Toth slays Mammonth
Rigger scores game-winner with 19.6 seconds left
By TY PILSON -- Calgary Sun
Hometown boy Kaleb Toth provided the heroics for the Calgary Roughnecks last night, scoring five goals -- including the winner with 19.6 seconds left -- as the Riggers beat the Colorado Mammoth 14-13.
The goal silenced the massive crowd of 18,305 on hand at the Pepsi Centre as Calgary improved to 2-2 in National Lacrosse League play.
The Mammoth fell to 4-2.
"I just wanted to bury it. I was praying not to miss the net," said Toth, who doubled his season goal output to 10.
"I was just thinking here's a chance to put some icing on the cake, don't miss the net. Luckily for me, I didn't."
Lewis Ratcliff also had a big night for the Riggers with four goals, while Kyle Goundrey and Ted Dowling each had a pair. Andrew McBride rounded out the scoring for Calgary with his first career NLL goal.
Gary Gait led Colorado with four goals, while Gavin Prout had a hat-trick for the home side.
Curtis Palidwor was solid between the pipes for the Roughnecks making 34 saves and picking up the win.
"The whole game was tense," said Calgary head coach Chris Hall.
"But it really intensified at the end there. It's physically and mentally draining but it was an awesome finish.
"Kaleb had just a monster game. He got some huge goals and really stepped up."
Heading into the contest, Calgary had the second-worst goals-for and goals-against averages in the league.
Hall said in order to beat Colorado, he needed more production from his offence and better goaltending.
He got both last night.
"This was a tall mountain to climb, if you'll excuse the pun," said Hall.
"We got a great team effort. We talked about having the will to win and we had that will tonight."
Toth opened the scoring in the game and added another to help Calgary to a 4-1 lead after the first quarter.
Thanks to a boatload of powerplay chances, Colorado climbed back into the game and trailed 6-5 at the half.
The two teams had a see-saw battle in the second half exchanging goals until Del Halladay scored his second of the game with less than two minutes left to tie the tilt.
Then, with time ticking down, Toth went one-on-one with Prout and beat him to the net where he tucked the ball far side past Nash.
Toth was held to only one assist in a 14-10 loss to the Vancouver Ravens in Calgary's home opener last Sunday.
"After that Vancouver game when I got shut down, I had something to prove to myself and I owed the team a couple goals," said Toth.
The Roughnecks host the Arizona Sting tonight (7:30 p.m., 'Dome)
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CALGARY ROUGHNECKS: 14
COLORADO MAMMOTH: 13
