Busy weekend for Stealth

Vancouver Stealth players will likely need to have ice bags handy late Saturday.

Langley’s National Lacrosse League team plays back-to-back this weekend, hosting the Colorado Mammoth Friday at the Langley Events Centre before visiting the Saddledome in Calgary on Saturday for a date with the Roughnecks.

During a media conference call Wednesday morning, Stealth head coach Chris Hall said fatigue won’t be an factor against the Roughnecks.

He noted that NLL teams occasionally play back-to-back games during the season, and many the players in the pro league are conditioned to play two contests in a row, which is common during their Western Lacrosse Association senior A seasons.

Saturday’s meeting will be the first between the teams since the Stealth edged the Roughnecks 14-13 in the 2013 NLL West Division Final at the Saddledome last spring.

“It’s tough playing Calgary,” Hall said. “It’s going to be a battle. It’s going to be a war.”

The Stealth is coming off an emotional 8-5 win over the Minnesota Swarm in their home opener last Saturday at the LEC.

Hall reflected on last Saturday’s win: “It was a good game for us. We probably had a bit of pressure on us, more so than the opposition. It was a start-up game for the franchise, and there was a lot of anticipation in the building, a lot of anticipation in the area about the NLL’s return to Vancouver.”

Hall felt the Stealth players felt some early game jitters but managed to get through “those pretty easily.”

He described the game as an “exciting night with a lot of energy. It was a fast and furious game, lots of rock ’em sock ’em.”

Stealth transition player Ilija Gajic added, “It was great to get the win, that’s for sure.”

Vancouver will be looking for revenge Friday at the LEC, after losing 13-12 to the host Mammoth in its season opener on Jan. 4.

Friday’s home game has an 8 p.m. start time.

Tickets are available at stealthlax.com or at the LEC box office.