VS. SASKATCHEWAN: Tonight marks the first of four regular season meetings between the Roughnecks and Rush. The two clubs last met in the 2016 West Division final. Saskatchewan picked up a pair of wins in the playoff series to advance to the championship round, en route to their second straight NLL title. Next meeting: Saturday, Feb. 25 at Saskatchewan (SaskTel Centre).
2016 Regular Season Series Recap
Calgary and Saskatchewan met four times during the 2016 regular season. The Rush swept the season series, outscoring the Roughnecks by a combined 52-40. Curtis Dickson (10g, 14a) led Calgary with 24 points against the Rush while Robert Church (10g, 13a) topped Saskatchewan with 23 points in the series.
Jan. 2/16 at CGY: SAS 10 CGY 8 … Calgary and Saskatchewan entered the fourth quarter tied 6-6.
Feb. 5/16 at SAS: SAS 19 CGY 12 … Six second-quarter goals by Zack Greer powered the Rush to victory.
Feb. 28/16 at CGY: SAS 12 CGY 11 (OT) … Zack Greer scored 5:04 seconds into OT, his second goal of the game.
Apr. 2/16 at SAS: SAS 11 CGY 9 … Mark Matthews led the Rush with three goals and three assists.
Shots on Goal: CGY 181 SAS 214
Power Plays: CGY 11-23 (47.8%) SAS 15-28 (53.6%)
All-Time Regular Season Records
All-Time: 26-14
All-Time in CGY: 10-8
All-Time in SAS: 16-6
Last CGY Win: Apr. 10/15, 9-8 at the Scotiabank Saddledome
Last SAS Win: Apr. 2/16, 11-9 at SaskTel Centre
2017 Regular Season Head-to-Head
Category
Roughnecks (3-1)
Rush (2-2)
Home Record
1-1
2-0
Away Record
2-0
0-2
Goals For
51
53
Goals Against
42
51
Power Play Pct.
55.00
61.29
Penalty Kill Pct.
51.72
55.56
Faceoffs Pct.
245
246
Loose Balls
50.91 (56-110)
47.46 (56-118)
Points Leader – Series
—
—
Points Leader – Season
Curtis Dickson (25)
Mark Matthews (31)
LEADER OF THE PACK: Jeff Shattler etched his name in franchise history last Saturday against the Mammoth. With a first-quarter assist, the 32-year-old forward became the franchise’s all-time leading scorer with 629 points. The previous mark of 628 was set by Kaleb Toth. Shattler, who is now in his 12th NLL season, has played 169 of his 170 career games with Calgary. Included in the club’s all-time scoring book are Dane Dobbie (597) and Curtis Dickson (467), ranked third and fifth, respectively.
WE MEET AGAIN: Tonight marks the first meeting between Riley Loewen and his former club following a September trade that saw Calgary acquire the 27-year-old forward from the Saskatchewan Rush in exchange for a second-round pick in the 2017 NLL Draft. Loewen, a two-time NLL champion (2014 and 2015), was originally selected by the Edmonton Rush in the second round, 11th overall, in 2013. He sits sixth in team scoring with seven points (3g, 4a) in four games with Calgary.
DID YOU KNOW?: Calgary is riding a three-game winning streak. The last time the Roughnecks strung together a trio of victories was from March11-25, 2016. Those wins included a 15-10 victory over Toronto (Mar. 11), a 13-9 triumph against Colorado (Mar. 19) and a 16-12 win over Georgia (Mar. 25). The team’s record for longest winning streak is six games, last achieved during the 2012 season from March 9 – April 6.
INSIDE THE STREAK: The Roughnecks have held a first-quarter advantage in their last three games, outscoring the opposition by a combined 15-7 … Calgary has allowed four or less goals in each of their last three fourth quarters … The Roughnecks have outscored their opponents in eight of their last 12 quarters … Calgary has led through 30 minutes of play in their last three contests.
