Storm Shocks Sting 11-10
by Andrew Nordmeier
Published on April 17, 2005 under National Lacrosse League (NLL)
Arizona Sting
The Anaheim Storm scored four consecutive goals on special teams in a 6:20 span to upset the Arizona Sting 11-10 Saturday night at Glendale Arena.
The upset loss also had other ramifications for the 9-7 Sting. The loss gives Calgary the West Division championship and a bye week. It also forces the Sting to host the 8-8 Colorado Mammoth Friday night at Glendale Arena to open the playoffs. Arizona won the season series 2-1 over Colorado in three hard-fought games.
Trailing 8-7, the Storm turned the tide of the game with two shorthanded goals on the same penalty.
Down a man due to an illegal substitution penalty, Anaheim turned to the Powells to score the big goals. Ryan Powell beat Sting goaltender Mike Miron at 10:07 to tie the game at 8-8. Casey Powell scored at 11:27 to put Anaheim ahead by one.
"We just lost focus," Arizona Head Coach Bob Hamley said about the breakdown that led to the two shorthanded goals, "I don't know if we were tired. You've got to give Anaheim full credit; they got us."
The Storm (5-11) used back-to-back power-play goals to widen their lead.
With Arizona's Lindsay Plunkett off for goaltender interference and Scott Self and in the box for holding, Shawn Cable found the back of the net at 13:42 to put the Storm up 10-8 with a two-man advantage goal.
While Self sat in the box again for Arizona after getting called for holding, Cam Bergman scored 1:37 into the fourth quarter to give Anaheim a three-goal edge.
The Sting tried to rally back as goals by Self and Jonas Derks brought Arizona to within one but the Sting couldn't get the equalizer.
The game was ugly as both teams each had streaks of more than 15 minutes without scoring.
Anaheim's Scott Stewart scored at the 7:42 mark to put the Storm up 7-4 and that's when their offense died.
Except for the four-goal flurry on special teams, Anaheim didn't score for the final 37:18 of the game.
Arizona was held off the board for a 16:05 span that ate up most of the third quarter. The Sting was also shutdown for almost 11 minutes between Derks' and Self's goals in the fourth quarter.
"We couldn't generate any kind of offense," Hamley said, "(Storm goaltender) Matt Roik was the difference, I thought."
Roik came up with several huge saves to power his team to its fifth win of the season. He stopped 35 of 45 Arizona shots in the win. Miron snuffed out 33 of 44 Anaheim shots in the losing effort.
Each Powell scored a pair of goals in the win as did Cable and Scott Stewart. For Arizona, Dan Dawson, Cory Bomberry and Pat Maddalena each scored twice in the loss.
Arizona finished 3-of-6 on the power play while Anaheim went 3-of-5 with the man advantage.
Notes: Arizona outshot Anaheim 45-44...Anaheim finished the year four games better than last year's 1-15 team...Each team had a two-man advantage during the game...Dawson finished second in the NLL in goals with 48 behind Rochester's John Grant...Maddalena's two goals gave him 31 on the year...The loss ended Arizona's five-game home winning streak...The Sting has only stopped nine opponent power plays at home all season.
National Lacrosse League Stories from April 17, 2005
- Roughnecks down Rock, 20-12 - Calgary Roughnecks
- Rock Wrap Up Record Setting Season - Toronto Rock
- Storm Shocks Sting 11-10 - OSC Original by Andrew Nordmeier
- Mammoth opens playoffs Friday at Arizona - Colorado Mammoth
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