East beats West 30-26 in NLL All-Star Game

VERONA, N.Y. — The National Lacrosse League All-Star Game is typically a showcase for offensive players and a nightmare for goaltenders.

The 2011 edition was no exception.

On Sunday, the teams from the NLL’s East and West divisions combined for 162 shots on goal as the East r

allied for a 30-26 victory at the Turning Stone Casino Resort.

East forward Shawn Evans of the Rochester Knighthawks was named the game’s MVP. He finished with 12 points (four goals and eight assists).

Five members of the Everett-based Washington Stealth participated in the contest and each scored at least two points. Stealth forward Luke Wiles, making his first all-star appearance, led the West squad with 10 points (six goals and four assists).

“There are some awesome players out there,” TSN quoted Wiles as saying. “John Grant (of the Colorado Mammoth) had some unbelievable goals. He’s got an incredible stick. Casey Powell (of the Boston Blazers) does some amazing things with the stick out there. It’s just fun to play with those guys, to see the things to do, because it makes you better.”

The other Washington players in the game were transition player Paul Rabil (two goals, three assists), forwards Lewis Ratcliff (two goals, two assists) and Rhys Duch (one goal, three assists and a game-high 19 loose ball), and defender Mike Grimes (two assists). Grimes was the Stealth’s lone starter.

Stealth coach Chris Hall served as the coach of the West, his fourth NLL All-Star Game as a coach.

There was little hitting by the defense and just two penalties were called, both in the fourth quarter. The two teams combined for 14 goals in the first period alone, including a hat trick by Wiles. The contest stayed close the rest of the way, with the lead changing hands eight times over the final three periods.

Trailing 25-23 in the fourth quarter, the East scored seven of the game’s final eight goals to pull out the victory.

West 6 6 8 6 — 26

East 8 4 8 10 — 30

First quarter: 1, West, J. Shattler 1 (B. Mydske), 0:33. 2, East, C. Jamieson 1 (S. Evans (sh)), 1:57. 3, East, B. Bucktooth 1 2:05. 4, West, A. McBride 1 (S. Ranger), 3:19. 5, West, L. Ratcliff 1 (R. Benesch, J. Shattler), 3:39. 6, West, L. Wiles 1 4:16. 7, East, M. Steenhuis 1 (D. Dawson), 4:39. 8, East, K. Rubisch 1 (P. McCready, D. Dawson), 4:53. 9, East, J. Tavares 1 (C. Doyle, D. Dawson), 7:11. 10, West, L. Wiles 2 (R. Benesch, R. Duch), 7:26. 11, East, C. Jamieson 2 (S. Evans (sh), K. Rubisch), 7:46. 12, East, M. Steenhuis 2 8:39. 13, West, L. Wiles 3 (N. Patterson), 11:36. 14, East, J. Sanderson 1 (B. Bucktooth), 12:43. Penalties-No Penalties

Second quarter: 15, East, J. Tavares 2 (S. Evans (sh)), 0:16. 16, East, S. Evans (sh) 1 1:49. 17, West, C. Crawford 1 (A. McBride, N. Patterson), 2:21. 18, West, P. Rabil 1 5:20. 19, West, L. Ratcliff 2 (M. Grimes), 5:52. 20, West, L. Wiles 4 (R. Duch), 6:04. 21, West, S. Ranger 1 (P. Rabil), 6:15. 22, East, C. Powell 1 (J. Sanderson, C. Doyle), 6:31. 23, East, C. Doyle 1 (S. Evans (sh), J. Sanderson), 8:01. 24, West, L. Wiles 5 (L. Ratcliff), 12:19. Penalties-No Penalties

Third quarter: 25, West, P. Rabil 2 (C. Crawford), 0:33. 26, East, M. Steenhuis 3 (C. Powell), 1:30. 27, East, S. Evans (sh) 2 (K. Rubisch, S. Chapman), 1:38. 28, West, S. Ranger 2 (L. Ratcliff, P. Rabil), 3:44. 29, East, C. Jamieson 3 (G. Billings), 4:22. 30, East, D. Dawson 1 (P. McCready), 4:55. 31, West, J. Grant 1 (L. Wiles, C. Levis), 5:15. 32, West, A. Watt 1 (M. Grimes), 5:50. 33, East, C. Jamieson 4 (S. Evans (sh), D. Dawson), 8:29. 34, West, J. Grant 2 (S. Ranger), 10:06. 35, East, J. Sanderson 2 (S. Evans (sh), B. Bucktooth), 10:25. 36, West, S. Ranger 3 (C. Crawford), 11:09. 37, West, J. Grant 3 (B. Merrill, R. Duch), 11:56. 38, West, R. Benesch 1 (L. Wiles, C. Crawford), 13:09. 39, East, K. Rubisch 2 (C. Powell, S. Evans (sh)), 14:01. 40, East, S. Evans (sh) 3 (P. McCready), 14:18. Penalties-No Penalties

Fourth quarter: 41, West, J. Grant 4 (L. Wiles), 0:17. 42, East, S. Evans (sh) 4 (C. Doyle), 1:21. 43, East, B. Bucktooth 2 (J. Sanderson, D. Dawson), 1:47. 44, East, M. Steenhuis 4 (A. Cosmo), 2:28. 45, West, R. Duch 1 (P. Rabil, R. Benesch), 5:45. 46, West, C. Crawford 2 6:03. 47, West, R. Benesch 2 (L. Wiles, S. Ranger), 6:54. 48, West, J. Grant 5 (B. Merrill, C. Crawford), 7:27. 49, East, C. Doyle 2 (B. Bucktooth, C. White), 8:24. 50, East, M. Seibald 1 9:01. 51, East, G. Billings 1 (C. Jamieson), 10:29 (pp). 52, East, B. Bucktooth 3 (D. Dawson), 10:39. 53, East, J. Sanderson 3 (J. Tavares, C. Powell), 12:24. 54, East, M. Steenhuis 5 (D. Dawson), 13:27. 55, East, J. Sanderson 4 (D. Dawson, S. Evans (sh)), 13:51. 56, West, L. Wiles 6 (C. Levis), 14:43. Penalties-C. White East (cross checking), 3:01; served by S. Ranger West (illegal substitution), 9:32.

Shots on goal: West 15-23-24-19-81. East 19-19-23-20-81.

Power-play opportunities: West 0-of-1; East 1-of-1.

Faceoffs: West 34-of-60; East 26-of-60.

Goalies: West, Patterson 0-0-0 (38 shots, 26 saves); Levis 0-1-0 (43 shots, 25 saves). East, Miller 0-0-0 (38 shots, 26 saves); Cosmo 1-0-0 (43 shots, 29 saves).