CALGARY — Working in accounting, Tyler Digby no is stranger to numbers.
And he’s put up some big ones so far in his young National Lacrosse League Career.
100 goals.
100 assists.
200 points.
The big right-hander has reached one of these three milestones in each of the Calgary Roughnecks first three games of the season.
First, he recorded three apples in the Riggers home-opener to surpass the century mark for assists. Then, a five-point night in Langley, B.C., helped him reach 200 career points. He followed those performances up with a five-goal thrashing of the Colorado Mammoth to collect his 100th career goal.
“I think it’s a great achievement and I’m very proud of that,” Digby said of scoring his 100th goal.
“Along with the one-hundred goals, it is definitely rewarding,” he said of the other milestones. “It’s nice to see that one, you’ve been able to make it to the league – which is hard – and second, to be able to stay and consistently be able to put up numbers and be able to achieve those milestones.”
After being drafted in the third round (20th Overall) of the NLL draft by the Vancouver Stealth in 2013, Digby was immediately slotted into the starting line-up.
In the off-season prior to the 2016 season, the Roughnecks acquired Digby’s services as part of a three-way deal that sent Shawn Evans out East to the New England Black Wolves.
In his first season in red and black, the bruising forward notched his second consecutive 30-goal season and scored 59 points (32, 27a). So far in 2017, Digby seems much more comfortable in the offence and currently on pace for a career-high 90 points.
Much like his 100th goal, his first professional goal was scored at the Pepsi Centre in Denver. At the 4:14 mark of the second period, Digby beat goaltender Dillon Ward. The big man would add two more in the game to record his first ever hat-trick.
Out of all the goals he’s scored, the first is his most memorable.
“Probably the first one,” Digby said after a moment of contemplation. “It was actually in Colorado. Getting that first one was very special.”
“I’m not too sure,” laughed Digby when asked how he scored the goal. “All I know is it was in the Pepsi Center.”
Digby’s moment in Colorado this past Friday was overshadowed by his teammate Dane Dobbie, who scored his 300th career goal on the very same night.
However, Dobbie’s achievement didn’t put a hamper on Digby’s night. It gave him a solid outlook on what he’d accomplished and where he wants to get to someday.
“But especially seeing Dobbie score his 300th, it puts it in perspective,” Admitted Digby. “Yes, [100 goals] is a lot, but to be one of those top players, there’s still a long way to go.”
As spectacular as these milestones might be, Digby isn’t fixating on them.
Since entering the league, he has had one goal – to win. Everything he does on the floor is to help his teammates and coaches earn the W night-in and night-out.
“I think those individual stats are great, especially when the team is winning, but it’s all about us as a team getting the win,” stated Digby.
“I think just always trying to help the team win,” he explained. “So being able to have a night like that, I think going through the year you’ll see all seven of us on one night or the other have big nights. I think it was just my turn. I was able to get the hot hand.”
Whether or not Digby is able to reach the bar that is being set by Dobbie, he will continue to rack up points and set new personal milestones.
But for now, it’s an afterthought as the talented, young forward aims to win the ultimate prize.
“It’s always nice to look back on,” Digby noted. “But right now it’s all about our team and this season.”
