The NLL Playoffs started Friday night as the #1 seed Vancouver Warriors hosted the #8 seed Halifax Thunderbirds at Rogers Arena. Just two weeks ago, these two teams battled in the same arena. Halifax escaped that regular season matchup with a one-goal victory, 8-7. With the top overall seed and the home crowd in a frenzy, the Warriors jumped out to a commanding lead in the first half. In fact, Christian Del Bianco (10GA, 61SV) and the Warriors’ defense allowed only one Halifax goal in the first half. During the shutout second quarter, Keegan Bal (3G, 3A) scored or assisted on all six of the Warriors’ goals on the way to a 7-1 halftime lead. The second half felt like a different universe. Warren Hill (7GA, 36SV) and the Thunderbirds’ defense flipped the script and shut out Vancouver for the entire second half. Jason Knox (4G, 2A) led a furious comeback that saw the game tied at the end of the third quarter. Jake Withers (1G, 2A) broke the tie in the fourth quarter, and Halifax’s unanswered run reached nine goals before the game ended. This is the second year in a row that the Halifax Thunderbirds have advanced to the NLL Semifinals. Final Score: Halifax Thunderbirds – 10, Vancouver Warriors – 7.
The Warriors found the first two goals of the NLL Playoffs, but they did not come quickly. Both teams battled to a stalemate through the first seven-plus minutes of action. Finally, with 7:32 on the clock, Marcus Klarich (2G) dove into the crease and scored low on Hill. Almost three minutes later, Jesse King (1G, 4A) scored in transition after a crisp pass from Shane Simpson (1A). Halifax finally found their first goal of the game in the final minute of the quarter. Knox scored his first of the game with 59 seconds left. His outside shot went over two defenders before slipping through Del Bianco’s legs. At the end of the first quarter, Vancouver led Halifax 2-1.
Photo Credit: Jaclyn McKee/NLL
Scoring was tough to come by at the start of the second quarter as well. Neither team could find an opening for more than six minutes. When the scoring started, it was all Vancouver. In the final nine minutes of the first half, the Warriors scored five goals and allowed nothing from Halifax. The defense also stood tall through two penalties. Curtis Dickson (1G, 1A) scored first on a low-to-low shot during a power-play opportunity, with the assist coming from Bal. Bal followed almost two minutes later with his first goal of the game. While the Warriors were man down, he picked up a loose ball in the zone and sniped the far top corner. With 5:18 remaining, Klarich shot around his defender from outside, and although the ball clipped Hill, it went in. Nine seconds later, Bal cut through the middle of the zone and caught the feed from King. Flying through the crease, he threw a few fakes before pushing the ball into the net. With 56 seconds left, Bal completed his hat trick in the second quarter. Assisted by King again, he ripped a shot from outside around a wonderful screen. At the half, Vancouver led Halifax 7-1.
Photo Credit: Jaclyn McKee/NLL
No one except the Halifax locker room knows exactly what was said at halftime, but whatever it was, someone should figure out how to bottle it. The third quarter started with tough defense from both sides. More than eight minutes of scoreless lacrosse passed before Halifax broke through. Twenty-four minutes and 13 seconds after their first goal of the game back in the first quarter, Cody Jamieson (1G, 2A) scored on a Halifax power play, and the tide completely shifted. The Thunderbirds scored five more goals in the third quarter, tying the game before the final frame. Knox scored his second of the game next, hitting the top shelf on the run, and under a minute later he scored again. Clarke Petterson (2G, 3A) scored on a power-play opportunity with 2:14 left. Knox scored his third of the quarter while Halifax was still man up, ripping an underhand shot from in close. With 25 seconds left, Mike Robinson (2G) tied the game. After a hard cut to the net, he gained a step on his defender and shot for the top far corner on the run. At the end of the third quarter, Halifax and Vancouver were tied 7-7.
After a few minutes of back-and-forth action, Halifax broke the tie. Withers scooped a loose ball and took off alone down the floor. His unassisted goal gave Halifax their first lead of the game, and they never looked back. Petterson increased the lead to two with 6:22 left, and Robinson added his second of the game 18 seconds later. The Thunderbirds outshot the Warriors 71-43 and held them scoreless in the second half on the way to their second consecutive NLL Semifinals appearance. Final Score: Halifax Thunderbirds – 10, Vancouver Warriors – 7.