GEARIN’ UP: Fans attending tonight’s game are encouraged to drop off new or gently-used lacrosse and hockey equipment at collection bins located around the concourse. The equipment, accepted until the end of halftime, will support Roughnecks EvenStrength, a financial aid program under the Calgary Roughnecks Foundation. Roughnecks EvenStrength, in partnership with KidSport Calgary and Comrie’s Sports Equipment Bank, alleviates financial hardship for deserving families to ensure equality for kids at any age of minor lacrosse. Funding is available, for qualified applicants, through KidSport Calgary while no-cost (gently used) equipment is available for qualified families through Comrie’s Sports Equipment Bank.
MR. 300: Roughnecks alternate captain Dane Dobbie recorded his 300th career NLL goal in Calgary’s 14-12 road win over the Colorado Mammoth on Jan. 20. Dobbie, who holds the club record for most goals (304), became the 25th player in league history to eclipse the 300-goal plateau and first player in team history to score all 300 goals as a member of the Roughnecks. Former NLL players who suited up for Calgary and reached 300 markers include Josh Sanderson (449), Lewis Ratcliff (440), Tracey Kelusky (383) and Kaleb Toth (315).
CENTURY CELEBRATION: Tyler Digby recorded a five-goal effort on Jan. 20 in Colorado, including the game winner, to reach 100 career goals in only his fourth NLL season. Calgary acquired the 25-year-old forward on Oct. 26, 2015, from the New England Black Wolves. In two seasons with the Roughnecks, he has tallied 76 points (40g, 36a) in 22 games.
GOING ONCE: The Roughnecks wore limited edition Star Wars-themed jerseys in last Saturday’s 12-8 home victory over Colorado. The one-of-a-kind professional jerseys featuring Luke Skywalker riding a tauntaun on the ice planet Hoth are up for bid at ElevateAuctions.com, with all proceeds directed to STARS Air Ambulance. The online auction will close at 8:00 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 12. Last season’s Star Wars Party jersey auction raised a site-best $24,900. The auction dollars combined with private donations saw a total of $25,200 directed to STARS.
SCORE FOR 44: The Roughnecks and MEG Energy have partnered to support Special Olympics Calgary, an organization committed to enriching the lives of Albertans with intellectual disabilities through sport. Score for 44, presented by MEG Energy, is a game day program that will see close to 150 Special Olympics athletes visit the Scotiabank Saddledome during the regular season. Score for 44 guests will receive tickets, customer t-shirts and concession vouchers along with the opportunity to meet Roughnecks forward Dane Dobbie for photos and autographs after each game.
COACH’S CORNER: Roughnecks alternate captain Dan MacRae is adding to his lacrosse resume after being named head coach of the OJALL’s Burlington Chiefs. MacRae is in his seventh season in Calgary. He was selected by the Roughnecks in the first round, sixth overall, in the 2010 NLL Draft. MacRae led all NLL defenders with 21 points (4g, 17a) last season.
DIVISIONAL DIET: Tonight marks the fifth consecutive West Division contest for the Roughnecks. Since opening the 2017 campaign at home against Vancouver on Jan. 6, Calgary has visited the Stealth (Jan. 14), travelled to Colorado (Jan. 20) then hosted the Mammoth last Saturday. The Roughnecks finished 3-8 against West Division opponents in 2016.
RECORD WHEN:
Leading entering second half.…..3-0 Outshooting opponent.…..2-0
Trailing entering second half.……0-1 Outshot………………………1-1
Tied entering second half……..…0-0 Shots are tied………………0-0
ROUGHNECKS BY THE MONTH: January (3-1).
ROUGHNECKS VS: (BUF 0-0), (COL 2-0), (GA 0-0), (NE 0-0), (ROC 0-0), (SAS 0-0), (TOR 0-0), (VAN 1-1).
TRADE WINDS: Sept. 20/16 – Acquired 27-year-old forward Riley Loewen from the Saskatchewan Rush in exchange for a second-round pick in the 2017 NLL Draft; Nov. 15/16 – Traded 23-year-old forward Reilly O’Connor to the New England Black Wolves in exchange for a second-round selection in 2017 NLL Draft.
