NLL Week 2: Calgary, Halifax Produce Game of the Year Candidate

Do we already have a game of the year candidate in the National Lacrosse League?

At the risk of overreacting, yeah, we might.

The Calgary Roughnecks beat the Halifax Thunderbirds 18-17, but what a wild ride it was to get there. Halifax led 11-4 with 4:44 left in the second quarter, but Calgary closed the half and opened the third quarter with a 7-0 spurt to tie it at 11-all.

The game of runs continued. Thomas Hoggarth scored twice in a 5-2 run that saw Halifax reclaim a 16-13 lead, then Curtis Dickson buried two of his own in a 5-0 run that swung it back to Calgary, 18-16. Dawson Theede’s last-second goal produced the final.

Jesse King had eight assists for Calgary, and Randy Staats had the same for Halifax. King produced a game-high 10 points, while Clarke Petterson led Halifax with nine.

A SECOND-HALF SWARM

It took overtime to decide the season openers for the Georgia Swarm and San Diego Seals. Trailing 11-8 after Ben McIntosh scored with 13:31 left in the third quarter for the Seals, the Swarm scored four of the next five goals, including the equalizer from Seth Oakes with 4:07 to go in regulation.

Andrew Kew finished the job in overtime for Georgia in the 13-12 win. San Diego scored just once in the final 28:31 of the second half.

VEGAS FOLDS

Making their Lee’s Family Forum debut, the Las Vegas Desert Dogs held a one-goal third-quarter lead but quickly watched the Colorado Mammoth take command. The Mammoth won 15-9, but they erased a 6-5 lead in the second half by scoring seven in a row from six different sticks.

Dillon Ward made 46 saves, and Connor Kelly led Colorado with eight points.

BUFFALO BASHES ROCHESTER

A one-goal game after three quarters became a fourth-quarter rout after Buffalo buried eight goals in a 15-7 win. Dhane Smith’s 11 points (eight assists) paced the Bandits, while Matt Vinc made 54 saves.

ROCK BOTTOM

Decimated by injuries, the Toronto Rock fell to 0-2 after a 15-4 loss to the Albany FireWolves. Sam Firth scored five goals, and Travis Longboat had five assists. Doug Jamieson locked down the defense with 43 saves.