Saturday night saw the Vancouver Stealth (9-9/0-1) play their first ever home playoff game in front of 4,011 fans in what some describe as a fan frenzy wild affair.

While they may have lost the elimination game by a 13-12 wild back and forth match-up they clearly made some new fans in the process in what was a one-game winner for the National League West Division semi-final.

Attending the “dance” in the past dating back to 2011 for the Mammoth saw them finally get over the hump as in the past they have been involved in post season play, but never (until now) played in the West Division finals.

The Stealth were relying on stellar play from Corey Small, Rhys Duch as well as Delta’s Logan Schuss, but try as they might they were unable to beat Colorado’s “tender” Dillon Ward who faced 45 shots on the night, many exceptional.

After one period the Stealth were down by a narrow 3-1 margin, but they battled back narrowly missing the  target, but the second was a different story.

The second saw Logan Schuss and Corey Small basically carry the squad getting them to within one making it a 7-6 matchup after two, which would make for an exciting third.

Entering the fourth the Stealth were down by a 10-8 margin and had to come out firing on all cylinders and with the pressure on, it was Small who notched another one making it a 10-9 contest.

Mammoth’s Callum Crawford got one past Stealth netminder Tye Belanger with 6:51 left giving them a 13-9 lead, but the Stealth fought back with Small scoring three times in just over three minutes pulling them within one.

With the game slowly winding down the Stealth were down by one and the Stealth having possession with 17 seconds remaining in the game.

Small has the ball, but the Mammoth get in front of it to block any shot or possible pass and with time wrapping up one last shot went to Schuss who was denied by Colorado allowing them to move on to the next series.

Stealth Rookie sensation Evan Messenger played exceptional and was forced to leave the floor after the first, but did manage to re-enter in the second period to finish off his first pro-season with the Vancouver Stealth of the National Lacrosse League.

Small is a possible league MVP candidate and managed to finish with six goals on the night, but the one kept off the scoreboard was Rhys Duch who had 38 goals during the regular season was denied time and time again and held to two assists by the stingy “D” of the Mammoth.

Schuss had an exceptional game that included a hat-trick in the second quarter and nine points on the night and when all’s said and done Stealth owner Denise Watkins told the media “I think we put a better product on the floor for the fans and making the playoffs was big.”

The Mammoth face the Saskatchewan Rush in a best of three with the Mammoth “tender” Ward facing 52 shots allowing only 12 for 40 saves on the night.

While this game attracted a good number of fans the Stealth averaged a league-low fan base of 3,206 during the regular season and one has to ask what they have to do to attract more moving forward?

Exceptional season and Sportswave thanks the team and media relations person Trevor McManus for all the assistance over the season.

Can’t wait till January 2018 when the Stealth hit the floor once again.