent
Lacrosse is Awesome
On Saturday April 23, the Vancouver Stealth (5-11) hosted the Saskatchewan Rush (12-5) at the Langley Events Centre in front of 4,409 fans. The Stealth had just come off a spectacular win against their Western Division rivals the Calgary Roughnecks on April 16 and wanted another one in the “W” column. They did just that defeating the red hot Rush. Final Score: Vancouver 14—Saskatchewan 12.
Vancouver came running off the starting blocks to open the scoring at 1:47 on a transition goal from Chris O’Dougherty (#4), his first of the year with a flip pass from Tyler Richards (#00). This would start a three goal run with Joel McCready (#55) next to score on a pass from Rhys Duch (#10) and the Stealth would lead 2-0. Logan Schuss (#18) put in a low shot to beat Saskatchewan’s Aaron Bold (#77) giving the Stealth a three goal lead. The Rush wouldn’t hit net until 14:30 had ticked off the clock with Ben McIntosh (#90) scoring on by a quick-stick pass from Mark Matthews (#42) cutting the Stealth lead to two. The Stealth would go with the extra attacker, and with only two seconds on the clock Schuss marked his second of the quarter on a sluggish Bold. Richards looked so relaxed and patient in net for the Stealth as if he knew where the ball was going to be. The score at the end of the first would find the Stealth with the lead 4-1.
Garrett Billings (#13) would open up the second scoring on the power play at 2:21; followed by McCready putting in the through the five hole to increase the Stealth’s lead. But Kyle Rubisch (#4) only 13 seconds later went to the net beating Richards for the second Rush goal of the game. At 4:27 McCready placed a long range shot over the shoulder of Bold. More than five minutes would tick off the clock before the ball would hit between the pipes and it would come on a Rush power-play with Matthews putting another one on the board to make it 7-3. With time winding down in the first half, at the 3:40 mark Robert Church (#17) would score on a two man advantage. The Stealth would again go with an extra attacker and it paid off for the second time when Duch scored with half a second on the clock. Going into the half the Stealth were on a mission leading 8-4.
The defending champions started the third with back-to-back goals from Church (2:15) and Matthews (5:03) cutting into the Stealth’s lead making it 8-6. Saskatchewan could only keep Vancouver off the board for less than three minutes when Schuss hit net Stealth starting yet another three goal run. With the third coming to an end, Corey Small (#15) received a pass on transition to increase the Stealth lead; and Schuss would score (hat-trick) on a bouncer. For the third time in the game the Stealth again capitalized with the extra attacker. With time running out in the third Chris Corbeil (#16) snatched a loose ball and scored (unassisted) on a breakaway. The Stealth were holding the lead 11-7 going into the fourth.
This being lacrosse, the tables can turn very quickly and just as in the third, the pair of Church (0:31) and Matthews hat-trick (4:54) would score back-to-back goals for Saskatchewan putting them to within two. Trading goal for goal Matthews and Duch scored within twenty seconds of each other. Small would net another at 6:10 to give Vancouver a 13-10 lead. Adding to the scoring for the Rush, Curtis Knight (#9) would close the gap at 7:48 bringing them to within two. This time it would be the Rush going with the extra attacker and Matthews would add one more for the Rush to bring them to within one with less than two minutes on the clock. But Vancouver wasn’t going to give this one away and McCready put the nail in the coffin at 13:33 for the final goal of the game. Final score: Vancouver 14—Saskatchewan 12.
With the win, the Stealth remain in the play-off race and head to Denver to face the Colorado Mammoth (11-6) on Friday April 29; and then onto Georgia to take on the Swarm (7-10) on Saturday April 30. The Rush (12-5) will play their final regular season game on the road when they head to Rochester to face the Knighthawks (5-12).
Marcelo A. Sagüez, NLL Correspondent
Lacrosse is Awesome