Marcelo A. Sagüez, Correspondent Calgary Roughnecks
Lacrosse is Awesome©
Featured Image Photo Credit: Candice Ward
With the biggest crowd on hand in the NLL this weekend, a meager 19,289 Calgary fans which included a few busloads of Rush fans, it was ‘Fan Appreciation Night’. The Roughnecks (10-8) did not disappoint the loudest fans in the league (my ears are still ringing), taking the best of three series 2-1 in regular season play.
“I looked up top and they had the upper bowl opened up so I was like, ‘Wow,’” said Coach Curt Malawsky said of the team’s first ever regular season sellout.
The small, dedicated and loud Saskatchewan fans made the trip to the watch this competition, only to be disappointed by Calgary with the decisive win over the #1 Seed in the West, the Saskatchewan Rush (10-7) by the score of 18-8.
“I thought all facets of our game was going really well tonight from the goaltending out,” Malawsky said. “I thought we had a lot of great efforts, but the biggest thing was collectively as a group we were pretty tight. It was a good overall game for us.”
Christian Del Bianco stood firm and focused stopping 37-45 Saskatchewan scoring attempts. The Roughnecks Foundation partnered with Ascent Consulting Ltd., and announced a donation of $14,180 to KidSport through Del Bianco’s Assists for Kids program.
As part of the program, both Del Bianco and the Calgary Roughnecks Foundation each contributed $30 for every regular season assist recorded by the Calgary goaltender, while Ascent Consulting Ltd. who initially pledged $500 doubled their contribution to $1,000 per assist. The 21-year-old (drafted in the second round, 15th overall in the 2015 entry draft) finished the 2018-19 National Lacrosse League campaign with 12 assists.
Jumping out to quick start in a game that did not disappoint the Roughnecks fans, the first quarter had Calgary with a commanding lead 8-3. The Roughnecks poured it on finishing the first half with six more in the second to take a respectable lead of 14-5 into the locker-room.
A slower more cautious pace ensued in the second half. In the third quarter the Roughnecks out-scored Saskatchewan 3-1. Neither team was able to score on the man up situation and as tempers flared it led to dropping the gloves late in the fourth between Calgary’s Chad Cummings (five minute fighting major and two minute slashing; and Saskatchewan’s Nik Bilic (five minute fighting major, two minute slashing and second major in game misconduct) at 13:58 in regulation time. Final Score: Calgary 18—Saskatchewan 8.
Returning to the starting Saskatchewan line up, (35) Evan Kirk played 17:52 before being replaced by (31) Adam Shute, a local Calgary boy making 21 saves on 29 Calgary shots.
Calgary now heads into a bye week allowing for preparations to possibly host a play-off game. Some assistance will be needed, should the Rush lose against the Mammoth in their final game, Calgary could move into second place and would host a play-off game against the #3 seed.
“We’ve been fortunate in having a pretty healthy group here,” said MacRae. “I think it’ll be good for us to rest up those bumps and bruises a little bit. We’re just going to watch some film and really get prepared. We’ve got to take advantage of the time off. We’re going to be in town, so coach will put us through the wringer pretty well and get the lungs going, but we’re hoping we’re going to keep this rolling into the playoffs.”
Calgary Game Stats:
Jesse king (2g, 4a); Dan Taylor (3g); Rhys Duch (3a); Christian Del Bianco (3a); Tyler Pace (4g, 2a); Riley Loewen (1g, 3a); Dane Dobbie (4g, 4a); and Curtis Dickson (1g, 6a).
NEXT UP:
Calgary (10-8) returns in their first play-off game the weekend of May 2.
Saskatchewan (10-7) will host the Colorado Mammoth (6-11) for their final game of the regular season on Saturday April 27, game time 8:00 p.m. EST.
Marcelo A. Sagüez, Correspondent Calgary Roughnecks
Lacrosse is Awesome©