EVERETT — Playing last week without key players Paul Rabil and Eric Martin — absent because of U.S. national team duties — turned out to be good preparation for Washington in Friday’s contest against the visiting Minnesota Swarm.

The Stealth faced a healthy dose of adversity at home for the first time this season, but the strong play of league-leading scorer Jeff Zywicki, forward Rhys Duch and veteran goaltender Matt Roik helped Washington remain undefeated with a 12-9 win over Minnesota in National Lacrosse League action Friday night in front of 3,526 fans at Comcast Arena.

Martin, a key defender for the Stealth (6-0), was ejected before the start of the second half for fighting with Minnesota’s Ryan Cousins prior to the opening face-off.

Rabil, who hadn’t earned a point in the contest, but was effective in breaking down Minnesota’s physical defense, earned a two-minute holding penalty and a game misconduct for fighting and an illegal use of his stick on a Swarm opponent with 5 minutes, 5 seconds remaining in the third and the Stealth ahead 8-7.

“I guess last week (a 12-11 road win over Colorado) was a tune-up for playing without them (Rabil and Martin),” Zywicki said. “Guys were tired, but they battled (to keep the Stealth in the game).”

Zywicki had four goals and four assists to lead the Stealth attack. Duch added three goals and four assists and forward Lewis Ratcliff had six helpers.

“I think we started playing with a little desperation,” Duch said about the tight game. “In this league any team can come out and beat another, so when teams are playing desperate, you have to play desperate.”

Minnesota’s (1-4) Sean Pollock knotted the score at 8-8 with 4:03 remaining in the third quarter as part of a 7-minute Swarm power play following Rabil’s ejection, but the Stealth answered with a three-goal run for an 11-8 lead with 11:20 left in the fourth.

Washington’s penalty kill, which entered with a league-best .875 kill percentage, surrendered two power play goals. The tallies were the first given up by the penalty kill unit in two games.

“I think we did a great job of battling through,” Stealth head coach Chris Hall said. “We only had eight defenders back there (on the bench after the ejections).”

Stealth goaltender Matt Roik came up with several big saves to deny Minnesota any long scoring streaks.

Roik finished with 39 saves on 48 shots.

“Roik was just phenomenal all game and gave us a chance to win,” Zywicki said.

Callum Crawford, a fifth-year veteran and former Stealth forward, found the net three times in the first half. All three goals were of the game-tying variety.

Crawford, however, was held scoreless in the second half and finished with five points (three goals, two assists). Aaron Wilson added two goals for Minnesota.

The Stealth captured momentum late in the first quarter on Cam Sedgwick’s goal with 6.3 seconds remaining in the quarter. Sedgwick found space in front of Swarm goaltender Nick Patterson, took a pass and quickly bounced a shot through the Patterson’s legs for a 3-2 Stealth lead.

Patterson finished with 29 saves.

Stealth captain Jason Bloom appeared to have scored as the first quarter horn sounded, but Minnesota challenged the call and the referees declared time had expired and Bloom’s goal was erased following a video review.

Peter Morgan, a 6-foot-6 transition player for Washington, put the Stealth ahead 6-5 with 16.5 seconds remaining in the second quarter when he bounced a shot past the goaltender as his younger brother, Swarm defender Richard Morgan, served a 5-minute major penalty for high sticking. Morgan added Washington’s final goal, his fifth of the season, with 9:40 remaining in the game.

“We have such good depth, whenever a guy like Peter can get up there (in front of the goal), he’s a force,” Hall said.

The two teams tangle next Friday in Minnesota.

“They’re definitely going to be a little pissed off,” Zywicki said of facing the Swarm again next weekend. “But we’ll be ready for it.”

Stealth 12, Swarm 9

Minnesota2331—9

Washington3324—12

First Quarter — 1, Washington, J. Zywicki 14 (L. Ratcliff, C. Sedgwick), 0:47. 2, Washington, L. Wiles 10 (R. Duch, J. Dalgarno), 2:20. 3, Minnesota, A. Wilson 11 (T. Campeau, R. Morgan), 9:56. 4, Minnesota, C. Crawford 7 (T. Campeau, R. Benesch), 11:15. 5, Washington, C. Sedgwick 11 (R. Duch, L. Ratcliff), 14:54 (pp). Penalties — Z. Greer Min (roughing), 2:46; P. Rabil Was (roughing), 2:46; S. Pollock Min (roughing), 10:39; M. Grimes Was (roughing), 10:39; T. Campeau Min (cross checking), 12:59.

Second Quarter — 6, Washington, R. Duch 9 (L. Ratcliff, P. Morgan), 4:37. 7, Minnesota, K. Ross 4 9:32. 8, Minnesota, C. Crawford 8 9:41. 9, Washington, J. Zywicki 15 (C. Sedgwick, L. Ratcliff), 11:57 (pp). 10, Minnesota, C. Crawford 9 (J. Sullivan, R. Benesch), 13:33 (sh). 11, Washington, P. Morgan 4 (R. Duch, J. Zywicki), 14:44 (pp). Penalties — A. Wilson Min (holding), 4:21; S. Pollock Min (roughing), 4:54; E. Martin Was (roughing), 4:54; R. Morgan Min (high sticking), 10:40.

Third Quarter — 12, Washington, J. Zywicki 16 (R. Duch), 0:23. 13, Minnesota, R. Benesch 4 (A. Wilson, J. Cinosky), 1:28. 14, Washington, J. Zywicki 17 (C. Sedgwick, P. Morgan), 1:45. 15, Minnesota, Z. Greer 4 (T. Campeau, C. Crawford), 2:49. 16, Minnesota, S. Pollock 4 (T. Campeau, R. Benesch), 10:57 (pp). Penalties — R. Cousins Min (fighting, game misconduct), 0:00; E. Martin Was (fighting, game misconduct), 0:00; P. Rabil Was (holding, fighting, game misconduct), 9:55.

Fourth Quarter — 17, Washington, R. Duch 10 (C. Sedgwick, J. Zywicki), 2:37. 18, Washington, M. Grimes 3 (J. Bloom, P. Morgan), 3:10. 19, Washington, R. Duch 11 (L. Ratcliff, J. Zywicki), 3:40. 20, Minnesota, A. Wilson 12 (C. Crawford, S. Pollock), 4:49 (pp). 21, Washington, P. Morgan 5 (J. Zywicki, L. Ratcliff), 5:20. Penalties-served by J. Cinosky Min (illegal substitution), 0:17; P. Morgan Was (holding), 3:54.

Shots on Goal — Minnesota 12-13-13-10-48. Washington 11-10-9-11-41. Power Play Opportunities — Minnesota 2 of 3; Washington 3 of 4. Faceoffs — Minnesota 5 of 25; Washington 20 of 25.

Goalies — Minnesota, Patterson 1-2-0 (41 shots-29 saves). Washington — Roik 3-0-0 (48 shots-39 saves).

A — 3,526