Stealth Win the West

April 26, 2008 - National Lacrosse League (NLL)
San Jose Stealth News Release


The San Jose Stealth captured their first National Lacrosse League West title in their history with an authorative 11-6 thumping of the rival Colorado Mammoth. Before the game, It was fitting that Gary Rosyski fired the final shot of day between the pipes for the game, Stealth coach Walt Christianson predicted a close one-goal game.

But the Stealth defense was simply brilliant. The Mammoth, who started the season 5-0 and wound up 8-8, became increasingly frustrated by San Jose's stultifying defense and then started to implode. The Stealth went up 9-6 after a Cam Sedgwick goal with 9:31 left, and then tacked two more goals to turn the game into a route. San Jose out-scored the Mammoth 4-0 in the fourth quarter.

The Stealth finished the season 9-7 and as the number one seed in the West, they now have won the right to host two playoffs games. The first one will be Sunday at H.P. Pavilion starting at 3 p.m.

First Quarter

The San Jose Stealth scored on their very first possession and their first shot. Left-handed forward Cam Sedgwick was left alone on the right side, and he wound up and fired a lasar into the net. Still early on, Kyle Sorensen was tossed into the penalty box for a high check, and Colorado forward Jamie Shewcuck made San Jose pay with a left-handed shot after a long possession. The Stealth's leading scorer, Jeff Zywicki ended a one-game drought with a flying goal just outside the crease.

The Stealth's two starting All-Stars this year, Eric Martin and Jeff Zywicki, combined for a splendid short-handed goal. Martin scooped up a loose ball on the defensive end, then got a shot to the chops, Martin got hit again, and with his helmet bobbing on his head, he spied a wide open Zywicki and Martin fired a cross field pass to him. Zywicki scored on the break away to give the Stealth a 3-1 lead.

In a busy quarter, Shewchuk scored his second goal of the day by skipping a shot past Anthony Cosmo, who was well-screened on the play. Not to be out-done, forward Colin Doyle fired a lasar past Mammoth goalie Gee Nash while he was falling to the turf for another spectacular goal.

With about an minute left rookie Frank Resetarits needed assistance after getting mugged in the corner. He finally emerged, with a nice gash on his nose. Eric Martin went down a few seconds later after trying to bull his way to the goal, but he bounced up and then returned to the game as did Resetarits. With Colorado pulling their goalie at the end of the quarter, Stealth goalie Cosmo nearly fired a shot into an empty net, but the ball bounced over the cross bar.

Score: 5-2.

Second Quarter

After an eventful first quarter, the teams settled into a defensive posture for the first half of the quarter, until Brian Langtry fired a shot past Cosmo while streaking across the middle. It touched a flurry of goals, with Gary Rosyski firing a goal against the short-handed Mammoth, and then the Mammoth responding with Pat Colyle goal off a breakaway.

That occurred after a long timeout in which Cosmo was attended to by trainers for what looked like an ankle injury. Cosmo left, but only very briefly. It might have been the best half of lacrosse played by both teams. Score: 6-4.

Halftime: The two teams nearly squared for a rumble right at the half. Mammoth players kept getting into it with San Jose team captain Colin Doyle, and then Colorado forward Gavin Prout began yelling and swearing at a fan, which didn't sit well with a family near the glass.

"With kids around he doesn't need to do that," a mother of young fans said.

Third Quarter

The Stealth's three-goal lead disapated with Colorado scoring the first two goals of the second half and the Stealth unable to take advantage of a power play. The crisp play the Stealth displayed in the first half disappeared in the third quarter.

The Stealth had a chance for a power play but only got one for a couple of seconds when Kyle Sorensen got tossed into the box. But the Stealth defense held firm long enough for Resetarits to get a put-back goal after a rebound. San Jose had trouble scoring after Gee Nash was pulled for Chris Levis after the first quarter. The Stealth only scored two goal against Levis in the second and third quarters.

Score: 7-6 Stealth

Fourth Quarter

Doyle lit the lamp after the Stealth hussled down on offense and after three quick passes, Doyle found the open net. It was Doyle's second goal of the game and gave the Stealth a two-goal advantage with 11 minutes to play. Cam Sedgwick then made it a three-goal lead with 9:31 left, with a close-in goal off a pass from Gary Rosyski.

The Mammoth then started to implode. Jim Moss was thrown in the penalty box for holding Zywicki. Shortly afterwards, Richard Catton was penalized for decking Rosyski, which prompted a response from Doyle. Catton got a five-minute stay in the box, and Doyle got two-minutes with 7:22 left.

With Colorado spending a lot of time in penalty box San Jose bled the clock wisely for the win.



National Lacrosse League Stories from April 26, 2008


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