Relax, Roughnecks fans… It’s only preseason. This is why teams play preseason games.
After an 11-3 exhibition loss yesterday, it seems that from many of the fans’ reactions the true fans are well aware this is very minor. Especially with the energy from the 11,187 lacrosse starved fans who were treated to a different sort of game.
The Roughnecks seemed to struggle with any long standing momentum or pressure to create much and that showed in the score line. Karson Leung was the best player for the Roughnecks by a mile and last year’s team leading goal scorer Dane Dobbie also got onto the sheet with a short-handed goal late. There really wasn’t much other offensive power we are used to seeing with the fire power the team has shown in the past.
With both teams agreeing to used expanded rosters to give players who normally wouldn’t see the big stage a chance, this was simply a fun game to show exactly what to expect in the big show with practice roster players Connor Goodwin, Tor Reinholdt, Patrick O’Meara and newly drafted rookie Tyson Roe who saw some playing time in the second half all knowing this was their shot to show the coaching staff they could handle the big stage. The Roughnecks let catalysts Curtis Dickson and Shawn Evans have the night off to give the younger guys their chance to shine.
Although the Roughnecks outshot the Rush by a final total of 52-45, neither Rush goalies Aaron Bold (who played three quarters) nor Tyler Carlson were ever really tested even though the Rush gave up their fair share of power plays.
The Roughnecks fell behind early and never really got their own game going; the Rush had scoring from Robert Church who had a hat trick as well as Mark Matthews who got a pair of goals and assists. Corey Small, Mitch Banister, Riley Loewen, Tyler Melnyk and Jeff Cornwall all got their names on the goal scoring list for the offensive outburst that never let the Roughnecks really get into the game.
The league also tried something new, testing out a new shootout at the end of the game. Let’s call it an interesting test, but something I don’t see the league adopting. The Rush also won the extra shootout in a tight 5-4 affair. Shooting for the home town consisted of Dobbie, Daryl Veltman, Matt Dinsdale, and Leung all scoring but McIntosh, Loewen, Matthews, Church and Zack Greer answered for the Rush.
The teams start to play meaningful games on January 3; for the Roughnecks when they have their home opener against division rival Vancouver Stealth, while the Rush open the season on the road the same night playing the east division’s Buffalo Bandits.
