New home, new arena, new players, all with new results. The 2014 season for the Vancouver Stealth could not be further than losing in the Champion’s Cup game a season ago. Coincidence or not that game took place in their new home, the LEC.
The season started well for the Stealth after dropping the season opener to Colorado by a goal, then rebounding with two straight wins. Unfortunately that would be the only winning streak they would surmount all season long. Struggling to find consistency on both sides of the ball all season long, it proved to be a long season for Stealth fans. Not the performance you want out of your team, after relocating to a new market, trying to catch the casual or new fan base.
Officially out of the playoff race with their loss to Philadelphia at home last Saturday night the Stealth take to the road this week to play the NLL’s best, the Edmonton Rush. Great news for Vancouver is that they have played their best ball in the previous two losses to the Rush squad. They may just play a spoiler in this one this week, as they are still playing for pride. We will see what is left in the tank, back at the LEC for the final home game of the season against the rival Calgary Roughnecks. Calgary has owned the Stealth this season with a goal differential of 16 in their series. If the Stealth hopes to pull this one out they will need to dig deep and show a ton of heart in front of the home crowd. If not there is no love lost between these two teams, and a couple good tilts should leave fans satisfied with the final game.
Roster changes are most likely in order this off-season. The Stealth is stacked with some savvy vets, but as we have seen around the league this year, it is the youngsters getting things done. Could it be the reduced roster size? The fact that the Stealth struggled through some key player injuries all season long? Or is it simply time to part ways with some longtime players? These are all questions I’m sure the coaching staff and GM have been asking themselves all season long.
As the season draws to an end, and the curtain drops on Vancouver’s first season at the LEC there has been some things to be optimistic about from a sustainable aspect. The arena is quaint without a bad seat in the house, the scoreboard/screen is better than it was in WA, and the facilities are new and clean. It is time to regroup, get those season tickets sold, market the team, and come back with a stronger performance to keep the crowd excited to come back for more.
