It was fitting that Journey’s Don’t Stop Believin’ was blaring from the speakers moments after Saturday’s crucial Vancouver Stealth victory.
As the fans stood and cheered — something they have not done much of since the team arrived at the Langley Events Centre in 2014 — the players were all smiles.
But that belief in their team was finally rewarded.
The Stealth had just qualified for the National Lacrosse League post-season — their first playoff appearance since coming to Langley from Everett, Wash. — with a huge 13-7 win over the Colorado Mammoth.
I've never heard the @LangleyEvents centre so loud, what a game
— Chris (@HowlingCanuck) April 23, 2017
@StealthLAX Great game! Great atmosphere at @LangleyEvents ! Great result! Bring on the playoffs!
— Tony Hrkac (@tonyhrkac) April 23, 2017
Congratulations!!!! @StealthLAX for making the @NLL playoffs for the first time since moving to @LangleyEvents. #Stealthlax #NLL #YVR
— Lacrosse In BC (@LacrosseBC) April 23, 2017
Proud to be a stealth fan!!! Way to go boys! #VancouverStealth #beastmode #playoffsbaby @StealthLAX
— Steph (@steffgracel) April 23, 2017
Not many would have seen this coming after Vancouver began the season 3-6, including winless in four home games at the LEC.
The last of those losses was a 12-8 setback to the Rochester Knighthawks, with the visitors (who were in last place in the nine-team league at the time) scoring six times in the fourth quarter for the comeback victory.
The loss prompted a lengthy-closed door meeting for the Stealth before they came out to meet the media.
Since that game, Vancouver has gone 5-3, including winning four of their five home games. At 8-9 and with one regular season game remaining, they sit a game back of Colorado (9-8), although the Stealth hold the tiebreaker having won the season series, three games to one.
“We know those games that we were losing were close and we had an opportunity and we just couldn’t finish them out,” said Stealth coach Jamie Batley, following Saturday’s playoff-clinching victory.
“We finally just believed in ourselves.”
Batley took over behind the bench midway through last season, transforming the team to one which is much stronger defensively and more persistent in the transition game.
Through the first half of the season, the coach said one aspect of the team’s game would always be off but now the they seem to have brought it all together.
“The guys knew sticking to the systems would pay off,” he said.
Qualifying for the post-season is a huge relief for the players, especially with so many of them from the Lower Mainland and Victoria (14 of 25).
“It is a special feeling. A couple of the guys were getting a little emotional inside the dressing room,” said Ladner’s Logan Schuss, who seems to have found his offensive game the past two weeks with a combined eight goals and dozen points. He had just three goals and 17 points in his previous six games combined.
“We gave the game ball to owner Denise Watkins.”
A big key to the Stealth’s success has been goaltending and defence.
Tye Belanger, an off-season acquisition, now leads the NLL in save percentage (.795) after coming through with a 52-save performance on Saturday night.
In addition to the 59 shots that were on target, Colorado had another 36 shot attempts that either missed the target or were blocked.
“The defence was playing aggressive in front of me and were soaking a lot of shots and getting into the shooting lanes,” Belanger said. “(And) they were laying their body out on the line and I appreciate that.”
“Right now, we have ticked off making the playoffs and it is really exciting,” he said.
“Hopefully we can persuade the fans to start coming out again because now we have a team that is turning the corner here.”
Heading into this weekend’s regular season finale, one thing is certain: Vancouver and Colorado will meet next week in the West Division one-game semifinal. All that remains to be determined is where the game will be contested.
Should Vancouver win on the road in New England (8-9) and were the Mammoth to lose at home to Saskatchewan (11-5), then the game would be played at the LEC. If not, it will be in Denver.
The winner faces Saskatchewan in a best-of-three for the West Division title.
Vancouver or Colorado would host the first game with the second in Saskatoon. Should the series be tied at one, the teams would play a 10-minute mini-game immediately following game two.
$30K for Fund
During Saturday’s game, Stealth owner Denise Watkins and team president and general manager Doug Locker presented a $30,000 cheque to the Lacrosse on the Move Fund. The money was raised through 50/50 draws and a jersey auction earlier this month.
Since 2014, the Stealth have raised more than $125,000 for the fund, which helps off-set costs for minor lacrosse teams and athletes who are travelling to provincial and national championships.
