By: Omran Wahidy

Riley Loewen is back in Calgary and he’s stepping into a role that feels both familiar and fresh.

Returning to the Roughnecks after several standout seasons with the club from 2016 to 2019, Loewen sees this new chapter as a chance to make an immediate impact on a young, fast-moving offence.

With more than a decade in the NLL under his belt, he’s eager to contribute exactly what brought him success for more than 11 years.

“You know, for myself there’s a good opportunity to help the offence and have a good role here,” Loewen said.

The B.C. product is coming off a 41-point season with the Vancouver Warriors that saw him score 19 goals to go along with 22 assists. The message remains consistent – don’t change.

“I had a good conversation with (Roughnecks head coach) Josh (Sanderson),” said Loewen. “He stressed that I didn’t need to change my game, and that they’re bringing me in to do what I’ve been doing. So yeah, just excited to play with this young group. In the scrimmages I thought we played really well, the ball was moving really well on offence.”

At 36, Loewen becomes one of the veteran voices in a locker-room filled with young talent. It’s a dynamic he embraces, even if he isn’t the loudest presence.

“I think that’s just natural being the oldest player on the team, probably by quite a bit,” he said. “I’ve always felt like a leader on the floor. I may not be the most vocal, like a captain or whatever it would be, but I definitely enjoy helping out the younger guys, especially when I can.

“I lead more by example in just the way I play,” he continued. “I try to play as hard as I can. I play for my teammates and do whatever it takes to win, that’s always been my approach. The individual accolades and the stats, that’s never really been super important to me. Obviously I want to score and get points to help the team win, but I feel like there’s a lot of other ways I can help that don’t show up on the stat sheet.”

Drawing from 2019

Loewen’s previous stint in Calgary included one of the most memorable moments in franchise history – the 2019 NLL Championship, the second title-clinching game in the best-of-three series he still remembers as one of the greatest of his career.

“The craziest lacrosse game I’ve ever been a part of, like one of the best games I’ve ever been a part of,” he said.

He recalls the final play with total clarity.

“We just ran a set play basically,” he recalled. “We got into that position and Jesse passed it over to me. I was just running our play, swinging the ball over, and then Rhys (Duch) didn’t really run the play, he just saw an opportunity to shoot and had been going far side on (Matt) Vinc all game, and on that shot he decided to stick it short side low and it went in. And then … yeah, just chaos after that.”

The energy inside the Scotiabank Saddledome made the moment even more unforgettable.

“We had 18,000 or something like that, so it was crazy. You just feed off their energy. It was a pretty back-and-forth game, momentum swings, and obviously the fans kept us in it, and then the celebration after was incredible.”

Loewen has won three NLL championships, all at home, but he ranks Calgary’s 2019 title at the top.

“I say 2019’s the biggest, just the way it ended and being at home with the fans, just incredible.”

It’s a run he can use as a teaching point for the younger Roughnecks.

“I think we only finished the year just above .500 or not even, so it wasn’t really until the end of the year we went on a run right before playoffs,” he said. “I just relay that to the younger guys, you know, it takes a little time to get going in this league. The margin for error is so small and there’s so much parity. It’s a tough, tough league.”

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