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The Calgary Roughnecks needed this one.
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And with the cavalry coming back to WestJet Field, it looked a little like a lock, especially with second-string goaltender Steve Fryer getting the call for the visiting Vancouver Warriors.
But even with captain Curtis Dickson, transition star Mitch Wilde and dynamic defender Shane Simpson back in the lineup — all missing various time over the last three weeks — the Roughnecks dropped an 11-10 National Lacrosse League affair late Friday at Scotiabank Saddledome.
The offence stumbled without Dickson in the lineup the last two games, and getting fellow defensive stars Wilde — who was out for three games — and Simpson — who was sidelined for last week’s win over the visiting Colorado Mammoth — helped shore up a defence that was buckled even further Friday by COVID challenges.
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With only three guaranteed playoff spots awarded to NLL West Division squads, the game was a pivotal one for the now 2-5 Roughnecks and the now 5-3 Warriors.
Dickson got to work right away, scoring short-side on Fryer just 88 seconds in.
Another key offensive cog for the Roughnecks, Tyler Pace, then walked into the high slot and fired it home for a 2-0 home-side advantage.
But the Warriors rebounded to net five straight goals before the end of the first quarter on two conversions by Logan Schuss — including the team’s third on a power play — and singles from Keegan Bal and Taylor Stuart — coming just 11 seconds apart — and Adam Charalambides.
To start the second, the Riggers fought back on tallies by Jesse King, Dickson and Zach Herreweyers to tie the affair.
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After Kyle Killen scored a power-play marker for the Warriors, Tanner Cook capped a pretty passing play for the Roughnecks from in tight, where King and Herreweyers also scored earlier in the quarter.
However, Bal got the go-ahead goal for the Warriors — a long-range bomb on the power play — to give the visitors the 7-6 halftime lead.
To start the second half, the Warriors got a goal from Owen Barker on Roughnecks goalie Christian Del Bianco to up the visitors’ lead by two.
But Dickson replied with quick shot off a loose ball for the home club.
A beauty far-side dunk by Bal restored the Warriors’ two-goal lead before Herreweyers hit again with a long-shot for the Roughnecks.
Just as he did last week, Zach Currier then took matters into his own hands, again tying the game on a terrific individual play. The Riggers transition star turned the tide last week with a coast-to-coast game-tying goal-scoring rush, and in this one, he knocked the ball away from the Warriors and raced in alone to beat Friday.
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But unlike the Mammoth last week, the Warriors got the next one early in the fourth quarter on a sneaky shot in off the post by Killen and then cancelled a super tying goal by ‘Superman’ Dickson when former Roughnecks player Riley Loewen got in tight on Del Bianco to pot the winner late.
The Roughnecks now hit the road for a Sunday affair with the Panther City Lacrosse Club (1-7) in Fort Worth, Texas (3 p.m., TSN Direct).
QUICKSTICKS
Wilde’s return looked like it lasted less than a half, when he got his leg rolled up underneath a falling Warriors player midway through the second quarter, but he returned for the third quarter … D Curtis Manning and D Eli Salama both missed the contest for the Riggers after being put in COVID protocol Friday … D Andrew Mullen (lower body) remained sidelined after also missing last week’s game … Scratches for the Roughnecks were F Cole Pickup and F Kyle Waters … The key scratch for the Warriors was G Alex Buque (illness), the club’s No. 1 goaltender.
Roughnecks drop tight one to Warriors in huge division match - Calgary Sun
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