This season, the Vancouver Warriors (4-4) have shown that grit and relentlessness are in their DNA. But when fueled by thousands of roaring Warriors fans inside Rogers Arena, that intensity reaches another level. With the ultimate homegrown advantage on their side on Friday, the Warriors will look to add another win against the Calgary Roughnecks (4-3).
Last weekend, the Warriors traveled to snowy Halifax to face the Thunderbirds. Despite a hard-fought 10-9 loss, there were plenty of positives to take away, including another standout performance from Aden Walsh. The young netminder remains among the NLL’s top goaltenders, holding a 9.15 goals-against average and a .800 save percentage. In Friday’s game, Walsh turned aside 43 shots.
Another area of strength was the faceoff circle, where Alec Stathakis won 16 of 23 draws. Offensively, Kevin Crowley and Ryan Martel each netted two goals, Keegan Bal racked up four points (1G, 3A), and Adam Charalambides managed six points (1G, 5A).
The Roughnecks are heading into their second straight road game after a victory in Ottawa against the Black Bears. Tyler Pace set the tone, opening the scoring before finishing with four goals and two assists. The usual suspects, Jesse King (3G, 3A) and Curtis Dickson (2G, 3A), also made their mark. In net, Cam MacLeod backed the win with 36 saves and eight goals allowed.
Historically, the Roughnecks have held the upper hand in this matchup, with Vancouver going 3-9 against them since 2018, including the Warriors never having beaten Calgary at Rogers Arena. However, many of those years saw Head Coach and General Manager Curt Malawsky behind the Calgary bench. This season, the Warriors took down the Roughnecks in Calgary’s home opener, and they’ll look to do it again on Friday.
The first meeting of the season between the Warriors and Roughnecks was a gritty battle, with Vancouver coming out on top 14-10. The Warriors’ defence was locked in, blocking 15 shots to Calgary’s four, with multiple players sacrificing their bodies to secure the win. Matt Beers even took a shot to the neck, while Jackson Suboch absorbed one to the shoulder. Sacrifice has been a theme for the Warriors, Owen Grant as a prime example as he continues to make an impact with 14 blocked shots this season, tying him for fourth in the league.
While the Warriors have the edge defensively, Calgary boasts a potent offensive attack, particularly on the power play. King leads the league in power play assists (14) and power play points (18), while Curtis Dickson ranks fourth in power play goals (7).
One Roughneck who holds a strong track record against Vancouver is Tyler Pace. In 12 games against the Warriors, he has collected 53 points (17G, 36A). King also thrives in this matchup, totaling 50 points (19G, 31A) in nine games.
On the Warriors’ side, Bal has been a constant threat against the Roughnecks. In 12 games Bal has accumulated 47 points (19G, 28A). On top of that, Bal has netted three of four game-winning goals this season, one of which was against Calgary.
B.C.-born talent runs deep on the Roughnecks roster, with nearly half the team hailing from the Greater Vancouver area. This includes Nanaimo’s Colby Bowman, Langley’s Reece Callies, Victoria’s Griffin Hall and Jesse King, Coquitlam’s Pace, Eli Salama, and Ethan Ticehurst, Port Coquitlam’s Dickson, Surrey’s Caelan Mander, and Delta’s Haiden Dickson.
The Vancouver Warriors are chasing their eighth straight home win. Be there to witness the action live by grabbing your tickets here, or catch the game on NLL+ and TSN+.
