‘Necks Win…Toth Sits
Frankly, the bigger headline from Sunday is part two of that header. Yes the Roughnecks did put up a hard fought and well-earned 12-9 win over the Coldorado Mammoth, but the stunner was on the roster sheet posted before the game with an ‘X’ through the name of the original Roughneck.
Call it a coach’s decision or a healthy scratch, whatever suits your delicate sensibilities but the fact is when the Roughnecks took the floor Sunday afternoon at the ‘Dome, Kaleb Toth was having a shower. The why at this point is little more than speculation, as all Troy Cordingley would offer after the game was “Team stuff,” when the question was asked.
By all accounts Toth it like a man, as you’d expect from an individual of this calibre. Cordingley wanted to point out that Toth was nothing if not a great teammate, not letting what would have to be a huge gut-shot stop him from supporting his teammates. No Jeremy Roenick cutting out for a steak and a beer here. Toth was in the dressing room afterwards, and franky I didn’t feel like bugging him with a lot of obvious questions. If that makes me a bad reporter so be it, this was a time I just felt like showing a little respect to a class guy who had to be hurting.
The easy answer as to ‘why’ is the brutal sports cliche of ’sending a message.’ Cordingley was openly critical of his club after Friday’s loss in Portland, telling the Sun’s Ian Busby he was sick and tired of hearing the talk being talked with the same old results. He wanted results and veteran leadership and hinted broadly that changes were coming. Sitting a guy like Toth, especially in a home game, sends a very special kind of message about how no one’s immune, and if your name’s on the gamesheet, you’d better produce or else.
Will Toth get a shot at redemption? Obviously. It’s a big enough shot to his pride and reputation to sit him. And for a man who’s done what he’s done for the team and for lacrosse in this city, I don’t think it’s unfair to say he’s owed a shot at reclaiming his spot. If he doesn’t take advantage of that, fair enough. Personally I’m not expecting effort and leadership to be a question the next time number 9’s back in the lineup.
Now, on to the game. Things didn’t look good early when the Mammoth built an early 2-0 lead, one on the power play, and one off a clear breakaway the likes of which we’ve seen all too often this year as a result of sloppy changes by the offense. More on that later. Couple that with a wall named Chris Levis sitting in for Gee Nash in the Mammoth net, and you had a 2-1 Coldorado lead after 15.
Despite that, there was a feeling in the air something was about to happen. The Roughnecks were playing with an edge, creating turnovers and battling for loose balls at both ends of the floor. Levis was astounding through the first half, blocking 22 of 27 Roughnecks shots and keeping his team in it until Nolan Heavenor got a bit of a cheapie when Levis was slow to come across on a nice pass from Curt Malawsky midway through the second quarter, tying the game and starting the locals on a 6-0 run that lasted into the third quarter. It was 10-4 after 45, at which point the ‘Necks decided it was time to sit back and play passive. Quarter 4 was way more exciting than it needed to be, due in past to a heavy press and often empty net from the Mammoth, but also due to a prevent mindset that has cost this team three possible wins this year and has to be driving Cordingley nuts. If not for a heroic effort by Pat Campbell in net, we could be telling a very different story.
But it’s hard to criticize a win. And harder still to criticize a game where there were a lot of positives, both individual and team. Consider:
-Campbell. After another blown 4th quarter Friday, the goaltender was the main reason this one didn’t get away. Early on with the visitors ahead and not a lot of work to keep him sharp, Campbell didn’t cough up any bad goals that could have taken the steam out of the attack. Throughout the afternoon, Campbell showed he didn’t mind wandering out of the net and mixing it up. All this from a guy who’s living with Crohn’s disease, and had to be feeling the effects of the weekend’s schedule.
-Nolan Heavenor. Seeing a lot more of the offensive end with Toth out, Heavenor showed a real touch around the net, bagging a hat trick and setting up one more.
-Lewis Ratcliff. Another Hat trick (ho-hum) including career goal number 200 on his patented behind the net bank off the goaltender move. He insists he’s about 3 for 5 on that this year, but I’d have to check!
-Andrew McBride. A mean, nasty, pesky, sonovabitch. In other words, the kind of player he has to be to be effective, and to be a leader on this team. At one point, he chased Coldorado’s Gavin Prout from one end of the Roughnecks’ zone to the other for an entire offensive rush. Looked like a terrier on a stick not letting a dangerous character get any kind of breathing room.
-The Defense. Pressure, pressure, pressure on the ball carrier. Battling for loose balls and forcing Coldorado to run out the shot clock with nothing to show for it time and again.
-The Offense. Passes completed that have been too often going astray this year. Great efforts to create opportunities from people like Scott Ranger. Winning one on one battles and driving to the net as he battled a bug that had hime hanging over the garbage can sporting a huge ice bag on his head after the game.
Just one beef on the offensive side and it’s one Troy Cordingley agrees with. Lazy changes led to several breakaways of the type too often seen this year. Cordingley says his attackers need to be more aware, with the guy nearest the bench heading off for a change as the shot clock ticks down, or off a turnover.
Two other absences from the roster that have to be noted. Tracey Kelusky took the warm up but still wasn’t ready to go. Devan Wray was also a scratch, and has looked at times like he’s struggling to adapt to the new defense. As with Toth, I’m sure he’ll get a shot, but will have to show more.
Off to Toronto next week for a date with the Rock. Beating that longtime nemesis would go a long way to getting the season back on the rails, but with 2-5 all time record At the ACC, it’s not going to be easy.