Home Sweet Home
January 22, 2004 - National Lacrosse League (NLL)
Calgary Roughnecks News Release
Calgary Roughnecks Head Coach Chris Hall is tired of being booed and jeered.
"I can't wait to get back to the friendly confines of the Saddledome," Hall said Thursday. "It's going to be great to have people on our side rather than against us."
Calgary returned from two games on the road, in Vancouver and then Toronto, with a 1-1 split.
"Of course we would have liked a 2-0 record at this point, but with the parity in the National Lacrosse League nowadays, any time you win away from home is an absolute bonus," said Hall. "What we have to make sure of is that we don't give that advantage away."
The home opener against Vancouver is on Sunday (January 25) at 3 p.m.
Sportsnet TV (Channel 27) is taping the game, but it will not be seen in southern Alberta until 11 p.m. Sunday night.
Scott Forbes, who did not make the trip to Toronto because of a concussion suffered in the first Vancouver encounter, is fit to play again.
But Hall is not sure Forbes will be included in the line-up.
"We are contemplating a couple of changes," said Hall, "and that may or may not be one of them."
He added: "The good news is that we again have 23 healthy bodies to select from."
Brad Banister, the Roughnecks Principal Owner and General Manager, asked the Calgary fans to make as much noise as possible.
"We have the best fans in the NLL," he said, "now we want them to be also the noisiest. When teams come into our building we want them to be aware that they are in enemy territory."
Banister promises fireworks, both on and off the floor.
"We don't like the Ravens, and they don't like us," explained Banister. "That dislike can only escalate as we work through our four scheduled meetings."
Off the floor, the fans will be entertained by the Drill Crew dancers, Derrick the Mascot, crazy contests and numerous giveaways.
"There's something for everyone," said Banister, "no matter what age, no matter what gender.
"We also implore people to come early as we always have a huge walk up and we don't want them to miss a minute of the action."
National Lacrosse League Stories from January 22, 2004
- Anaheim Storm vs. San Jose Stealth This Weekend - Anaheim Storm
- Mammoth to Hold Practice Saturday - Colorado Mammoth
- Home Sweet Home - Calgary Roughnecks
- Manning Wins Weekly Award - Toronto Rock
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