Roughnecks Win As Ottawa Offense Sputters Again

Roughnecks Win Week 10
Photo Credit: Reuben Polansky-Shapiro / NLL

“Muffler” Mike Kostiuk – Senior Correspondent, All Lacrosse All The Time

The Calgary Roughnecks and Ottawa Black Bears met in a crucial Week 10 matchup Friday night at the Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa. Both teams were coming off losses in Week 9, and looking to stay in the upper half the Unified Standings. Six-point nights from Jesse King and Tyler Pace helped the Roughnecks pull away in the second half for an 11-8 win. Calgary improves to 4-3, jumping into a tie for 5th place in the standings. The Roughnecks have another crucial road game against Vancouver in Week 11. Ottawa drops to 4-4, tied with Vancouver for 7th place; they are off next week before traveling to Albany in Week 12.

Roughnecks

Pace’s hat trick gives Roughnecks slim first half lead

Calgary took control in the first quarter, getting out to a 3-0 lead on a pair of goals from Pace (2:39; 11:53) and a marker from Tanner Cook (8:27). Jacob Dunbar scored late (13:08) to break the run and get the Black Bears on the board, but they trailed 3-1 after 15 minutes. Reed Kurtz scored in transition for Ottawa to start the second quarter (0:52), making it 3-2. Pace netted his hat-trick goal 27 seconds later, but Dunbar’s second goal (8:16) kept it a one-goal game, 4-3, going into halftime.

Roughnecks pull away in third quarter

Jesse King (2:23) briefly restored a two goal-lead for Calgary, but Taggart Clark (6:48) pulled Ottawa back within one. King responded by tacking on two more goals (8:10; 9:14 power play) for a 7-4 Roughnecks lead going into the fourth quarter. Curtis Dickson then scored 31 seconds into the final frame to double up the Black Bears, 8-4.

Clark’s second goal of the game (4:10) was answered by Pace’s fourth (5:09). Goals from Dunbar (8:45) and Larson Sundown (13:41) closed the gap to 9-7. Dickson scored his second on a crease dive (14:08) to push the lead back to three. The goal held up after a mandatory review. Ottawa again narrowed the margin to two on a goal from Connor Kearnan (14:33), but Robert Hudson buried one into an empty net with 11 seconds remaining to close the book on the Roughnecks’ win.

Other Stats of Note

Roughnecks: Pace (4g, 2a); King (3g, 3a); Dickson (2g, 3a); Cook (1g, 2a); Eli Salama (2a); Jack Follows (2a)

Black Bears: Dunbar (3g, 1a); Clark (2g); C. Kearnan (1g, 2a); Sundown (1g, 1a); Eric Fannell (4a); Jeff Teat (3a)

Power Play: CGY 1 for 4; OTT 0 for 2

Reed Kurtz (OTT): 1g, 1a, 9 Loose Balls (led all players)

Cam MacLeod (CGY): 36 saves; Zach Higgins (OTT): 33 saves

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