Vancouver Warriors Secure Victory in Contentious NLL Matchup
The Vancouver Warriors emerged victorious with a 16-15 win over the Rochester Knighthawks in a National Lacrosse League game that was overshadowed by significant pre-game tensions and ongoing bad blood between the two teams. The match, played at Rogers Arena before an announced crowd of 9,349, featured multiple altercations and highlighted the lingering animosity from their previous encounter.
Pre-Game Altercation Sets Tone
The hostilities began even before the opening faceoff, with Vancouver's Jackson Suboch and Rochester's Tyler Biles engaging in a fight during warm-ups. Both players received game misconducts before the game officially started, setting a combative tone for the evening. The incident occurred without referees on the floor, which is standard NLL practice, and while youth lacrosse players were serving as ball boys on the turf.
Vancouver coach Curt Malawsky commented on the pre-game scrap, stating, "There was bantering back and forth and the tensions were high. After last week, we weren't happy. Our plan was to let our play do the talking. We weren't planning on doing that. Two guys who care about their teams got into it and they punched each other in the teeth a little bit."
Historical Context of Controversial Hits
The current tensions stem from an incident in their previous meeting, where Rochester goaltender Rylan Hartley received a match penalty for leaving his net to deliver a hard hit on Vancouver's Steph Charbonneau. Hartley received a one-game suspension that was automatically appealed by the players' association, allowing him to play in Saturday's game while awaiting a hearing.
This incident drew comparisons to a similar 2016 hit where Colorado Mammoth goaltender Alex Buque laid out Calgary's Karsen Leung, who subsequently missed a month with concussion symptoms and retired that summer. Malawsky, who coached Calgary at that time, expressed disappointment that Hartley hadn't reached out to check on Charbonneau's well-being after the controversial play.
Game Highlights and Milestone Achievement
Despite the physical nature of the game, Vancouver's Curtis Dickson delivered an outstanding performance, scoring seven goals and becoming just the fourth player in NLL history to surpass 600 career goals. The 37-year-old Port Coquitlam native now trails only John Tavares (815), John Grant, Jr. (668), and Gary Gait (635) on the all-time scoring list.
Dickson reflected on his achievement, saying, "It's a cool milestone that you'll be able to look back at the end of your career and be proud of. Obviously the teammates I've had have been a big part of that. I've been fortunate enough to play with a lot of really good players."
Continued Physical Play Throughout Game
The testy atmosphere persisted throughout the contest, with several additional incidents:
- Vancouver's Owen Grant collided with Hartley while chasing a loose ball, leading to a skirmish between Grant and Rochester's Matt Gilray
- Rochester's Chad Tutton received a rare kicking major during another altercation
- The game featured a combined 57 penalty minutes
Hartley's performance suffered under the pressure, as he was pulled before halftime after allowing 11 goals on 26 shots in just over 25 minutes of play. Backup goaltender Riley Hutchcraft replaced him for the remainder of the game.
Team Perspectives and Future Implications
Warriors forward Jesse King acknowledged the expected physicality, noting, "It was strange, but it was also a little expected. There was obviously some tension with what happened to one of our brothers last week." King also expressed satisfaction with Hartley's early exit, adding, "We were able to chase him out of the net and that's a pretty good success on our end."
The Warriors, now 6-2 on the season, continue to build toward what they hope will be a championship run. The team, owned by the Vancouver Canucks, has strengthened their roster with key free agent additions including Dickson and King, who contributed four goals and ten points in Saturday's victory.
Looking ahead, Vancouver faces the Saskatchewan Rush (8-1) in their next game, while questions remain about potential disciplinary actions for Suboch and the ongoing appeal process for Hartley's suspension. The two teams are not scheduled to meet again during the 18-game regular season, potentially allowing tensions to cool before any future matchups.
