Roughnecks beat Stealth in NLL season opener

EVERETT — There seemed to be an underlying theme among Washington Stealth players and coaches after their season-opening 13-10 loss to the Calgary Roughnecks on Saturday night.

The team’s transition defense has to get better if they are going to succeed in the National Lacrosse League this year.

“Definitely transition,” Stealth forward Rhys Dutch said. “Our five-on-five defense was awesome. I think we would have beat them by five or six if we didn’t give up transition goals. So we are going to have to work on getting back.

The Stealth’s transition struggles made it difficult on goalkeeper Tyler Richards, who saved 42 of the 55 shots he faced in the game, but many of the 13 goals he gave up came in transition in breakaway situations.

“It’s kind of a crapshoot for a goalie,” Richards said. “Do you bite on the first one or do you wait for the fake? It’s more frustrating on the aspect that our defense was playing so great for us and to not be able to bail them out a few times, I kind of felt like I let the guys down. I guess next practice … I’ll see some more breakaways.”

The Stealth held a 5-4 lead at halftime after a defensive first half, but three quick goals by the Roughnecks to open the third quarter changed the course of the game. Jeff Shattler opened the second half scoring one minute and three seconds into the quarter with a breakaway goal. Curtis Manning followed that up with a breakaway goal of his own just over a minute later and for good measure, Geoff Snider added another goal just five seconds after that.

For Calgary, a one-goal deficit had turned into a two goal advantage. There was no question in assistant coach Art Webster’s mind that those three goals were the turning point.

“Oh totally,” Webster said. “And then it’s a chase for us right? In the first half we weren’t allowing any of that. So, you know, we need to clean that up. You could see that they were already up to game speed, so we have some things we need to iron out, but we are going to prepare for that going into Philadelphia next week.”

Calgary opened the season last Sunday with a 12-9 victory over the defending NLL champion Toronto Rock. That means that the Stealth now trail Western Division-leading Calgary by a 11/2 games because they have played only one game themselves.

The loss to a division rival was not the way the Stealth wanted to start the season.

“They are in our conference so it’s not like it’s a one-loss game,” Duch said. “You know, it’s a four point game if you are looking at two points a win. So, now we’re one game behind them and we’ve got to win them both, we’ve got to win there and then back at home again just to finish ahead of them in the standings if there is a tie.”

Duch did his part, scoring four of the Stealth’s 10 goals. Three of the goals came in the first 15:39 of the game, but the Roughnecks held him to just one goal the rest of the way.

“I think it was just the flow of the game,” Duch said. “I was getting the chances and putting them away and then they put focus on me a little bit. And that’s the good part about our offense … when they start putting the focus on me, then we spread the ball around a bit.”

Dane Dobbie had three goals and Jeff Shattler, Scott Ranger, Curtis Dickson and Curtis Manning all had two goals apiece to lead Calgary.

Webster said he knew the game would play out in a competitive fashion.

“We knew right from the start of the game,” Webster said. “As soon as the schedule came out we knew this was going to be a battle and it was.”

Roughnecks 13, Stealth 10

Calgary3118 — 13

Washington3214 — 10

1st Quarter—Scoring: CGY–Shattler Goal (PP) 1:18. WAS–Duch Goal 3:18. WAS–Sedgwick Goal (Rabil, Duch) 8:01. CGY–Dobbie Goal (Evans, Van Beek) 8:01. CGY–Shattler Goal (Snider, Dickson) 8:45. WAS–Duch Goal (PP) (Ratcliff, Rabil) 11:36. Penalties: Rabil, WAS (Interference on Goalie, Minor, 2 min) 0:29. Zywicki, WAS (Illegal Cross Checking, Minor, 2 min) 3:18. Manning, CGY (Illegal Cross Checking, Minor, 2 min) 3:18. Evans, CGY (Roughing, Minor, 2 min) 10:49. Snider, CGY (Roughing, Minor, 2 min) 11:53. Sorensen, WAS (Roughing, Minor, 2 min) 11:53.

2nd Quarter—Scoring: WAS–Duch Goal (Ratcliff) 0:39. CGY–Manning Goal 5:15. WAS–Zywicki Goal (Duch) 13:15. Penalties: Grimes, WAS (Slashing, Minor, 2 min) 2:03. Shattler, CGY (Holding, Minor, 2 min) 13:51.

3rd Quarter—Scoring: CGY–Manning Goal (Poulin) 1:03. WAS–Ratcliff Goal (SH) (Grimes, Sorensen) 6:07. Penalties: Heavenor, CGY (Too Many Men, Minor, 2 min) 3:41. McElroy, WAS (Slashing, Minor, 2 min) 5:42.

4th Quarter—Scoring: CGY–Dobbie Goal (Poulin) 11:05. CGY–Dickson Goal 11:07. CGY–Dobbie Goal (Conway, Snider) 11:07. CGY–Ranger Goal (Manning) 11:15. WAS–Grimes Goal (Sorensen) 11:20. CGY–Dickson Goal (Manning) 11:21. CGY–Ranger Goal 12:10. CGY–McBride Goal (Poulin) 12:15. WAS–Duch Goal (Moleski, Beers) 14:18. CGY–Snider Goal (Manning) 14:20. WAS–Rabil Goal (Duch) 14:28. WAS–Smith Goal (Grimes, Sorensen) 14:30. Penalties: Richards, WAS (Unsportsmanlike Conduct, Minor, 2 min) 8:58. Dobbie, CGY (Slashing, Minor, 2 min) 14:18. Sedgwick, WAS (Fighting, Major, 5 min) 14:18. Dobbie, CGY (Fighting, Major, 5 min) 14:18. Sedgwick, WAS (Slashing, Minor, 2 min) 14:18.

Aaron Lommers covers the Washington Stealth for The Herald. Read his live blogs at www.heraldnet.com/blog 34, follow him on twitter @aaronlommers and contact him at alommers@heraldnet.com.