Di Miller, Correspondent New York Riptide
Lacrosse is Awesome©
Featured Image Photo Credit: Vancouver Warriors
In a contest of the third week of NLL action, the New York Riptide (0-2) headed west to face the Vancouver Warriors (1-1) at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, BC. It was Super Hero Night and the 5,120 Warrior fans got the treat of their lives seeing not only some superb scoring action; but their team come away with the victory; and some milestones reached as well. Vancouver handed out Matt Beers Bobble-head dolls to the fans in attendance which was appropriate given he scored his 100th career NLL point in tonight’s contest. It was also a solemn night as Warriors Head Coach Chris Gill lost his father Sohen Gill recently and so the victory meant even more to his family and the entire lacrosse family world-wide. Final Score: Vancouver 14—New York 10.
Aaron Bold got the start in net for Vancouver; but they would be without Nic Bilic who suffered a serious lower body injury in game one and is out indefinitely; also out of the line-up was Chris O’Dougherty. Tyson Roe would get his first career start for the Warriors along with Patrick O’Meara.
The Riptide were without first round draft pick Tyson Gibson noted as a “healthy scratch”; and Andrew Suitor who was home with his wife awaiting the birth of their new baby. Alex Woodall rookie out of Towson was taking the face-offs for New York and was outstanding winning 16 of 28.
The first quarter started out with Vancouver getting on the board with a beautiful flip toss by Keegan Bal (2g, 6a) at the 1:23 mark past Alex Buque top corner to get the game going and them on the board. Kieran McArdle (1g) would get his first goal in a Riptide jersey when he found an opening and wrapped it around the defender making a nice side arm shot at 5:45 to tie it up at one apiece. It took the Warriors less than a minute to get that one back. Jordan McBride (4g) would get his first of four on top of the crease he slipped under his defender faked far side came in short side to tip toe the crease and dunked it in 2-1 Vancouver at the 6:34 mark. Only 24 seconds later Derek Lloyd would get hit with a two minute cross-checking giving the Riptide their first man-up opportunity of the game. Connor Kelly (2g, 4a) would capitalize 10 seconds in through the five-hole with a laser shot and the first ever power-play goal for New York tying the game once more. Kelly would find the back of the net again giving the Riptide their first lead of the game and their first lead as a franchise with a pure outside quick release shot finding an opening on the far side 3-2 New York with 3:46 in the frame. It took a little over two minutes for Vancouver to notch the equalizer. With a quick pass from Logan Schuss and a quick shot by McBride off the shoulder of Buque and into the back of the net far side the game was tied at three apiece with 1:05 left in the first. There was a lot of ball movement for the next 45 seconds and with 16 seconds left, Dan Lomas would head to the sin bin for New York on a two minute boarding call. Shots on goal: New York 13—Vancouver 12. Score at the end of one: New York 3—Vancouver 3.
Vancouver would start out the second, this time with one from Logan Schuss (2g, 2a) on the two man game with a transition goal, he game across the crease and hit five-hole on Buque 1:42 into the frame to break the tie. At the 5:25 mark Beers (Vancouver) dropped a shoulder into Cody Radziewicz (New York) and teammate Ryan Fournier would get into the scrum along with Mitch Jones. Fournier would end up with the worst of it getting hit with a five-minute boarding; and Jones a two-minute boarding call. Each squad went on a four-on-four for two minutes. Schuss would score again, this time he’d hit a bomb top corner ripping it from the outside off the dish from Bal only 12 seconds in giving the Warriors a two goal lead. Still on the four-on-four, Travis Longboat (2g, 2a) rookie for New York would score his first career NLL goal at the 6:07 mark when Bold fumbled the loosie and Longboat would scoop it from behind the cage to dunk it in and close the gap 5-4. But it only took 11 seconds for yet another milestone as Matt Beers (1g, 3a) in a two-on-one breakaway would score his 100th career goal in 147 games 6-4 Warriors. Immediately upon the release of the power-play for New York and Jones out of the box, he’d put one in the back of the net far side high for Vancouver 7-4 with 7:36 left and the Riptide scratching their heads. With Fournier still in the box, Tyler Digby (2g, 2a) would score the short-handed marker with 5:37 on the clock reaching past his defender top side closing the gap to two once again. And just like that, Bal would score again with a laser far side 8-5 Warriors. With 2:49 remaining in the half, Gale Thorpe rookie for the Riptide would be another to score his first career NLL goal with a swift scoop from behind the net; he wrapped it in from behind the crease. Shots on Goal: New York 13—Vancouver 9. Score at the end of two: Vancouver 8—New York 6.
