Marcelo A. Sagüez, Beat Writer Calgary Roughnecks
Lacrosse is Awesome
The Calgary Roughnecks (1-1) traveled to Langley, BC, to take on the Vancouver Stealth (2-1) on Saturday January 14, 2017 after coming off of a disappointing home opener and needed to turn things around in game two. The Stealth returned home on a high after beating the Colorado Mammoth 15-9 on game two of their opening NLL weekend. Final Score: Roughnecks 14—Stealth 10.
The main issue with the Roughneck’s home opener was that they fell behind early in the contest and spent too much energy trying to get back into the game. The Roughnecks needed to bring their high energy game from the first faceoff, with the additions to the bench this week and it was just what they needed to get on back on track.
After serving a one game suspension for their participation in the altercation against the Saskatchewan Rush in preseason action, starting keeper (30) Frankie Scigliano; Co-Captain (11) Greg Harnett; (33) Jon Harnett; as well as (6) Garrett McIntosh on defense, would all return to the bench for the rematch.
Vancouver would open it up in the first with a goal off Corey Small. But Calgary would go on a three-goal run to put them ahead 3-1. The goals would go back and forth until the end of the first when the Riggers would close out the first fifteen minutes with a netter from Tyler Digby with only 21 seconds left in the first. The penalties were flying in the first as the game was heating up. Combined between the teams the fans would see 20 penalty minutes. Score at the end of one: Calgary 6—Vancouver 3.
The second would start out identical to the first with the Stealth scoring first, followed by another three goal run from the Roughnecks, including back-to-back goals from Curtis Dickson giving him the hat-trick and three of five on the night. Vancouver would be the ones to close out the first half with a goal coming off Durston with 5:12 left in the half. The teams settled down a bit on the aggression in second frame only racking up four penalty minutes, both for holding. Score at the half: Calgary 9—Vancouver 5.
The Roughnecks would come out with vengeance in the third, putting yet another three unanswered goals on the board. It would take the Stealth over 11 minutes to notch their only goal in the period coming off Bal at 11:04 (assist Durston). Dickson would again put it between the pipes with only 43 seconds remaining. Again in the third the penalties would stay at four minutes, this time illegal body checks. With three frames on the board, the Roughnecks would still lead 13-6.
The fourth quarter was off the charts in penalties. Tensions were obviously flaring between the two teams and the penalty minutes were over four times the number of minutes on the clock. Combined, there were 65 penalty minutes in the final quarter and obviously the penalty boxes were occupied for the entire 15. Vancouver would actually outscore the Roughnecks in the fourth 5-1, but it wasn’t enough as the Riggers would go on to win the game. Final Score: Roughnecks 14—Stealth 10.
Obviously the tempers between the two teams was through the roof, but to let a game get so out of hand that there were 93 penalty minutes versus 60 minutes of playing time is absurd. Virtually the entire game, each team was on the power-play or shorthanded.
These two teams will meet again on Roughnecks soil on February 18, 2017. We shall see if they’ve had enough time to calm the tempers and play a clean game of box lacrosse.
Marcelo A. Sagüez, Beat Writer Calgary Roughnecks
Lacrosse is Awesome