Roughnecks get timely sophomore season from sniper Tanner Cook
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Tanner Cook made it crystal clear when asked about his career night in the National Lacrosse League.
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He’d rather talk about his teammates than himself after he turned a sock-trick in the Calgary Roughnecks’ 14-6 road smash of the Saskatchewan Rush in Week 17.
In fact, his six goals came second to all of the others tallied by the club in last Saturday’s smack-down in ’Toon Town.
“My favourite goal of the night was Curtis Manning putting one in,” said Cook of the veteran defender’s rare snipe — his second of the season to cap a two-on-one in transition with Jeff Cornwall.
“But … nah … I don’t have a favourite goal of mine.”
Truth is they were all beauts where the Roughnecks are concerned, made even more attractive by the fact he’s now got a whopping 25 on the 2022-23 NLL campaign, boosting Cook to second on the team in tallies behind Jesse King and his 32 total.
Indeed, given the circumstances — with Cook being just an NLL sophomore, and the club having lost the 521 career goals of Curtis Dickson in the off-season — his sensational second-year scoring is quite the pretty sight.
“Cookie got his minutes elevated when we had some departures,” said Roughnecks head coach Curt Malawsky of his 24-year-old forward. “He’s a kid that we targeted (as the fifth overall pick in the 2020 NLL Draft). He just had to believe that he could get it done in the National Lacrosse League. Anytime we’ve run an offence here in Calgary, it’s always an inside-outside offence, and he’s perfect for that. He’s fearless, and he’s got great finish.”
He’s got great timing, too, ramping it up with the Roughnecks (10-4) preparing for a pivotal Western Conference battle — actually one for top spot — with Dickson and the San Diego Seals (10-3) on Friday night in Southern California (8 p.m., TSN.ca).
It’s possible the Riggers can also clinch a playoff berth with a victory, as well.
“Just worry about us and what we do, and we’ve been successful,” said Cook, when asked to look at Friday’s challenge. “If we do that on the weekend, we’ll have some success.”
Just as Cook himself showed last Saturday.
His first came early on for the team’s second goal of the night, as he took a pass from Josh Currier and brushed past one of the NLL’s best defenders in Kyle Rubisch before diving across the crease to snap it past goaltender Alex Buque.
It was quite the dangle, to be sure, but not vintage Cook like his second on the game, when he fought off Ryan Barnable to grab a rebound and one-arm a shot by Buque’s replacement Eric Penney.
“Found a little pot of gold there,” said Cook, of the tide-turning effort at 8:36 into the second quarter to stop the only comeback threat by the Rush in the game.
Just 28 seconds later, he tallied his third with a well-executed shot off the right side.
Then came three straight to start the third quarter — a power-play marker right down the pipe, a low shot from just about the same spot and one from in tight with the teams playing four-on-four.
Cook’s sock-trick turned before the final frame decimated the Rush and eased the Roughnecks to the road victory.
“And then he jumps in for his teammate, which shows us how much he cares,” said Malawsky of Cook defending Josh Currier after he got drilled by rough-and-tumble Matt Beers. “But Tanner had a whale of a game — shoots the ball pure overhand and doesn’t play with any caution. He just goes to the middle and makes plays. So I thought he absolutely had his best game of the year.”
With the promise of more to come.
“Tanner has come into his own this season,” said Roughnecks GM Mike Board, of the 6-foot-3, 226 lb. native of Courtice, Ont. “The coaches have given him a bigger role in the offence, and he has embraced it, and it shows. He does a lot of thing well — crashes and bangs, gets loose balls … and as we saw (last Saturday), he has scoring touch.”
Added Cook, “It varies game to game — guys get hot at different times, and it just so happens that (last Saturday) it was me. The guys are doing a great job getting me the ball.
“But it’s coming along. It’s building as a work in progress throughout the year. Each and every game, you’re just trying to get one step ahead.”
QUICK STICKS
Dickson leads the Seals with 36 goals on the season, giving him the fourth-highest total in the league. Jeff Teat of the New York Riptide leads the loop with 49 snipes … D Mitch Wilde is doubtful and will be a game-time decision for the Roughnecks for Friday night’s affair … D Ethan Ticehurst (lower body) is out for the Riggers.
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