The Calgary Roughnecks rookie duo of Karsen Leung and Garrett McIntosh are on the brink of a Champion’s Cup title after the Riggers took Game One of the NLL Finals 10-7 over the Rochester Knighthawks.
Playing in front of a hometown crowd, both Leung and McIntosh made their presence felt on the Scotiabank Saddledome turf actively assisting in the Calgary transition game.
Leung is largely depended upon to move the ball up floor for Calgary, sharing duties with Roughneck transitional mainstays such as Dan MacRae and Mike Carnegie. The Bellarmine University alum assisted on Dane Dobbie’s goal with just under 13 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter to put Calgary up 8-6. Leung also helped push transition alongside MacRae on Dobbie’s second tally of the game, although not assisting the goal.
With Geoff Snider missing his second consecutive game due to injury, McIntosh spent another week as the Roughnecks main faceoff specialist. The B.C. native went 35 percent winning 6 of 17 faceoffs along with three loose balls and one forced turnover. After Rochester’s Cody Jamieson scored an extra-attacker goal with 10 seconds remaining in regulation, McIntosh picked up a clutch faceoff win gaining possession for Calgary and closing out the 10-7 victory.
As McIntosh carried the ball into the Rochester end, bringing the game came to a close, Leung was the first Roughneck to join his fellow first-year in celebration.
The rookie tandem will look to end the NLL season in championship fashion when the Knighthawks host Game Two of the Finals Saturday, May 31 at 8 pm ET at the Blue Cross Arena.
