By: Riley Pollock 14.04.25
Matt Sykes could be compared to Jekyll and Hyde when you see him play lacrosse. On the floor, he is aggressive and will make sure his opponents feel his presence. Off the floor, he is a completely different person.
The Riggers defender commented on the difference between his game and who he is in everyday life.
“It’s kind of funny because I am a pretty big dude,” he explained. “I feel like I’m a big teddy bear off the floor though. I’m not an angry person by any means, but for some reason once I start playing lacrosse it’s just how I play and how I grew up playing.
“It has stuck with me and it works so I keep doing it.”
Sykes came over to the Roughnecks in mid-February and says he really feels like he has gotten into a groove with his new team over the past few weeks.
“It’s progressed better as the weeks have gone by,” he said. “Coming in it was easy with the familiarity with some of the players and the coaching staff. For my own personal sake I’ve started to turn the corner. It started in Buffalo and I’ve chipped away and got better every game and hopefully that continues forward until we win the whole thing this year.”
CALGARY, AB – MARCH 22, 2025: The Calgary Roughnecks against the San Diego Seals at Scotiabank Saddledome on Saturday. (Photo by Jenn Pierce/NLL)
The Riggers can clinch a playoff spot in a multitude of ways in the final week of the regular season but the easiest path is to win both games of their Friday (in Vegas) and Saturday (at home against Colorado) back-to-back.
Sykes says it’s all about them being focused and taking it one game at a time.
“We have to handle our own business,” Sykes said. “There are not really any favours being given out at this point in the year. We have to focus on the 25 guys we have in the locker-room and focus on what we can do.
“With a back-to-back it’s Vegas first, Colorado isn’t even in the mind. We play Vegas then once that game ends the focus will shift to Colorado but it’s just one game at a time from this point on.”
With the Riggers expecting another big crowd on Saturday against the Mammoth (TICKETS) Sykes reflected on the Rough House crowd and how exciting it would be to have playoff games back in Calgary.
“The crowds have been great,” he said. “It’s so cool to play in front of, the fans are so appreciative and understand the sport. They will let you know if you are doing a good job and they’ll let you know if you’re not doing a good job.
“It’s super exciting to play there in the regular season so I can only imagine what it could be like come playoff time.”
