Chris Gill scored four goals and Matt Dwane and Chris Prat added three goals each as the Vancouver Ravens defeated the Calgary Roughnecks, 17-9, Saturday afternoon at the Pengrowth Saddledome.

A packed house of 14,086 came in for the final regular season game featuring two clubs in opposite directions. Vancouver came in riding a six-game winning streak which had placed it into the playoffs, while Calgary had dropped eight games in a row entering the game.

Things started off in typical fashion, with Prat haunting his former fans forty seconds into the first quarter. It was expected to be a hard-hitting game, filled with old rivalries returning to the floor, and the penalty run began with Bruce Murray taking two minutes for holding in front of the Raven net.

However, the stunning Roughnecks offense wasn't able to click and Gill took a pass from Rich Catton to score shorthanded, putting the Vancouver club up 2-0. Matt Green then took a John Kilbride pass to get the Roughies on the board, before a scramble found Ravens goaltender Dwight Maetche far out of position, giving Todd Katanchik the chance to knot it up at two. Thirty seconds later, it was Ryan O'Conner taking the wind out of Calgary's sails, ending the first quarter scoring. Shots after fifteen minutes of action, including a Scott Forbes vs. AJ Smith tilt, were Roughnecks 15, Ravens 11.

Quarter number two started well for the Roughnecks, with Kaleb Toth finishing off a Jason Wulder pass to tie things up, but again, the Ravens had an answer. "The Answer" might be most commonly seen as basketball star Allen Iverson's nickname, but fans of the Simon Fraser hoops team have Peter Morgan to look up to. The 6'8" lacrosse star took a Jamey Bowen pass to put the Ravens back on top. Exactly sixty seconds later, Benny Prepchuk scored to keep things interesting, but again Morgan had an answer, faking Roughnecks goaltender Matt King to the far post before returning to the near post.

With the score 5-4, the wheels fell off the bus. Prepchuk made an amazing diving play which would've made Danny Stroup proud, but the top official waved it off for a crease violation. With Calgary serving a too many men penalty, Prat put home a dagger of a goal, stretching the lead to 6-4. That was as close as the Roughnecks would get for the rest of the game. Ryan O'Conner buried a bouncer past King to round out the first half scoring and send the Ravens to the room with a 7-4 lead.

The second half with Scott Wylie heading to the Vancouver crease to earn some pay in relief of Maetche. At the other end of the floor, Gill scored his second of the night 89 seconds into the period, followed by a Dwane tally. That goal chased Matt King from the Calgary crease and in came Edmonton native Grant MacLeod.

Captain Kaleb Toth tried to rally the troops with his power play goal after a Vancouver bench minor, but remember, he's a firefighter in training, not a general. Gill finished off his hat trick, but Jason Wulder replied to make it 10-6. However, like always, the Ravens had an answer, this time off the stick of Kevin Brunsch, who scored on a rocket of a shot. Mike Law, after having a hard time getting onto the scoresheet in the goal column, finally got one past MacLeod which led to another goaltender switch.

Jesse Phillips proved his speed was equal to that of newly-accquired Matt Oglesby and took a long rebound coast-to-coast, putting it in off the post. "Gill the Thrill" had enough in his tank to pot his fourth of the night before the biggest hit of the game came. Jason Wulder lined up a Vancouver transition player and firmly planted him into the turf but like the week before when Kyle Goundrey was sentenced to two minutes for hitting cleanly Jay earned a sin bin trip. That finished off the third quarter at 13-7, with neither team really interested in the game anymore.

The fourth quarter was a sham in all regards. Trouble with electronic equipment lead to more problems than just with the shot clock as things got out of control. Vancouver was called for an over and back violation after a thunderous shot missed the net and rebounded across the half line. Then, the shot clock did not reset while Calgary set up for possession in the Vancouver end, so instead of working with a thirty-second clock, the Roughnecks got the final eight seconds of the Vancouver possession.

Matt Green scored a goal that took more than eight seconds but much less than the thirty which should have been allotted. That goal was waved off and possession awarded to Vancouver. Dwane scored a goal after the top official, the technical official and the official in the penalty box blew the play dead because of problems with the shot clock, but the low official signaled it a goal and it stood.

Other goal scorers that quarter were Johnny Kilbride and Benny Prepchuk for Calgary while Chris Prat and Mike Law responded for Vancouver.

The Roughnecks fall to 4-12 with the loss, while the Ravens, now 10-6, head on the road for the playoff next week, at either Albany or Rochester.

BOX SUMMARY
                                      1  2  3  4     TOT
Vancouver Ravens (10-6)               3  4  6  4  --  17
Calgary Roughnecks (4-12)             2  2  3  2  --   9

VANCOUVER RAVENS              CALGARY ROUGHNECKS
               G - A   PTS                   G - A   PTS
Gill           4 - 2     6    Prepchuk       2 - 1     3
Prat           3 - 3     6    Toth           2 - 1     3
O'Connor       2 - 4     6    Kilbride       1 - 2     3
Morgan         2 - 3     5    Wulder         1 - 2     3
Brunsch        1 - 4     5    J Phillips     1 - 1     2
Bowen          0 - 4     4    K Goundrey     0 - 2     2
Dwane          3 - 0     3    Green          1 - 0     1
R Williams     0 - 3     3    Katanchik      1 - 0     1
Law            2 - 0     2    R Campbell     0 - 1     1
Catton         0 - 1     1    Panos          0 - 1     1
Reisig         0 - 1     1    
Sedgwick       0 - 1     1    

Shots on goal           53    Shots on goal           50
Saves made by (GA)      41    Saves made by (GA)      36
   Maetche (5)       21          King (13)         32
   Wylie (4)         20          MacLeod (4)        4
Penalties                7    Penalties                6
Penalty Minutes         20    Penalty Minutes         16
Power Play Chances       3    Power Play Chances       4
Power Play Goals         2    Power Play Goals         1
   Gill               1          Toth               1
   Prat               1
Shorthanded Goals        1    Shorthanded Goals        0
   Gill               1          (None)
Loose Balls             47    Loose Balls             62
   Bowen              5          K Goundrey         9
   Reisig             5          Oglesby            6
   Gill               4          J Phillips         6
   Law                4          Wulder             6
   B Murray           4          
Faceoffs Won            15    Faceoffs Won            15
   Reisig       (13-14)          Katanchik    (15-15)
   R Williams   ( 2- 1)

*** STATS OFFICIAL BY VERIFY WITH CALGARY ROUGHNECKS ***