By: Chris Crane, NLL Correspondent
Lacrosse is Awesome
The Toronto Rock (4-9) took on the Vancouver Stealth (3-10) in front of a crowd of 3,560 at the Langley Events Centre. It would a very close game throughout the night but it would be the Toronto Rock pulling out the victory 13-11.
Vancouver would get on the board first at 2:08 on a goal from Justin Salt (Jeff Moleski). The next three goals of the period would all be on power-play opportunities. Vancouver would be the first to capitalize on this opportunity at the 8:23 mark coming from Joel McCready putting the Stealth up 2-0. Toronto would then answer back with two of their own power-play goals, one from Kasey Beirnes at 10:06; and the other by Rob Hellyer at 13:46 making it 2-2 at the end of the first period.
As the first period ended the second would begin as Toronto would grab another power play goal just 32 seconds into the period coming from Stephen Leblanc putting the Rock up 3-2. Toronto would then go up 4-2 at the 3:40 mark with the goal coming from Turner Evans. Vancouver would then be on the power-play and capitalize on the opportunity with Corey Small getting the goal at 4:45 making it a 4-3 game. Toronto would be short-handed but Brodie Merrill would score at 6:36 making it a 5-3 game. Vancouver went on a three goal run with Rhys Duch scoring on a power-play at 7:29; followed by goals from Thomas Hoggarth; and Duch with his second of the night making it a 6-5 game heading into half time.
Toronto would then tie it up 6-6 just 39 seconds into the third period with Jesse Gamble getting the score. The Stealth would strike back just 15 seconds later with Hoggarth (second of the night), giving Vancouver a 7-6 lead. Toronto’s Hellyer would then tie the game up once again at the 1:42 mark. Vancouver would take a gamble by using an extra attacker, and the gamble would pay off as McCready would get his second goal of the night at 4:52 giving the lead back to the Stealth 8-7. Toronto would see goals from Lintner and Beirnes giving the lead back to the Rock 9-8. Vancouver’s McCready would get the hat trick at 9:40 notching the game up 9-9 at the 9:40 and ending the scoring for both sides heading into the fourth period.
Toronto would then break the tie just 39 seconds into the fourth with another goal from Hellyer giving him the hat trick; and another from Hellyer (3:57) for his fourth goal on the night giving the Rock an 11-9 lead. Vancouver would answer back with two goals of their own coming from Cliff Smith at the 4:29 mark and then again at 5:25 coming from Duch making it an 11-11 game. Toronto was determined not the let this game get away from them as they would capitalize once again on a power-play opportunity with a goal from Josh Sanderson (Evans, Hellyer) at 8:49 giving Toronto a 12-11 lead. Toronto’s Leblanc would then capitalize on yet another power-play opportunity for the Rock at 10:04 giving him his second goal of the night bringing the score to 13-11. Vancouver did have some scoring opportunities late in the fourth but unfortunately were unable to capitalize on them falling to the Rock 13-11 at the end of regulation.
The Toronto Rock (4-9) will be back in action April 9th at home when they take on the high powered New England Black Wolves (7-5) and the Vancouver Stealth (3-10) will take on the Calgary Roughnecks (6-9) in Calgary.
Chris Crane, NLL Correspondent
Lacrosse is Awesome