Photo Credit Feature Image: Georgia Swarm
Marcelo A. Sagüez, Beat Writer Calgary Roughnecks
Lacrosse is Awesome
To be the best you must beat the best, and the Roughnecks got a much needed boost beating the number one team in the league, the Georgia Swarm. Final Score: Calgary 18—Georgia 11.
A rough welcoming for Mike Poulin as he returned for the first time since being traded to the Swarm after the 2016 season. Allowing four goals on nine Roughneck shots by the nine minute mark of the opening quarter set the Roughnecks games pace at the Scotia Bank Saddledome last night.
The Roughies altered game plan had the Swarm buzzing with confusion, spreading the ball around allowing other than relying on Dickson and Dobbie to put the ball in the net.
Poulin was pulled at the six minute mark of the first quarter, allowing a dominant Roughneck’s team to take control on both sides of the floor, swinging the ball and recovering loose balls allowing little in the way of passing and shooting lanes for the Swarm on the offense. With a 7-2 lead and a goalie change for the Swarm, putting in 6’8″ Brodie MacDonald (50) slightly slowed the Roughies as they would gain confidence and momentum with each line change. Shots 18-7 Roughies at the end of the first. Score: Roughnecks 7—Swarm 2.
MacDonald (50) stayed in the crease for the Swarm to start the second quarter with the Roughneck’s lead 10-3. Brodie wasn’t cutting it between the pipes, so with 6:39 remaining until the end of the half, the Swarm sent Poulin back between pipes to replace MacDonald. Tyler Digby (23) with an unexpected behind the back shot took the top stick side corner over Poulin increasing the Roughies lead to 11-3. Calgary was spreading the goal scoring duties, and Dobbie was having a record night. Shots at the second 30-16 with 4:46 left until half-time. Dobbie (44) would score a sick goal on a no look behind the back with 3:26 remaining. The fans were going wild as the game was going Calgary’s way. The first half belonged to the Roughnecks completely dominating this game as opposed to Friday’s nights contest in Colorado. Score at the end of the second: Calgary 13—Georgia 3.
Starting strong and starting the second half Calgary maintained the pressure. Although the Swarm were down by ten, being on top of the NLL league Georgia (7-2) manage to get a few past Frankie Scigliano (92) to put a scare into the fans and Roughneck bench. The Roughnecks were leading in shots 40-30 with 8:31 and up 13-7. Even so, the third quarter was being controlled by the Swarm; they came out after the halftime break with a motivated bench and punched in four goals only to be answered by Dickson’s man down and Dobbie’s even strength goal. The Swarm would outscore the Riggers 4-2 in the third, but were still behind at the end of three. Score: Riggers 15—Swarm 7.
The Swarm would match their tally in the third and put a scare into the Roughnecks scoring four goals in the last quarter. Stopping the Swarm momentum Dobbie (44) received a floor long pass from Scigliano (92) to complete the sock-trick (scoring six goals in one game). At the ten minute mark of the fourth quarter Bell would score an insurance goal, and to cap it all off Dane Dobbie scored with a just over a minute to play increasing his total to seven goals and the victory 18-11 in this game.
Curtis Dickson (3G, 4A)
Wesley Berg (2G, 4A)
Tyler Digby (2G, 3A)
Jeff Shattler (1g, 5a)
Holden Cattoni (1G, 3A)
Riley Loewen (1G, 2A)
Next up, Calgary (4-6) heads to Air Canada Centre on Saturday March 11 to face the Toronto Rock (5-4). Georgia (7-2) head north to the Mohegan Sun Arena to face the New England Black Wolves (4-6).
Marcelo Alfonso Sagüez, Beat Writer Calgary Roughnecks
Lacrosse is Awesome