THE CANADIAN PRESS
Matt King and Pat Campbell have both played well this season so the Calgary Roughnecks would be confident starting either in goal when the National Lacrosse League playoffs begin.
The Roughnecks (12-4) will play the visiting Colorado Mammoth (7-9) in a single-game elimination game Sunday.
In Calgary’s regular-season closer April 17, King went the distance and made 43 saves in a 12-9 road win over the Portland Lumberjax, so the 27-year-old Duncan, B.C., teacher will probably get the start Sunday.
Besides, Campbell has played some of his best lacrosse coming off the bench so it’s a system the Roughnecks will be comfortable maintaining.
“We’ve got two guys we’re very comfortable putting between the pipes,” says assistant coach Dave Pym.
Andrew Leyshon, 28, the former Calgary backup from Port Coquitlam, B.C., has been a standout for Colorado.
“Andrew is healthy and will be starting in Calgary,” says coach Bob McMahon.
The teams met twice during the regular season: Colorado won 13-12 at home on Feb. 14 and Calgary prevailed 13-10 at home on March 21.
“If you look back historically, our games are always very close,” Pym said during a coaches conference call Wednesday.
Mammoth vets Rich Catton of New Westminster, B.C., and Ray Guze of Surrey, B.C., have been added to an overcrowded injured list and are iffy for Sunday.
“It’s been a horror show,” McMahon said of his team’s season-long roster woes.
The No. 1 Roughnecks won the NLL title in 2004 and are hungry for a second.
“Our boys are chomping at the bit to get at it Sunday afternoon,” says Pym.
In the other West Division semifinal, the San Jose Stealth (7-9) are at Portland (9-7) on Friday night.
San Jose will start Vancouver resident and Dunville, Ont., native Matt Roik, 29, or rookie Tyler Richards, 22, of Vancouver. Richards’ goaltending heroics during the last month lifted the Stealth into the playoffs. Both played a half during a schedule-ending loss in Toronto. So, who starts the semi?
“Tyler had a good run in our last five or six games but, you know, you’ve got to make sure all your players are prepped,” says coach Chris Hall. “Heading into the playoffs we wanted to make sure both our goalies had seen action . . . and we haven’t made a decision yet” on who starts Friday.
Matt Disher, Portland’s No. 1 goalie, has had a worrisome right knee since hurting it during the all-star game and sat out the regular-season finale. The 32-year-old Vancouver insurance underwriter from Arthur, Ont., hasn’t played a complete game since April 10.
“He’ll be ready to go,” says GM-coach Derek Keenan.
Portland won the first two meetings this season and San Jose took the third. San Jose’s offence is led by NLL scoring champion Colin Doyle of Kitchener, Ont.
“They’ve got the best offensive talent in the league,” says Keenan. “We need to have our best defensive performance of the season.”
The East Division semis begin Friday with Rochester (7-9) at New York (10-6).
Pat O’Toole played so well for Rochester after rehabbing from a leg injury that he’s getting mention in MVP conversations. There is no way the Knighthawks are in the playoffs without the exceptional goaltending of the 37-year-old Torontonian.
New York’s Matt Vinc led all NLL goalies in minutes played, 916, and saves 609. The 26-year-old native of St. Catharines, Ont., was a key contributor in the Titans’ surge to first place in the division.
Playing in Madison Square Garden is a plus for the Titans since Rochester has won only one of its eight road games this year.
“After the first four games of the year we didn’t think this would be a possibility but the guys got it together and we’re happy to be here,” says coach Paul Gait.
New York beat Rochester twice, then lost captain Casey Powell to concussion symptoms, and fell to the Knighthawks in a third meeting. The American start is back now and the Titans are heavily favoured.
Boston (10-6) is at Buffalo (10-6) on Saturday night, when two of the pro game’s elite goalies will be at opposite ends of the floor.
Buffalo’s Ken Montour, the 29-year-old Six Nations goalie, led the NLL in goals-against average, 9.57, and save percentage, .813.
Boston’s Anthony Cosmo, the 31-year-old Mississauga, Ont., teacher, has been at the top of his game the last two months and his stats are nearly as good as those of Montour.
Buffalo lost its last two games including a 13-12 overtime squeaker at home against Boston on April 18, but the defending champions have the NLL’s highest-scoring lineup to compliment Montour’s goaltending.
Watch out for the Blazers though. They’re 6-2 on the road this year including that overtime thriller.