Minnesota Swarm (0-1 H 0-0 A 0-1)

Calgary Roughnecks (1-0 H 1-0 A 0-0)

New Look Swarm Look Like 2009 Look Swarm in Loss to Roughnecks

Sunday, January 10, 2010
Calgary, Alberta
Attendance: 8,112

Eignt new players suited up for the Minnesota Swarm on Sunday afternoon in Calgary as they started their 2010 season but just like twice last year, the Swarm were outmatched by the defending NLL champions as they fell to the Roughnecks by a score of 12-7.

The Swarm came out strong to start as Andrew Watt got the first goal of the season for the team on a breakaway. He reached back one handed to snag the outlet from Ryan Cousins and went in full stride to tie the game up at 1-1. Definitely the hightlight goal of the game for the Swarm. Aaron Wilson got the Swarm their only lead of the game when he got a no look pass from Ryan Benesch on the crease and put it past Makk King. Jeff Moleski tied it up by the end of thw quarter for the Necks on a breakaway.

The second quarter started badly as Calgary scored four straight goals. Josh Sanderson was in on all four as he got two of the goals and assisted on the other two. The goals show how well Calgary executes the pick and roll and how Sanderson can get free behind the much larger defenders of the Swarm. During this stretch, Patterson left briefly after tended to by the trainer, but came back after Kevin Croswell gave up the goal to make it 6-2. Benesch answered with two straight goals, his first with the Swarm. The first goal he scooped up a loosie in front of the net and put it in. The second goal, Benesch, got it through King's five hole. The Swarm did get on the power play with 40 seconds left in the quarter and had good chances as the clock wound down but were unable to draw the game within one.

The Swarm opened the third on the power play but were unable to convert. They did; however, get the next goal of the game as first round pick Zack Greer got his first NLL goal on a feed from Callum Crawford. Crawford, behind the net, found Greer open briefly and Greer launch the outside with a guy draped over him for the goal. After a breakaway goal by Curtis Manning to put the Necks back up by one, Wilson got his second of the game when he reached down low with a side arm ripper past King to get the Swarm within one at 6-7. That was as close as the Swarm would get as the Necks rattled off three straight as Sanderson again controlled the action with a goal and two assists in the rally. Calgary's Manning committed a check from behind with six seconds left in the third putting the Swarm up on the power play. Crawford started the play, passed quickly to Greer who then found Sean Thomson right on the crease for the goal with 1.2 seconds left. So at the end of the quarter, the Swarm were down 10-7.

Calgary shut down the Swarm in the final quarter. The killer goal came quickly for the Necks as Scott Ranger went unmolested to the net on the flank of the Swarm defesne to score just 42 seconds into the quarter. It was an obvious breakdown in the defense which Ranger exploited. Cousins was called twice on penalties during the first half of the quarter which exposed them to the Calgary power play which burned them for the last goal of the game when Dane Dobbie's goal was initially stopped by Patterson but rolled away and over the goal line. Crawford did get a goal late with a shot from behind the net but it was waived off after the review show his foot on the crease. That then sealed the final score at 12-7 in favor of Calgary.

Benesch led the Swarm with two goals and three assists in his first game with the Swarm. Crawford had three assists and Wilson had two goals and an assist. Sanderson torched the Swarm for four goals and six assists to lead Calgary. Patterson did well in goal making 34 saves on 45 shots and Croswell in his minute of play made one save on two shots. King went the entire way for the Roughnecks making 38 saves on 45 shots.

Benesch would get my nod as offensive player of the game for the Swarm while Eric Pacey looked very good on defense in his first action for the Swarm since the Colorado game on March 20, 2009.

Game Links

Next Games After This Match Up

• Minnesota vs Calgary - Friday, January 15th, 2010 7:35 pm Central
• Calgary at Minnesota - Friday, January 15th, 2010 7:35 pm Central