The Vancouver Stealth could not complete their late-season surge for a post-season berth.
The Stealth needed three things to happen this past weekend if they hoped to qualify for the National Lacrosse League playoffs, but that quest ended on the first step.
Vancouver needed to win twice while hoping Calgary lost their finale, but the Stealth lost 11-10 on Friday night in Denver against the Colorado Mammoth.
The Stealth then dropped a 14-6 decision the next night in Duluth, Georgia to the Georgia Swarm.
The two losses were a moot point anyways as Calgary edged Toronto 18-17 in overtime to claim the final playoff spot in the West Division.
Friday’s game against the Mammoth was a back-and-forth affair as neither team led by more than two goals.
The score was 2-2 after one quarter and 6-5 Mammoth at the half. Vancouver did surge ahead 8-7 after three quarters and then Rhys Duch made it 9-7 early in the fourth quarter. But the Mammoth would score four goals in a span of 4:39 to take the lead for good.
Corey Small got the Stealth within a goal with 89 seconds to play, but Vancouver could not get the equalizer.
Duch had a monster game with five goals and nine points while Small had four goals and six points.
The duo also combined for 34 shots on goal.
Logan Schuss (one goal, four assists) and Garrett Billings (five assists) also had multi-point games.
The Stealth had climbed back into contention with back-to-back victories and in both games, the team had gotten goals from their defence and transition. But that was not the case against the Mammoth as all 10 goals came from their forwards.
The Swarm were all over the Stealth early the next night, stinging the visitors for six goals in the opening period en route to the 14-6 win. With the win, Georgia clinched the final playoff spot in the East Division, completing a rise from worst overall in the nine-team NLL in 2015 to the post-season.
Joel McCready led the offence with two goals and a helper while Small and Schuss each had a goal and two helpers.
Duch had one goal and three assists and finished the season with 48 goals, 63 assists and 111 points.
All three were career highs for the 29-year-old and he finished fourth in the league in goals and fifth in points.
He also tied the franchise single-season goal record with Jeff Zywicki and the points record with Colin Doyle.
