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Stealth Come from Behind to Drop Edmonton, Advance to NLL West Final

April 28, 2013 - National Lacrosse League (NLL)
Washington Stealth News Release


Stealth come from behind to drop Edmonton, advance to NLL West Final EVERETT, Wash. - The Washington Stealth advanced to the West Division Final of the National Lacrosse League playoffs after exploding for 10 second-half goals to earn a 12-11 come-from-behind semi-final win over the Edmonton Rush, Saturday before 3,022 at Everett's Comcast Arena.

The win propelled the Stealth to it's third trip in the past four years to the West Division Final next Saturday, May 4 where it will take on the Calgary Roughnecks. Calgary earned a berth in the final with a 15-10 defeat of Colorado in its semi-final on Saturday night.

The West Division Final gets underway at 3 p.m. PDT from Calgary's Scotiabank Saddledome with the winner advancing to the NLL championship game. Saturday's game is televised live on the CBS Sports Network.

Falling behind 6-0 in the first on the way to a 7-2 half-time deficit, the Stealth pounded-out seven third-quarter goals capped by a coast-to-coast pass by net-minder Tyler Richard into the stick of defender Mike Grimes who threw a point-blank shot past Edmonton goaltender Aaron Bold as time expired in the quarter. The play brought Washington to within a goal of Edmonton entering the final quarter.

The last time the Stealth fell behind by six or more goals to open a game, it slipped 8-0 on the way to dropping a 13-9 home contest to Calgary in its 2010 NLL championship season.

Entering the fourth, the Stealth capitalized on a five-minute major with 48 seconds to go in the third to Edmonton's Jeff Cornwall for checking from behind. With his second major of the game, Cornwall was ejected from the contest.

With the power play on its side, the Stealth would go on to score the next three within the first three-and-a-half minutes of the fourth to take a 12-10 lead.

While the Richards-Grimes combination ignited the Stealth as time expired in the third, it was Jeff Moleski's power-play goal at 13:38 of the fourth and Lewis Ratcliff's go-ahead goal just 1:02 later that were the difference makers in the game.

The Stealth's Athan Iannucci added the insurance score just 27 seconds later to give Washington enough cushion for the win.

Jarrett Davis brought the Rush within one with 5:12 remaining, but that would be all for the West's #1 seed as the Stealth would hang-on in the final minutes to advance to the West Division finals.

With the win, Washington evened its record with Edmonton at 2-2 on the season.

It was the second time in as many weeks that Edmonton would build an early lead then allow its opponent back in for the win. In last Saturday's final game of the regular season, the Rush built an early 5-1 advantage at home against Calgary, only to fall 12-11 in overtime.

The Stealth was led by Rhys Duch with four goals and two assists for six points and Brett Bucktooth with a goal and four assists for five points.

With four goals, the NLL regular season goals champion produced his 12th hat trick of season and fourth consecutive game with at least three goals.

Calgary was led by Corey Small with three goals and three assists for six points.

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