Ravens deal Montreal first-ever loss, 17-13
Third quarter stumbles cost Express dearly
R.A. Philly (Outsider's Guide Editor in Chief)

The Vancouver Ravens parlayed a 4-1 third quarter into success in an otherwise even-up game, handing the Montreal Express its first loss in franchise history in a 17-13 decision Friday night at Molson Centre.

Opening goals from Montreal's Mat Giles and Joe Hiltz were quickly matched by strikes from Chris Gill and Jamey Bowen. The Express' Todd Richard and the newest Raven, Chris Prat, swapped goals, followed a minute later by Gill's second of the night. Darren Reisig made it 5-3 with five minutes to play, then Ted Dowling struck gold with under two minutes to play, ending the quarter with the Express trailing by a goal.

Just as in the opening frame, the Express initiated the scoring in the second quarter, on goals from Giles and Dowling. The 6-5 lead lasted less than forty-five seconds, and by the time a three-goal Raven run ended, the Express was down, 8-6. Brandon Sanderson, nephew of Express coach Terry Sanderson, scored his first-ever NLL goal to stop the bleeding momentarily, but the Ravens flew again just three minutes later, on goals from Ryan O'Connor and Grant Hamilton.

Richard and Hiltz combined to record three goals in the final two minutes of the half, carrying the Express from a 10-7 deficit to a 10-all tie at intermission.

After the break, though, the even, methodical pace of the game changed, with Ted Dowling wasting little time in putting the Express ahead, scoring just twenty-two seconds into the period and suggesting that Air Sanderson (with flights from goaltender Curtis Palidwor to all Express snipers departing every few minutes) might be flying again.

The notion that the league's top offense would be flying high again was soon stifled and never again seen. Dwane scored three-and-a-half minutes in, with the Ravens a man down. Bowen pushed the score to 12-10, and before the third quarter was done, Craig Stevenson had tacked on a goal and Dwane netted his third.

In the fourth quarter, Bruce Murray and Dowling traded goals just before the five-minute mark, and Hiltz tacked on a goal just past the midpoint of the period to make the score 15-13. Montreal never again scored, and goals from Dwane and Kevin Hanson iced the contest as a 17-13 decision.

The loss is the first in the brief history of the expansion Express, which won its initial three games, and drops Montreal to 3-1 at the quarter-mark of the season. Also a first-year team, the Ravens climb to 2-3 and a second-place tie with tonight's win.

"We're extremely disappointed," Dowling said after the game. "This is a game we should have won against a team we should have beaten. But that's what happens when people don't fill their roles."

For the Ravens, goaltender Dwight Maetche was the top player, halting the vaunted Express offense in its tracks. But don't tell that to Maetche.

"I don't know if I played that well," he said after stopping 51 of 64 Express shots. "I think the defence played really well in front of me, and they got stronger as the game went on. We were able to limit their scoring chances and get some players to take shots they maybe didn't want to take."

On the scoresheet, Dwane, Gill, and Stevenson led the visiting Ravens with four points apiece. Dowling and Hiltz each recorded four goals and an assist for Montreal, with Giles adding two goals and five assists and Tracey Kelusky contributing five helpers, but surprisingly, no goals.

The Ravens return to play on Sunday, 23 December, hosting the New Jersey Storm. The Express gets an extended Christmas break, sitting until an 11 January home game against the Columbus Landsharks.

Game Report reprinted with permission from The Outsider's Guide to the NLL. (Original text is here.)