By Tom Hoffman
In the end it was a 6-1 fourth quarter and three shorthanded
goals that did in the Philadelphia Wings.
A huge turning point though in the Wings 13-9 loss Friday to the Calgary
Roughnecks may have been a crease violation that stopped momentum the Wings carried
from the third stanza.
The Wings and Roughnecks were sloppy and physical in their
play but managed to keep the game close through the game first 45 minutes. An early three goal Calgary lead was quickly
overcome and after the Roughnecks added the game’s next two scores to lead 5-3
the Wings offense suddenly became the Pat Saunders show. Saunders would score the game’s next four
goals to give the Wings their first lead of the night at 7-5. Calgary would score the next two goals, the
second with 13 seconds to play in the third, and looked like they would be all
even at seven entering the final period but the Wings CJ Costabile would score
his first National Lacrosse League goal with three seconds left in the third to
give the Wings an 8-7 lead heading to the final frame. That’s when the momentum died.
A long distance blast from Jordan Hall that would’ve given the
Wings a 9-7 cushion was called back after the officials called the Wings for a
crease violation. Calgary took advantage
and scored the next four goals to take an 11-8 lead. Former Roughneck Tracey Kelusky put one past
Calgary keeper Mike Poulin to cut the deficit to a pair but an ill timed
holding call to Wings Captain Brodie Merrill led to a Dane Dobbie power play
goal that would put the game out of reach.
An empty net score by former Wing Geoff Snider was the final nail.
The loss slightly hurts the Wings playoff chances but a
Toronto Rock loss Saturday in Vancouver would keep both teams tied for third
when the Wings and Rock meet next weekend in Toronto with the playoff spot and
tiebreaker on the line. The Wings did
get some help Friday at the Rochester Knighthawks won in overtime at Minnesota
and with those to meeting again Saturday in Rochester another Knighthawk win
would put the Swarm one game closer to elimination. A win in Toronto would then put the Wings one
step closer to a third straight postseason berth. But to get that win the Wings will need to
avoid the one bad quarter that has seemed to plague them all season.
For the Wings, the playoffs have unofficially begun.
