Sting Win, Clinch Playoff Spot

April 15, 2006 - National Lacrosse League (NLL)
Arizona Sting News Release


GLENDALE, ARIZONA --- Inspired by a pre-game visit from former heavyweight boxing champ Mike Tyson, the Arizona Sting dealt a knockout blow to the post-season hopes of the San Jose Stealth Friday night by virtue of an impressive 16-13 win at the Glendale Arena. The victory secures Arizona a second consecutive berth in the NLL's Champion's Cup Playoffs. The Sting played well on both sides of the ball Friday, as their dynamic young offense put on a clinic in goal scoring while their rugged defensive unit shut down the opposition's top guns. The total team effort was what veteran Curt Malawsky was most proud of in Arizona's playoff-clinching performance.

"Every one of these guys gave it all they had out there tonight," said Malawsky. "The hard work was contagious - it started on our back end and then the offense followed suit. With the talent we've got on this team we're going to be tough to beat in the playoffs, that's for sure."

The home team came out of the gates strong as six different players combined for eight goals in the first quarter as the Sting took a commanding 8-4 and chased All-Star goaltender Anthony Cosmo from the Stealth net in the process. Dan Dawson and Matt Brown each scored twice while Peter Veltman, Craig Conn, Pat Maddalena, and Lindsay Plunkett each bulged the twine once to establish the commanding early lead. Jarett Park, Luke Wiles, and Gary Rosyski (who scored twice) all netted goals in the opening frame for San Jose.

The second quarter saw a more defensive approach being taken by each team with a pair of goals being tallied on either side to make the score 10-6 at halftime. Pat Maddalena (1G-5A) and Matt Brown (2G-4A) led the way for the Sting in the opening half with 6 points apiece while Arizona out-shot San Jose 31-13 over the course of the first thirty minutes of play.

The Stealth opened the second half with a goal off the stick of Derek Malawsky. The Sting responded on the power play, with Craig Conn netting his third of the game to give his team an 11-7 lead. Rookie forward Matt Brown then completed the first hat trick of his career with a rocket of a shot that found the back of the net 5:24 into the third quarter. The Stealth then scored a pair of quick goals to make the score 12-9 as the third period came to an end. Brown was happy to register the first hat trick of his young career in such an important game.

"It felt good to contribute in a huge win," said Brown. "This gives us a lot of confidence going into the playoffs. I wouldn't want to be on any other team in the post-season. These guys know what it takes to win and we showed everyone what we're made out of out there tonight."

Gary Rosyski scored 2:24 into the fourth quarter to pull the Stealth to within two, but Dan Dawson replied with his third goal of the night 0:26 later to re-establish a three goal Arizona advantage. Curt Malawsky then burned his former team for a second time with a well placed shot that made the score 14-10 in favor of the Sting. Cam Sedgwick and Luke Wiles then scored power play goals for San Jose to pull their team back to within two. That would be as close as the Stealth would get however, as Peter Lough and Pat Maddalena scored insurance goals to put the Sting up by four. Chad Thompson scored with 53 seconds remaining, but Rob Blasdell shut the door on San Jose's offense in the closing seconds, sending the crowd of 6,575 into a frenzy as time expired and Arizona's place in the NLL post-season was secured. Head Coach Bob Hamley was happy with his team's performance on Friday, but was quick to point out the importance of Saturday's rematch with San Jose.

"If we finish 8-8 and Toronto or Philadelphia do the same, there's an outside chance we could host the Champion's Cup Final here at the Glendale Arena," said Hamley. "I was very happy with everyone's effort tonight but we have to stay focused and keep this momentum going. I was proud of our whole team tonight. This was a big win."

The Sting visit the HP Pavilion tomorrow night to close out the regular season against the Stealth. Next weekend the playoffs will commence and Arizona will be playing on the road in Portland, Colorado, or Calgary.



National Lacrosse League Stories from April 15, 2006


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