Athan Iannucci gets to play the NLL final in his WLA home rink. (www.stealthlax.com)
The National Lacrosse League is making another pitstop in Langley, but this time it’s not some exhibition game that has no barring on the standings.
It’s the exact opposite, in fact.
The Washington Stealth beat the Calgary Roughnecks 14-13 Saturday afternoon at the Saddledome to win the West Division crown, and will host the East champion Rochester Knighthawks in the NLL title tilt next Saturday.
Since their home digs in Everett are already booked, the Stealth are moving the game to the Langley Events Centre. It will be a 4 p.m. start.
“I would say it is very disappointing [to have to move the game] for our fans that can’t make it,” Stealth president David Takata told the Everett Herald. “Particularly our season-ticket holders that have supported the team so much.”
The 5,500-seat LEC has been home to NLL preseason games the past two years, with the Roughnecks facing the Colorado Mammoth this past December and the Stealth taking on the Toronto Rock there leading up to the 2012 campaign.
The exhibition games have been a result of LEC officials pushing to get a team in the league. The Lower Mainland last had an NLL team in 2004, when the Vancouver Ravens folded after their last of three cash-strapped seasons.
League officials have said that the Vancouver area remains a priority, but they plan to be extra careful after what happened to the Ravens.
An estimated third of players from the league’s nine teams are either from B.C. or play in the summertime Western Lacrosse Association. The Stealth’s 23-man active rosters lists 15 players with ties to this province, including Mike Grimes, Lewis Ratcliff and Athan Iannucci, who are all members of the Langley Thunder, the WLA team based out of LEC.
Other players familiar to WLA fans include New Westminster Salmonbellies star goalie Tyler Richards and Victoria Shamrock product Rhys Duch.
The Knighthawks, the reigning league champions, are led by goalie Matt Vinc, who is slated to play in Victoria this summer, as well as brothers Dan and Paul Dawson, who have both played for the Shamrocks in the past.
The Knighthawks beat the Minnesota Swarm 12-10 earlier Saturday to advance.
Calgary (9-7) edged out Washington (9-7) for top spot in the West in league play thanks to a better divisional record, while Rochester (8-8) finished second to the Rock (10-8) in the East. The Rock were upset by the Swarm (7-9) in the opening playoff round.
According to the Herald, Comcast Arena in Everett is booked Friday and Saturday with a Christian youth conference entitled “Acquire the Fire,” and then “Cirque Zuma Zuma,” on Sunday.
The Stealth looked at other venues in Washington, but couldn’t find one with an open time slot capable of hosting lacrosse. The game couldn’t be moved to another day, according to Takata, because it’s already booked on the CBS Sports Network, which is broadcasting the tilt.
Tickets are available through Ticketmaster and http://www.stealthlax.com and at the LEC box office.
