After the punishing grind of a twenty-one week NLL season, the playoff hopes for the Calgary Roughnecks all came down to a final double-header. The 8-8 Roughnecks had earned the right to control their own destiny and their first chance to clinch came with a match-up against the Las Vegas Desert Dogs.
Calgary jumped out to a 7-1 lead and then survived a furious Las Vegas comeback to win game one 12-9. Jesse King dropped 10 points and the powerplay went 4/5, but a San Diego victory meant Calgary’s season would come down to the very last game.
Under 24 hours later and a quick three-hour flight home, Calgary took to Westjet field for the biggest game of the season – a match-up against long-time rival the Colorado Mammoth. For both teams, a spot in the NLL post-season was on the line.
A quick start from the Mammoth was answered by a “super” second quarter from the Roughnecks putting them up 8-4 at the half. Nick Rose held the Mammoth to one second half goal while Calgary scored three more times as they clinched their playoff spot with an 11-5 win.
As it has played out time and time again between these two teams, Calgary fans were treated to Curtis “Superman” Dickson elevating his game when it mattered the most. Firstly, Dickson was honored in a pregame ceremony for scoring 500 goals with the Roughnecks, (72 of those coming against Colorado – his highest vs any club).
With his team trailing in the second quarter, Dickson took over. Despite having Warren Jeffrey draped all over him, Dickson put on a performance that can only be described as unstoppable. Outside shooting, inside finishing, drawing penalties, and dropping dimes he did it all. When the second quarter concluded, he had factored in on 5 of Calgary’s 7 goals.
“That second quarter on I thought we were really good,” stated Josh Sanderson after the game.
“Curtis took things in his own hands for a few seconds there, a few minutes so that always helps.”
Dickson finished with four goals giving him 48 on the season and a team leading 108 points – just two ahead of Jessie King who finished with 106.
Calgary finishes the season with a 10-8 record and lands in 6th place overall. They will travel across the country and play the 3rd place 11-7 Halifax Thunderbirds in a one-game first round playoff. These two teams met in Week 2 with Calgary eking out an 18-17 win. The game goes on April 26, 2025 at the Scotiabank Center.
