Like Hockey But With Balls

No, I’m not being crass here.  That’s the 2013 promotional slogan for the Washington Stealth National Indoor Lacrosse League team that plays its home games at Comcast Arena, just down the road from us.  I had never been to a lacrosse game of any kind and it was their home opener so I thought I’d drop in and see what I could learn about it.

The Washington Stealth Play at Comcast Arena in Everett

Well, it is in fact like hockey with balls.  Instead of a puck, ice and skates we have a ball (that looks about the size of a tennis ball), artificial turf and tennis shoes.  And of course hockey sticks are replaced by a lacrosse stick with a small net at the end to hold the ball prior to passing or shooting.

Just as in hockey you have six players per side (including the goalie).  There are penalties for infractions as well as the occasional dust up.  There is also a 30 second shot clock to prevent teams from playing “keep away” and killing time to protect a lead.

Fans Toss Tennis Balls at the "Bulls Eye" in a Halftime Contest

The 6,500 fans in attendance obviously enjoyed the scoring pace, which is far greater than in hockey.  In this particular game the Stealth hung on to win 13-12 against the defending champion Rochester Knighthawks.  I may just have to go to another game or two this season.