Stealth re-sign all-pro forward Duch

EVERETT – The Washington Stealth have made it to back-to-back National Lacrosse League championship games and it appears they believe the best way to get back there is to keep the same roster.

The Stealth re-signed all-pro forward Rhys Duch Saturday, the only prominent player that had remained unsigned from the team’s playoff runs of the last two years. The deal is pending league approval.

Duch has earned the nickname “Clutch Duch” for his late game heroics, but his impressive lacrosse resume goes much deeper than that. Duch was selected by the Stealth with the third overall pick in the 2008 NLL entry draft and has played a key role for the Stealth ever since.

Duch was named the 2009 Rookie of the Year, setting the NLL’s rookie scoring record with 89 points (35 goals, 54 assists). In 2010, Duch followed that up with an 86-point regular season, scoring 33 goals and 53 assists and earning second team NLL all-pro honors.

The 2010 postseason is what put Duch on the map. Duch helped lead the Stealth to the NLL championship, racking up 25 postseason points (11 goals, 14 assists) in three games, leading the league and setting a Stealth franchise record.

“Rhys was tremendous for us during our championship season and has continued to prove that he’s a premiere player in this league,” Stealth head coach Chris Hall said in a press release. “The scary part is, he’s still growing as a player and has the potential to finish his career as one of the best to ever play the game. He’s a guy that we can turn to when we need a big goal and has lived up to his nickname, ‘Clutch Duch’.”

Duch expanded on that nickname in 2011, scoring the game-winning goal in five of the Stealth’s eight regular season wins and also tallied a career-high 90 points (42 goals, 48 assists).

But Duch is focused on helping his team’s hoist another Champion’s Cup.

“Winning the championship (in 2010) was one of the best feelings of my life,” Duch said. “Losing by a goal (in the NLL championship game) last season was one of the worst. The individual awards are great, but the only thing I’m focused on is helping the Stealth regain the Champion’s Cup.”

Duch also helped Team Canada win the World Indoor Lacrosse Championship this past summer.

Aaron Lommers covers the Washington Stealth for The Herald. Follow him on twitter @aaronlommers and contact him at alommers@heraldnet.com.