Roughnecks Spoil Warriors Home Opener

The Calgary Roughnecks rebounded from the O/T loss this past weekend avenging to loss against the Warriors managing to spoil their home opener.

Vancouver Ravens in 2004 pulling out an impressive 14-8 win.

The game was played in front of 9,902 fans which was the lone game in the National Lacrosse League regular season play.

Opening night was filled with excitement that had a “Vegas” opening right theme that featured a “fire act” and on the large video jumbo screen promoting the newest team in Vancouver.

Previously the Ravens played for three season (2001 – 2004) and were formerly known as the Vancouver Stealth who played at the Langley Events Centre.

The first quarter saw the teams swap goals with the Warriors first goal in NLL Franchise history scored a short 2:17 in that saw Colton Porter find the twine behind Christian Del Bianco.

Del Bianco is a product of the Junior Adanacs and in his second full season with the Roughnecks and the force behind the play of Calgary to give them the victory.

After giving the Warriors the lead Calgary stormed back managing a pair of goals from former Stealth player Rhys Duch and Tyler Pace giving them a 2-1 lead.

Delta’s Mitch Jones tied the game at two only to be followed by the second of the game with Tyler Pace giving Calgary a 3-2 lead.

The second quarter saw Vancouver manage four straight goals jumping out to a 6-3 lead with goals coming from Delta’s Logan Schuss and Mitch Jones (second of the night), Zack Porter, and Joel McCready.

Calgary showed fire power managing to fight back scoring three (3) before the first half as Rhys Duch, Dane Dobbie, and Dan Taylor beat Warriors goalkeeper Aaron Bold tying the game at six at the half.

Calgary banged off four straight goals in the third getting production from Dane Dobbie and Dan Taylor (second of the game), Tyler Pace (second of the night) and Riley Loewen giving Calgary a 10-6 lead after the third quarter.

Matt Beers broke the scoring drought for the Warriors at 2:20 of the fourth quarter getting the Warriors within three (10-7) but that was as close as they came with the Roughnecks scoring three additional goals for the victory.

Riley Loewen scored twice completing his hat trick, while Dan Dobbie notched his second of the game allowing the visitors to take a 13-7 lead.

It took awhile but Warriors Dan Lomas beat Del Bianco mak it 13-8 as Dane Dobbie completed his hat trick late in the game with three minutes.

Del Bianco allowed two in the last half managing to stop 36 of 44 shots he faced off the sticks off Warriors sticks.

Warriors “tender” Aaron Bold was solid in the opening half, but to the shock of the over 9,000 on hand the Warriors were shut down in the second half as Bold faced 52 Roughneck shots managing to stop 38 through the 60 minutes.

Calgary spoiled the Warriors opening night improving to 1-1 in the early stages of the season, ironically the same record as the Warriors.

Vancouver return to Rogers Arena January 12th as they host the defending NLL League Champions Saskatchewan Rush.