The New York Riptide will travel to the Scotiabank Saddledome to face off against the Calgary Roughnecks on Friday, February 2nd. The Riptide are winners of two straight and three of their last four games, after starting the season 0-3. Jeff Teat, Connor Kearnan, and Reilly O’Connor have all stepped their game up after a slow start to the season and are all ranked within the Top 20 for points in the NLL. Cameron Dunkerley has elevated his game recently, holding Lyle Thompson and the dangerous Swarm offense to eleven goals and just three in the second half last weekend. Calgary is coming off a Bye Week but fell to the Mammoth in their last outing on January 20th. This game will be broadcast on ESPN+ and TSN+ for anyone who cannot attend the game. In-game live updates will be posted on the team’s X account @newyorkriptide.
Riptide Back to Winning Ways:
The New York Riptide have found its stride and turned the corner after beginning the year 0-3. They have won their last two games against two of the top teams in the league, Buffalo and Georgia. The offense has played exceptionally well since the insertion of Stephen Keogh in the lineup. The 36-year-old has added experience and another threat to an already dangerous offense filled with shooters. Keogh has 12 points in three games with the Riptide, as the team is averaging 3.6 more goals per game with Keogh in the lineup. The Riptide are now sitting in the 10th spot in the standings, with the top 8 teams making the playoffs in the NLL’s new Unified Standings.
The Riptide defense and Cameron Dunkerley have elevated their game in the last couple of weeks to go alongside the hot offense. Callum Jones and Matt Marinier were everywhere in the last game against the Swarm, combining for six blocked shots to lighten the load on Cam Dunkerley. Callum Jones shed the rookie tag quickly this season and established himself as one of the top young defenders in the league, taking on the opponent’s top players, including Dhane Smith, Josh Byrne, and Lyle Thompson in the last two weeks.
Riptide Ranks in the NLL:
Jeff Teat, Connor Kearnan, and Reilly O’Connor are all having strong seasons, which have them ranked inside the Top 20 for points this year. Jeff Teat is currently third in the league in points, as well as third in the league in goals this year. Reilly O’Connor has flown up the NLL leaderboard in assists the last three weeks with 19 assists in his last three games, which is the most by any player in the league during that stretch. Connor Kearnan is in the Top 15 for goals and assists as well as points, as he was able to score his 200th point of his career in the last game against Georgia.
Jay Thorimbert is another player on the Riptide with his name near the top of the NLL in multiple categories. Jay is fourth in the NLL with 109 faceoff wins. The three faceoff men ahead of him (Joe Nardella, Trevor Baptiste, Jake Withers) have spent 15 years in the NLL combined; Jay Thorimbert is in his 15th season. The veteran has shown his ability to compete in his fifteenth season and not let time catch up to him.
Looking at the Roughnecks:
The Calgary Roughnecks are led on offense by Jesse King & Tanner Cook, who have combined for 60 points this season so far. After starting the season 0-2, the Roughnecks were able to rattle off two straight wins against the Desert Dogs and Warriors, winning both games by 5+ goals. The Roughnecks will have a doubleheader this weekend as they will play the Toronto Rock the next day after playing the Riptide. Sitting at 2-3, The Roughnecks can improve their playoff chances greatly if they are able to finish the weekend with two wins. Calgary will be looking at reigning MVP Christian Del Bianco to play his best games of the season if they want to finish the weekend undefeated. CDB has been extremely strong this year, saving that ball at just under 79%.
