Di Miller, NLL Correspondent Vancouver Warriors
Lacrosse is Awesome
It was the first game with their newly revamped team; new franchise name and logo. The former Vancouver Stealth, now the Vancouver Warriors headed to the Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary to face their Western Division Rivals the Calgary Roughnecks. On opening night, the house was packed with 10,804 Riggers fans and both teams would give the fans a bang for their buck. However, the Warriors would be the first and last to score in this OT contest. Final Score: Vancouver 14—Calgary 13.
Vancouver would be the first to hit the net on the power play with Keegan Bal (2G, 2A) opening up the scoring at 2:35. Dane Dobbie (5G, 4A) who most definitely deserved the Player of the Game would end up with his first of five goals on the night to tie the game. The Warriors would answer back only to have the Roughnecks strike again to tie the game at two apiece. Before the end of the quarter, Vancouver would hit net back-to-back with Calgary closing out the frame with two of their own. One of the goals came off a penalty shot with Dobbie faking left-right-left hitting top corner on Aaron Bold. Score at the end of one: Warriors 4—Roughnecks 4.
The Warriors started off the second with a shot from Tony Malcolm (1G, 2A) at 2:31; only to see Rhys Duch in his debut with Calgary after having signed a one-year agreement on November 29, hit net on the power play off an Illegal Substitution penalty on Vancouver tying the game again. Vancouver would go ahead the final time in the frame on a short-handed goal from Zack Porter (1G, 1A) with only 16 seconds left on an Illegal Cross Checking penalty. Calgary would dominate the remaining seven minutes with Dobbie hitting back-to-back rips; Dan Taylor (1G, 4A) with his first goal in a Roughnecks jersey; and Tyler Pace (2G, 4A) who would close it out. Score at the end of the first half: Roughnecks 9—Warriors 6.
Returning from the break, the Warriors who were hit with five penalties totaling ten minutes and three power play goals against settled down heading into the third. They kept their composure and would start off the scoring with a laser from Joel McCready (1G, 2A) bringing them to within two. The fans would see over eight minutes of scoreless lacrosse until Calgary would answer back with Chris Boushy (1G, 1A) on the EA notching the first goal of his NLL career; followed by Riley Loewen (1G, 1A). Sandwiched in between the Loewen goal and the final Calgary point, James Rahe would score getting back the one that got away. Score at the end of three: Calgary 12—Vancouver 8.
Things went awry for Calgary in the fourth. Mitch Wilde would open up the final frame with a quick shot only 28 seconds in giving them a five goal lead. But that would be it for Calgary in the frame and in the game as Vancouver would hit the net with five unanswered goals to tie the game again. Bal would hit his second power play goal followed by Logan Schuss (3G, 6A) with two and Owen Barker with Schuss getting the assist to tie the game with 22 seconds on the ticker. Score at the end of the fourth: Vancouver 13—Calgary 13.
With the game heading into overtime, both teams took advantage of each opportunity, but Vancouver would be successful in the end with Matt Beers hitting the net at the 4:07 mark to win the game and give the Warriors their first victory of their new franchise and the 2018-2019 season.
Next up:
On December 21, 2018 the Roughnecks head up to Vancouver to face the Warriors in the hopes to avenge the loss. Game time 10:00 p.m. EST.
Di Miller, NLL Correspondent Vancouver Warriors
Lacrosse is Awesome