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Offensive Showdowns and Comebacks Fill Saturday Night

Saturday in the NLL featured four games, including an afternoon matchup between Calgary and Philadelphia. Six more teams were on the evening slate. Home teams were victorious in 75% of the day’s games, and none were without drama. Read on!

 

Calgary Roughnecks 11 @ Philadelphia Wings 13

More dogs in sports! That’s what the Philadelphia Wings will be asking for, after picking up their fourth consecutive win on Saturday afternoon at Wells Fargo Arena, on Bark in the Bowl Day. The arena was filled with 6,940 fans, many of whom brought their beloved pups to the game for an afternoon out.

Calgary was without Dane Dobbie, who was out with a lower-body injury. Still, the rest of their usual suspects contributed to a 7-6 lead at halftime, and a 9-8 lead heading into the final quarter. Mitch Jones and Brayden Mayea traded goals to start the fourth, but as time ticked down, the barking got louder, sparking a four-goal run by the Wings. Holden Cattoni, Joe Resetarits and Jones all scored in a span of 1:57 for the 12-10 lead. Scott Dominey scored an empty net insurance marker.

“That game is one that we would have lost last year and when we step back and look away, we’re a different group,” Cattoni said. “I think that we’ve matured quite a bit from that season and now we’re in a position where we can win those games and pull away at the end rather than crumble.”

Jones led the Wings with five goals and two assists. Resetarits reversed those stats with two goals and five assists, rookie Brennan O’Neill scored twice with one assist and Cattoni had five assists to accompany his goal, which was his 200th career tally. Nick Damude made 46 saves in goal.

On the Roughnecks’ side, Cam MacLeod made 43 saves. Justin Inacio won the faceoff battle with 21 wins on 27 faceoffs. Dickson led his team with four goals and a pair of assists. Brayden Mayea made his NLL debut and potted two goals and added one assist. Tanner Cook had a pair of goals and one assist, and single goals came from Tyler Pace and Jesse King, who had six and five assists, respectively. 

 

Halifax Thunderbirds 19 @ Rochester Knighthawks 18 (NOT OT)

Set to a soundtrack of the 90s greatest hits, the Knighthawks and Thunderbirds treated fans to a wild shootout at Blue Cross Arena. With the Knighthawks donning blue throwback jerseys, the game evoked memories of some of the greatest games in League history – and this game became one of the greats.

Eighteen goals were scored in the first half, and 19 in the second – the pace never let up. The final combined total of 37 goals is the highest output of the season.

Clarke Petterson scored the buzzer-beater to give Halifax a much-needed win, getting a pass from behind the net from Cody Jamieson and firing through traffic.

The Thunderbirds had scored six-straight in the third and fourth and held a 17-13 lead with 10:55 left to play. Ryland Rees and Bo BowHunter traded goals before the Knighthawks turned on the gas and scored four in a row to tie the game with 54 seconds remaining.

Randy Staats (4G, 6A) and Thomas Hoggarth (4G, 5A) led the charge for Halifax. Petterson, Jamieson, BowHunter and Dawson Theede all scored twice. Drew Hutchison, who got the start in goal over Warren Hill, made 42 saves.

Thomas McConvey scored four times with five assists for Rochester, while Ryan Smith hit the net four times with three assists. Also contributing were Connor Fields (3G, 4A), Curtis Knight (2G, 2A) and Josh Medeiros (2G). Mike Sisselberger bested Jake Withers on faceoffs, winning 24 to Withers’ 17, and in goal, Riley Hutchcraft began and ended the game though Kevin Orleman spelled him for 33 minutes in the middle.

 

Las Vegas Desert Dogs 9 @ Saskatchewan Rush 15

The Saskatchewan Rush returned to the win column at SaskTel Centre on Saturday night, besting the Desert Dogs on Every Child Matters night. Wanuskewin Heritage Centre was on the concourse educating fans, and hoop dancer Lawrence Roy entertained the crowd at halftime. The Rush led 5-2 after the first and 10-4 at halftime.

Rather than leave Landon Kells in goal to suffer, head coach Shawn Williams pulled his starting goaltender at the 12:37 mark, after allowing five goals. Justin Geddie saw his first action of the season and stopped 25 of 45 shots in relief. Casey Jackson had a hat trick, Jack Hannah two goals and two assists, and Kyle Killen five assists. The Desert Dogs just couldn’t replicate the energy they had in last week’s OT win over Albany and remain at just one win with five losses.

The Rush were led by captain Ryan Keenan’s four goals and two assists, Zach Mann’s three goals and two assists and Austin Shanks’ three goals and three assists.

Robert Church returned to the lineup from an ankle sprain and contributed a pair of goals and three assists, while Clark Walter tallied twice with one assist. Ryan Barnable also scored. Frankie Scigliano made 29 saves for Saskatchewan’s fourth win of the season, and Jake Naso won 17/28 faceoffs.

 

Albany FireWolves 13 @ Colorado Mammoth 15

A 5-0 fourth quarter was the difference for the Mammoth on Saturday at Ball Arena in front of 9,625 fans. Dillon Ward stopped 10 shots in the last quarter as Colorado turned a 13-10 deficit into a 15-10 victory – it was enough to make the fans do the wave!

Just 20 minutes into the game, the Mammoth were down 8-1 after Albany completed a seven-goal run. They fought back to get the score to 10-7 before halftime.

Tye Kurtz tried his very best, scoring seven goals for Albany, but the FireWolves’ defense faltered against two Mammoth players on hot streaks at the Loud House. Connor Kelly (5G, 2A) and Connor Robinson (4G, 2A) combined for nine goals and 13 points. 

Kelly scored two of his goals in the final frame, tying the game before Zed Williams potted the game-winner, shooting with conviction as he passed the crease. Eli McLaughlin finished off his hat trick with an insurance marker. Ward finished with 41 saves.

“We just stayed positive on the bench. We just kept saying ‘composure, composure,’” said Kelly in a post-game interview. “It’s not how you start; it’s how you finish in this league.”

Kurtz added a pair of assists for a nine-point evening. Alex Simmons was right behind him with a hat trick and four assists, while Ethan Walker aided on seven goals. Doug Jamieson made 38 saves on 53 shots. Andrew Kidd saw two minutes of action and made one save in the game’s dying moments.

Tim Edwards and Joe Nardella were very well matched at the dot, with Edwards winning 15/30 and Nardella 17/29.

Albany falls to 1-5 while Colorado improves their record to 4-2. This was the first game of a home-and-home series for the two teams, who will meet again in Albany for a rematch at MVP Arena next weekend on Saturday, January 18 at 7 p.m

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