Close But No W”

Despite have some time off, the Vancouver Stealth (3-8) came up short against the NLL’s best Edmonton Rush falling one goal short dropping a 10-9 decision, allowing Edmonton to made NLL history with the win.

This win allowed the Rush to become the first NLL team to ever start a season 9-0 and have a perfect record who got out to a quick start in the opening quarter of the game scoring three early goals to go up 3-0.

The Stealth did manage to get on the board after pounding Edmonton’s goaltender Aaron Bold, with 16 shots in the first quarter alone.

In the second quarter the Stealth somehow found their touch and outscored the Rush 3-1 tieing the game at four after the first half and outshot the Rush 28 to 19 in the first half.

The two teams then traded goals in the third quarter with the Stealth holding onto a 8-7 lead heading into the fourth quarter, as they looked poised to knock off the undefeated Rush. Rhys Duch almost gave the Stealth a two goal lead at the end of the third, but the goal was challenged and upon further review, it was overturned. The shot went off both goal posts and never crossed the goal line.

The Rush decided to turn it up a notch from there scoring three unanswered goals in the fourth to take a 10-8 lead. After Mike Grimes scored one late for the Stealth, it came down to the Stealth’s final possession to try and tie the game.

Several Stealth players got shots in the final seconds but Edmonton’s “tender” Aaron Bold came up big for the Rush, preserving the win.

The Stealth outshot the Rush 50-43 but again struggled to score goals when they needed them down the stretch and with the addition of newly acquired forward, Jamie Lincoln, this paid off as he registered his first two points as a member of the visiting Stealth.

Lincoln scored an outstanding diving goal early in the second and assisted on Rhys Duch’s first goal of the game.

The Stealth will be looking for more consistency in their offense when they host back to back home games to finish off the month of March.

They host the Calgary Roughnecks on Friday, March 21, soon to be followed by the Buffalo Bandits on Saturday, March 29, with both games being played the Langley Events Centre.