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Stealth on brink of missing post-season

Latest loss leaves Vancouver Stealth with no room for error and needing lots of help in quest to return to NLL playoffs

The Vancouver Stealth have no margin for error after the struggling National Lacrosse League team suffered a seventh straight defeat.

The Stealth had a great start on Saturday night, jumping out to a 3-1 lead on the host Calgary Roughecks — the team they are trying to track down for the third and final playoff spot in the West Division.

But after that great opening 15 minutes, Vancouver was out-scored 13-4 over the next two quarters to fall 16-12 to the Roughnecks at Calgary's Scotiabank Saddledome.

"In the second and third (quarters) we made some really easy plays for them," Stealth coach Jamie Batley, told NLL.com.

"Our compete level wasn't on some loose balls and face-offs and they took advantage of it. We have to clean it up."

The Roughnecks gained 93 loose balls to Vancouver's 75 while also winning 22 of 32 face-offs.

The win improved Calgary to 7-9 while the Stealth fell to 3-11.

"We have to play 60 minutes. We haven't done that this last month," Batley said.

To make the post-season, Vancouver needs to win their remaining four games — including this Saturday when they host Calgary at the Langley Events Centre — while hoping the Roughnecks drop their season finale on April 30.

Corey Small led the Stealth offence with two goals and six assists while Logan Schuss (two goals, four assists), Rhys Duch (two goals, three assists), Keegan Bal (two goals, two assists) and Joel McCready (two goals, one assist) all had multi-goal games. Jordan Durston (one goal, two assists) and Thomas Hoggarth (one goal) had the other Stealth tallies.

Curtis Dickson (four goals, two assists) and Dane Dobbie (three goals, two assists) did the bulk of the damage for Calgary.

The Roughnecks outshot Vancouver 57-49.