Rush Fends Off Late Charge To Edge Roughnecks 13-12
April 6, 2007 - National Lacrosse League (NLL)
Calgary Roughnecks News Release
CALGARY, AB - Goalie Curtis Palidwor and forward Jason Wulder returned to Calgary to haunt their former teammates on Good Friday.
Palidwor stopped 48 of the 60 shots he faced to lead the Edmonton Rush to a narrow 13-12 victory over the Calgary Roughnecks. Meanwhile Wulder had two goals and three assists as he passed the 500-point plateau in his National Lacrosse League career. Wulder counted 280 of those points in a Roughnecks uniform.
Edmonton's leading scorer Chris Gill fired six goals and an assist to lead all Rush scorers while Jamey Bowen scored twice and added four assists. Dan Stroup (1g, 2a), Chris McElroy (1g, 1a) and Cam Bergman (1g) rounded out the Edmonton scoring attack.
Meanwhile, Lewis Ratcliff led all Calgary scorers with seven goals and four assists. Included in his totals were four power-play tallies to give him 52 during his career as a Roughneck. Ratcliff joined Tracey Kelusky and Kaleb Toth as the only Calgary players to notch 50 or more goals for the Roughnecks while the team is a man up.
Kelusky notched five goals and added three assists, while Jeff Shattler (4a), Nolan Heavenor (3a) and Toth (2a) also had multiple-point games.
With a victory, the Roughnecks (7-7) could have clinched a spot in the playoffs. Instead, Calgary's fate will be decided next weekend as the Riggers head to Phoenix to play the Arizona Sting on Friday night before a rematch against the Rush (6-7) in Edmonton the following evening.
For Calgary, it was the franchise's 100th game in the NLL and with 13,715 spectators in attendance it brought the team's season total to 101,658 fans which is an all-time high for the Roughnecks.
Gill put the Rush up 1-0 just 1:58 into the game before Ratcliff replied 33 seconds later to tie the contest. Kelusky and Ratcliff then reeled off power-play goals before Gill notched his second of the contest at 4:26 of the first. At the same time as the goal, Calgary's Ryan McNish was sent to the penalty box for roughing.
On the ensuing power play, Wulder fired a shot off the post behind Calgary netminder Andrew Leyshon. Bowen picked up the rebound and quickly fired it into the net to tie the contest. The assist for Wulder was his 500th career point.
At 6:51 of the first, Ratcliff bounced a shot past Palidwor with the Riggers enjoying a two-man advantage. Edmonton then tied the game once again at 12:18 of the opening frame when Bergman converted a pass from Jamie Roy past Leyshon.
In the second quarter, McElroy, Stroup and Gill fired three straight goals past Leyshon to put the Rush up 7-4. That prompted Calgary coach Jeff Dowling to replace Leyshon, who stopped 16 of the 23 shots he faced, in net with back-up goalie Ryan Avery.
Wulder welcomed Avery to the game by firing a quick shot into the top corner of the Calgary net before Gill scored two more to put the Rush up by six goals.
With 27.3 seconds left in the first half, Ratcliff took a pass from Heavenor and snapped a shot past Palidwor to end a stretch of seven straight goals by the Rush.
Avery stopped three of the six shots he faced in relief of Leyshon, who returned to the Calgary net for the remainder of the game after the half-time intermission. Leyshon finished with 27 saves on 37 shots.
Ratcliff continued his hot hand with a goal early in the third quarter before Bowen and Gill replied to put the Rush up 12-6.
At 7:15 of the third quarter, Kelusky scored a spectacular goal as he jumped out from behind the net and, with just one hand on his stick, snapped a shot past Palidwor. Before the end of the third, Ratcliff scored during a Calgary power play to pull the Riggers within four goals of the Rush.
Just 28 seconds into the fourth quarter, Wulder scored to put the Rush up 13-8 before Kelusky counted his third and fourth goals of the game to pull the Riggers within three goals with 8:29 to play in regulation time.
A short time later with the Roughnecks killing a penalty, Toth fired a long pass to Ratcliff to spring the Calgary sniper on a breakaway. Ratcliff made a few dekes on Palidwor before ringing a shot off the post behind the Edmonton goalkeeper.
The Riggers continued their late push as Kelusky snapped a shot from the slot past Palidwor with 3:36 left in the final frame before Ratcliff scored at the 13:13 mark to prompt a loud roar from the excited fans in the Pengrowth Saddledome.
Much to the delight of the section full of Edmonton fans at the game, Palidwor and the Rush were able to hold on for the win to even the season series at one game apiece to set up an exciting rubber match in the Alberta capital city next Saturday night.
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National Lacrosse League Stories from April 6, 2007
- San Jose Sweeps Season Series With Jax - San Jose Stealth
- Rush Fends Off Late Charge To Edge Roughnecks 13-12 - Calgary Roughnecks
- Rock Loses Heartbreaker To Swarm At Home - Toronto Rock
- Knighthawks John Grant To Play Scoro Tonight At Amerks Game - Rochester Knighthawks
- Red Hot Sting Face Tough Test Tomorrow Night - Arizona Sting
- Stealth goaltender Anthony Cosmo selected to play for Team Canada - San Jose Stealth
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