Marcelo A. Sagüez, Beat Writer Calgary Roughnecks
Lacrosse is Awesome
The Calgary Roughnecks (4-5) hosted the Vancouver Stealth (1-9) in front of 8,874 fans at the Scotiabank Saddledome on Friday, February 16. Goaltender Christian Del Bianco for Calgary has led a bit of a charge of late, helping Calgary keep pace with the second place Colorado Mammoth. Vancouver currently sits in last place of the West Division with the worst record in the league and has not had much going for them as the halfway point of the season nears. Calgary took advantage of the home energy, and quickly put the game out of reach, winning big in the end. Final Score: Vancouver-12, Calgary-20.
The game took to a very slow start. For just over nine and a half minutes, neither team could find the net. It took a power play opportunity for the first goal to be scored and it came from Corey Small (4G) on a bounce shot from outside, giving Vancouver a lead on the road. Just over a minute later, Andrew Suitor (1G, 1A) scored from in close to extend the lead. The goal was challenged but stood after review. On the next Calgary possession, Calgary finally put something together. Curtis Dickson (4G, 3A) scored shooting around a screen, and 42 seconds later scored again as the Vancouver defense left him alone in front of the net. A game that started with 9:33 of scoreless lacrosse, now had four goals scored in just over two minutes. It didn’t stop there either. Wesley Berg (3G, 4A) gave Calgary their first lead of the game on a surprise behind the back shot with 2:04 remaining. Del Bianco made a save on the next Vancouver possession, and for the second game in a row launched a perfect outlet pass. Zach Currier (1G, 1A) was on the receiving end to score his lone goal of the game. The four-goal run gave Calgary a 4-2 lead with 1:32 remaining. Tony Malcolm (3G, 1A) got one back for Vancouver with 43 seconds left, but Berg answered with only 13 seconds left on the clock. At the end of the first quarter, Calgary led Vancouver 5-3
The second quarter started much quicker than the first. Vancouver successfully lasted out an early penalty, but Calgary scored soon after as Dickson completed his hat trick on an odd man break. Under a minute later, Holden Cattoni (5G, 6A) streaked off the bench, catching a quick pass to score. The Roughneck’s defense was determined in clogging the passing lanes of Vancouver and disrupting all possibilities of developing plays. Mitch Wilde (1G) made it four consecutive goals for Calgary, and under a minute later Cattoni scored off the bench again. Five minutes into the second quarter Calgary found themselves up 9-3. Cattoni made it a hat trick in the quarter, scoring with 6:34 remaining. That goal chased Eric Penney from the net and brought in Brodie MacDonald. 41 seconds later, Chad Cummings (1G) scored an unassisted goal and just 21 seconds after that Tyler Pace (3G, 2A) extended the lead even further. With 3:47 remaining, Ryan Martel (1G, 2A) made it nine straight Calgary goals going back to the first quarter. Vancouver finally was able to break the Calgary defense and Brandon Goodwin (1G) scored the last goal of the quarter with 2:42 left. At halftime, Calgary was leading Vancouver 13-4.
Cattoni scored his fourth of the night 1:27 into the third, extending the Calgary lead to 10, but the rest of the quarter belonged to the Stealth. Halftime clearly changed their offensive and defensive tone. They would hold Calgary scoreless for the remainder of the third but would only find the net three times. Small got it going 4:27 in. Just over four minutes later, Brandon Clelland (2G) scored, and with 2:30 remaining Malcolm scored his second of the game. At the end of the third quarter, Calgary led Vancouver 14-7.
Vancouver kept it going early in the fourth. Malcolm scored while man down just 41 seconds in, but Calgary would find their shots. Dickson scored 48 seconds later and just under two minutes later Berg got the lead back to eight. Vancouver would not give up. Rhys Duch (1G, 7A) scored 23 seconds later and Clelland got the deficit back down to six with 8:58 left on the clock. Del Bianco made a save on the next possession and again found a teammate streaking down the floor. Pace scored his second of the night on the outlet pass, and 46 seconds later Cattoni scored again. This time Vancouver wouldn’t recover. Pace scored again under 30 seconds later. MacDonald was called out of the net and replaced by the starter Penney for the remainder of the game. It didn’t help. Riley Loewen made it a four-goal run and extended the lead to ten. Vancouver scored twice in the last four minutes; both goals came from Small. Final Score: Vancouver-12, Calgary-20.