The night began poorly for the Estevan Tarpon Energy Big Dogs and things didn't get any better from there.
A shorthanded Big Dogs club got trounced 26-3 by the Regina Riot in their second game of the Prairie Gold Lacrosse League season on Friday night in Regina.
With only 12 players showing up for the game, the Big Dogs had their work cut out for them from the start.
"When you're missing guys like Dylan Smith, Ryan Frehlick, Wayde Curzon, and there were three or four other guys missing ... it's such a fast-paced game that when you go down to two lines, you just can't do it," said Big Dogs head coach Evan Handley.
And it only went downhill from there as key player Marshall Holzer dislocated his shoulder on the second shift of the game.
"It was just a brutal game from start to finish. It was pretty awful," said Handley.
"It was one of those games that every coach looks at and says, 'Just forget about it, we'll forget this ever happened.'"
Rhett Handley scored the Big Dogs' first goal at 10:18 of the opening period, cutting the Riot's lead to 3-1 at the time.
Mark Moriarty would score two goals of his own later in the game to account for the rest of Estevan's offensive output.
Moriarty netted the team's second goal at 6:53 of the second period and scored again at 10:46 of the third.
Ryan Curzon added two assists while Ryan Kenzie and Tanner Froese also picked up helpers.
"We did do some things well on offence at times," said Handley, who said the size of Regina's goalie made it tough to get balls past him.
"Their goalie played really well and made a number of big saves off guys like Curzon, (Kelsy) Omland and Rhett."
Handley said the officiating in the game was "horrible", adding that Regina went after the Big Dogs' top players and that Curzon in particular took a lot of abuse.
The Big Dogs were assessed 47 penalty minutes while the Riot received 38.
Handley said Kenzie, Dustin DeBruyne and Kaitlin King were among the standouts for his team.
The Big Dogs are back in action on Sunday when they visit the Moose Jaw Mustangs. Their next home action is the following weekend when they host the Prince Albert Predators on June 2 and the Riot on June 3.
