Roughnecks accentuate the positives in defeat
Calgary holds its head high after losing to juggernaut that is the Saskatoon Rush
It’s always difficult to view a season as a success on the immediate heels of a gut-wrenching loss.
But given the excellence of the opposition, Calgary Roughnecks’ general manager Mike Board tipped his hat to the victorious Saskatoon Rush while giving kudos to his own squad.
“We lost to a really good team,” Board pointed out. “I think we all know they’re the team to beat in the West and we felt like we made strides to become more competitive with them. It’s always a sting when you lose. The goal is to win championships. It was tough, but it’s like I told the guys last night, hold your heads high. It’s not like they didn’t put in the effort.”
The Roughnecks scattered to the winds on Monday after their season came to a crushing halt on Sunday evening in Saskatoon at the hands of their longtime nemesis. Despite a valiant come- back effort after falling behind early, the ’Necks dropped a 15-13 decision which propelled the Rush into the National Lacrosse League championship series against Rochester, ending Calgary’s roller-coaster season.
And what a ride it was. The team chugged out of the gate, losing five of its first six outings. Then things turned around, not perfect by any stretch, but definitely on the right track. They won two of their final three regular season games and then went into Denver to face the Colorado Mammoth in the divisional semifinal on a high. They won the match 15-12 to earn the appointment against the Rush, whom they’ve never beaten in Saskatoon.
“It’s like we have the New England Patriots in our division,” said Board. “They make you pay for every mistake you make. Hats off to them. They’re a very good team in all facets. I don’t think we’re the only ones who try to build a team that can compete with them. I think the rest of the league is doing the same thing.
“We made strides. As a group in the dressing room, those guys were as tight as I’ve seen in my time as general manager. They believed in each other, they cared and I think it showed. We were 1-5 at one point and they didn’t quit on each other. They believed in what they could do and what the coaches were putting on paper. You have to take a few positives out of it.”
The talented youth on the team is one of the positives. There were also some big individual seasons, among them third-year man Wesley Berg posting the most goals (37) and most points (86); sophomore Holden Cattoni made huge gains from nine goals and 26 points to 36 and 76; transition ace Mitch Wilde had his biggest goal total with 11 and rookie Zach Currier led the league with 200 loose balls.
In goal, 20-year-old Christian Del Bianco took over as the result after a slow start by incumbent Frank Scigliano, and proceeded to lead the NLL in goals-against and save percentage, which augurs well for that position going forward.
“There were a lot of positives for the young guys,” Board said. “I think watching Christian Del Bianco grow into the role as a starter was pretty impressive. He played great down the stretch. He played great last night. For a young kid, it was pretty impressive to see him develop.”
Board also had words of praise for his coaching staff, led by Curt Malawsky, that righted a listing ship around a third into the season. Malawsky, too, spoke highly of his charges after Sunday’s game.
“I’m so proud of them, where they came from in training camp to where they are today,” he said. “It’s not easy to get to the Western final and we came within a couple of shots of knocking off one of the top teams in the NLL. Even though we didn’t win, this is a really good group. It was special to see these guys come together behind the scenes. As a coach, you get to see how they interact. They were a selfless team and a direct byproduct of that selfless attitude was how we played on the floor.”
Over the next little while, the organization will go over personnel and where holes need to be plugged. As well, they’ll have the expansion draft, expected in mid-July, to deal with. The draft is designed to stock the two new teams in San Diego and Philadelphia.
As a result, the Roughnecks’ team won’t be the same next season.
It’s like we have the New England Patriots in our division. They make you pay for every mistake you make.