Led by four goals each from Peter Morgan and Chris Prat, the Vancouver Ravens secured a playoff berth in its first season by defeating expansion brethren Calgary Roughnecks, 17-10, Saturday night at General Motors Place.

Both teams started the game with strong defence, but at just about the three-minute mark, Ryan O'Conner slipped one by Matt King, giving the Ravens a 1-0 lead. Calgary's Jesse Phillips answered back with a shot to the stick side, assisted by Ryan Campbell, while Vancouver's Grant Hamilton was in the box for a holding call.

It remained a close game until midway through the second period, when Vancouver scored five goals in the next three minutes, with Chris Gill, Kevin Brunsch, Morgan, O'Connor, and Prat combining to put the Ravens up by a 7-3 score at intermission.

Shamus Outsider's Guide   Calgary defenseman Jesse Phillips sets up a fourth-quarter Roughnecks possession.

Vancouver continued bombarding King in the third quarter, scoring five more goals on fourteen shots. This time, Morgan had a pair, Gill and Prat added a goal apiece, and Jamey Bowen scored the first of his two goals on the night. Only a Kyle Goundrey goal late in the quarter kept it from being a whitewash for the Ravens, who led after three, 12-4.

The Roughnecks scored six goals in the fourth quarter, threatening a comeback when goals from Ben Prepchuk, Todd Katanchik, Kaleb Toth, and Prepchuk again brought Calgary to within five, 13-8. However, there was not enough time to seriously threaten, especially after Dwane, Prat and Morgan teamed up for four more goals to put the game out of reach, 17-10.

The play of the game came from Toth, when the former Toronto Rock star beat veteran goaltender Dwight Maetche with a beautiful right-to-left dive shot in front of the crease. The goal, scored with Toth flying parallel to the turf, made the score 13-7.

One thing Calgary has done near the end of the season is to beef up its defense, giving the Roughnecks a much-needed new look for the 2002-2003 season if they stick with it.

The Players of the Game were Prepchuk (three goals, two assists) and Prat (four goals, five assists).

The win clinched a playoff spot for the Ravens, now 9-6, although their seed has not been determined. If Vancouver wins the second game of this home-and-home series with Calgary, a week from tonight at the Pengrowth Saddledome, the Ravens will be the fifth seed and will visit the second-place team from the Central Division (Rochester or Albany) in the quarterfinals. A loss, depending on the results of other games next week, would result in either the fifth or sixth seed.

The Roughnecks fall to 4-11 and have been out of the playoff race for several weeks now.

BOX SUMMARY
                                      1  2  3  4     TOT
Calgary Roughnecks (4-11)             2  1  1  6  --  10
Vancouver Ravens (9-6)                2  5  5  5  --  17

CALGARY ROUGHNECKS            VANCOUVER RAVENS
               G - A   PTS                   G - A   PTS
Prepchuk       3 - 2     5    Prat           4 - 5     9
K Goundrey     1 - 4     5    Morgan         4 - 3     7
Panos          0 - 4     4    Bowen          2 - 5     7
Wulder         2 - 1     3    Gill           2 - 4     6
J Phillips     1 - 1     2    O'Connor       2 - 3     5
Toth           1 - 1     2    Catton         0 - 3     3
Ogelsby        0 - 2     2    Brunch         1 - 1     2
Green          1 - 0     1    Dwane          1 - 1     2
Katanchik      1 - 0     1    Leies          1 - 1     2
R Campbell     0 - 1     1    Hamilton       0 - 1     1
Kilbride       0 - 1     1    Law            0 - 1     1
                              B Murray       0 - 1     1
                              Stewardson     0 - 1     1

Shots on goal           39    Shots on goal           61
Saves made by (GA)      44    Saves made by (GA)      29
   King (13)         33          Maetche (10)      29
   MacLeod (4)       11
Penalties               15    Penalties               11
Penalty Minutes         30    Penalty Minutes         28
Power Play Chances       9    Power Play Chances      10
Power Play Goals         6    Power Play Goals         7
   Wulder             2          Morgan             3
   K Goundrey         1          Prat               2
   Katanchik          1          Gill               1
   J Phillips         1          O'Connor           1
   Prepchuk           1          
Shorthanded Goals        0    Shorthanded Goals        1
   (None)                        Gill               1
Loose Balls             52    Loose Balls             63
   Oglesby           10          Maetche            9
   J Phillips        10          Reisig             7
   Springett          6          Hamilton           6
Faceoffs Won            15    Faceoffs Won            13
   Katanchik    (15-13)          Reisig       (12-15)
                                 Stewardson   ( 1- 0)

 *** STATS OFFICIAL BY VERIFY WITH VANCOUVER RAVENS ***