Shawn Palmer, Correspondent Toronto Rock
Lacrosse is Awesome©
The Rochester Knighthawks (2-9) visited the Scotiabank Arena for their first matchup of the season against the Toronto Rock (7-3). The Rock were coming off of the road after suffering a two game losing streak with losses against New England and Calgary. Rochester has also been in a real funk losing six in a row, so someone had to end their streak. An oddity of this game, in the first two quarters goals would be Toronto 5—Rochester 4; in the third goals would be Toronto 3—Rochester 3; and in the final 15 goals would be Toronto 2—Rochester 2. In a game where 18 goals were scored in the first half alone, Toronto had scoring from across the team as there were seven goals scored by their defensive players in a 15 -13 win in front of a season high 12,783 fans.
Chris Boushy (2G, 2A) after scoring seven last night against Georgia in his first game as a Knighthawk, opened up the scoring with a side arm shot from the outside that beat Nick Rose (33 saves, 3A) to the bottom corner just over one minute into the game. The Rock would get that one back on a nice long outlet pass from Rose as Challen Rogers (2G, 1A) took the pass in stride beating Angus Goodleaf (46 saves) to the top corner five and a half minutes into the first tying the game at one apiece. Rochester’s Mike Triolo (1G, 2A) would get the rebound off of a missed shot and beat Rose with a bounce shot just prior to the shot clock expiring to restore the one goal lead; and Mike Burke (2G, 3A) would score with a bounce shot through the five hole on a feed from Boushy to extend the Rochester lead to 3 – 1. Rogers scored his second of the night in transition by beating his defenseman to the inside and shooting high, beat Goodleaf top corner cutting the lead to one at 3 – 2 with just over five minutes left in the first. On their first power play of the night, the Rock moved the ball around the top and Dan Lintner (1G, 2A) would receive the behind the back pass from Tom Schreiber (1G, 5A) beating Goodleaf with a shot under his arm to tie the game at three. Cody Jamieson (2G, 4A) would restore the Rochester one goal lead off a nice flip pass from rookie Dawson Theede (1G, 1A) in front of the Rock net, threw a couple of fakes up high to beat Rose over the shoulder. Johnny Powless (2G, 1A) hit net for the Rock on a laser from the left as he hit top corner to tie the game again at four. Toronto would hit back as Brock Sorensen (1G, 1A) would score on transition as Rogers faked a shot and instead fed it to Sorensen on the crease burying it with a quick stick to the short side. The Rock would have three of their five goals scored by the defense. Rochester outshot the Rock 16 -13. At the end of the first quarter the Rock lead Rochester 5 – 4.
The second would go back and forth for the first six minutes with Toronto opening it up. Kieran McArdle (2G, 1A) would score on a sidearm shot around a defensive screen from the outside beating Goodleaf off of the outside post to extend the Rock lead to 6 -4. Kyle Jackson (1G, 3A) would end the Rock’s three goal run as he received a pass from Jamieson, bounced it through Rose’s legs and it just made it over the goal line to cut the Rock lead to one. In his first NLL game for Toronto, Scott Dominey (1G) received a transition pass from Rose and beat Goodleaf low glove side for his first goal restoring the two goal lead for the Rock. The back and forth action would continue as Theede would pick up the rebound on a save off of Rose and dove across the crease beating him to the open side of the net to bring Rochester back to within one. Powless would score his second of the night as Schreiber fed him a pass cutting through the middle, made three fakes and then deposited the ball over top of Goodleaf to give the Rock the two goal lead once again. Once more Toronto would use their transition players to score as Brandon Slade (1G) received a pass from Jay Thorimbert (1A) beating his man to the inside, tip toed around the crease and beat Goodleaf up high to give the Rock a three goal lead. The goals kept coming as Colton Armstrong (1G) scored his first NLL goal off a nice pass on transition from Brad Gillies (1A) with a bounce shot through the legs to make it 9 – 7 Toronto. Boushy would get a nice pass on the crease from Jamieson and dove across beating Rose up high to cut the Rock lead to one. Rob Hellyer (2G, 1A) who wasn’t able to score last week against Calgary, would take an outside low shot hitting low to the stick side increasing the lead for the Rock 10 – 8. Shots on goal at the half: Toronto 29 – Rochester 28. At the end of the first half, where there had been as many goals scored as in some complete games this season, the Rock lead Rochester 10 – 8.
The Rock would start the scoring in the second half as Hellyer beat his man to the inside and jumped across the crease to beat Goodleaf up high. Graeme Hossack (2G, 1A) scored on a side arm shot as he broke towards the net and beat Rose far side to get the goal back for the Knighthawks. Burke, who was running along the top of the offense, threw a shot towards the net with three seconds left on the shot clock and somehow beat Rose stick side bringing Rochester to within one. With just over six minutes left in the third, Schreiber would score his 20th goal of the season taking a low shot from the outside to beat Goodleaf and increase the Rock lead to two. After a loose ball pick up by Brad Kri (2A) and the flip pass to Bill Hostrawser (1G) he would beat Goodleaf outside to make it 13 -10 for the Rock. But Hossack came right back 18 seconds later to beat Rose on a breakaway with a nice fake and shot to the stick side 13 – 11 still in favor of Toronto. Shots on goal: Rock 45 – Knighthawks 35.
The Knighthawks opened the scoring in the fourth as Goodleaf made a great save and then a pass to a waiting Jamieson in the Rock zone and he beat Rose with a bounce shot from the outside to make it 13 – 12. McArdle would answer back a minute later with an outside shot short side to re-establish the two goal lead for Toronto. Rochester’s Brandon Robinson (1G, 1A) would score on a transition goal off the pass from Jamieson to get the Knighthawks back to within one with just over a minute left to play and the score 14 – 13 Toronto. Rose would make a big save with 45 seconds remaining and with the Rochester goalie on the bench in favor of the extra attacker; he sent an outlet pass to Damon Edwards (1G, 1A) who scored on the empty net as Rose collected his third assist of the game. Rochester would win the ensuing faceoff but was unable to get a shot on net before the final buzzer. The Toronto Rock would win another close one ending their losing streak while Rochester loses their 1oth game of the season. Final Score Toronto 15 – Rochester 13
Shots on goal Toronto 61 – Rochester 46
1st Star – Challen Rogers (2G, 1A)
2nd Star – Cody Jamieson (2G, 4A)
3rd Star – Tom Schreiber (1G, 5A)
NEXT UP:
Toronto (8-3) heads out for a two game road trip. The first on Friday March 22 in Georgia to face the Swarm (10-4), game time 7:35 p.m. EST; and the second on Saturday March 23 in Buffalo to play the first place Bandits (11-3) game time 7:30 p.m. EST.
On Saturday March 23, Rochester (2-10) will host the Calgary Roughnecks (6-7) who just came off a heartbreaking loss to Colorado, game time 7:30 p.m. EST.
Shawn Palmer, Correspondent Toronto Rock
Lacrosse is Awesome©