Scoring slowed in the third, with both teams combining for a total of four goals. It would be Vancouver getting on the board first with another from McBride (hat-trick) at the 57 second mark with a hard bouncer to beat Buque. Riley Loewen would set up the screen tying up two defenders for Jones who hit far side at 2:03 and was now two away from 300 career points 10-6 Vancouver. At both ends of the floor, the goal tenders would hold off shots from each side and it would take over eight minutes before New York would get their next goal. Jean Luc-Chetner in his first game as a Riptide on the man-up would sting one top shelf past Bold with 4:52 left in the third and the lone goal for New York. Buque stopped some laser shots but with 19.8 seconds left Beers would dish to McBride for a goal in transition on the door step short side giving them their largest lead on the night. Shots on Goal: Vancouver 11—New York 10. Score at the end of three: Vancouver 11—New York 7.
The fourth would equal out with both sides scoring three goals apiece. But again, Vancouver would start it off. This time Beers would dish to Loewen (1g, 4a) on the breakaway firing it far side for his first goal as a Warrior only 31 seconds in for the five goal lead. The next two would come from New York but only after six minutes had passed. Dan Lomas with the quick stick near side with a nice feed across the zone from Digby at the 7:22 mark; and the second off the pass from Lomas to Digby cutting through the middle of the zone firing it past Bold to cut the lead to three 12-9 with 4:30 left in the game and enough time for the comeback. For the next four minutes the teams would exchange goals. Vancouver’s Jones would stay on the crease and float through the air putting it in short side with 3:33 left; New York’s Longboat would rip a low side arm shot on the outside 20 seconds later 13-10. Then with 2:44 left Jones would hit what Warriors fans thought was his 300th career point. But the men in black and white didn’t call it a goal and the Riptide picked up the ball and headed down the field hitting the back of the Vancouver net. A challenge flag was thrown. They reviewed the Jones goal which was a beauty, off the breakaway over the shoulder of Buque. After review, the Warriors goal stood giving Jones his 300th career goal and 9th point on the night surpassing Robert Church’s record setting night in week one against Colorado. The Riptide goal was taken off the board basically changing the outcome of the game. At the 22.3 second mark Vancouver would be called for an illegal substitution penalty giving the Riptide a penalty shot. Tyler Digby would get the call but couldn’t capitalize. The Warriors were able to control the last seconds and the game. Final Score: Vancouver 14—New York 10.
In this game, New York played much better lacrosse although the penalties played a big part in both of their two contests with 11 penalty minutes against Vancouver; and 13 against Halifax. Buque did much better in the contest not allowing the Warriors to jump out to a huge lead in the first; was able to make quality saves when needed; however he faced less shots on goal then he did in Halifax. Making the change at the face-off dot with Alex Woodall stepping in was a huge key to a better outcome in this game with Woodall going 16-28 versus Ryan Fournier going 2-14 against Halifax in Game One. It’s obvious that the Riptide have a ways to go but they are starting to click on more cylinders that in Week One.
Game Milestones:
Connor Kelly—1st Riptide Power-Play Goal
Connor Kelly—1st Riptide Lead in a Game
Travis Longboat New York—1st Career NLL Goal
Matt Beers Vancouver—100th Career NLL Point
Gale Thorpe New York —1st Career NLL Goal
Mitch Jones Vancouver—300th Career NLL Point & 9 Point Game
GAME STATS:
New York: 51 SOG; 20 SOFF; 74 LB; 16-28 FO; 3-5 PP; 11 PIM
Vancouver: 46 SOF; 23 SOFF; 68 LB; 12-28 FO; 3-3 PP; 14 PIM
NEXT UP:
The New York Riptide (0-2) have a Bye week and will head to New England on Friday December 27 to face the New England Black Wolves (2-0), game time 7:30 p.m. EST.
The Vancouver Warriors (1-1) also have a Bye Week and will host the San Diego Seals (0-2) on Sunday December 29, game time 4:00 p.m. EST.
Di Miller, Correspondent New York Riptide
Lacrosse is Awesome©