Rock Win the Battle Over the Warriors In Final Contest of 2019 4/26/19

Shawn Palmer, Correspondent Toronto Rock
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Featured Image Photo Credit: Devin Manky

The Toronto Rock (12-6) visited the Vancouver for their one and only game of the season against the Warriors (5-13). The 6,685 Vancouver fans were hoping to end their season with a win and head into the off season on a high note, while the Rock wanted to continue their winning momentum into the playoffs. Toronto was able to dress Brock Sorensen and Sheldon Burns for the first time in a month to get them ready for the playoffs. The last time these two teams met in 2018 the Rock were able to score at will coming away with a 24–7 win after scoring 17 goals in the first half. The game was close until midway through the third quarter when the Rock pulled away and defeated the Warriors 15–9.

With only 35 seconds off the clock the Rock scored the first goal of the game when Dan Lintner (1G) had a pretty behind the back shot to beat Eric Penney (34 saves) low to the stick side as the shot clock was about to run out. The quick start brought back memories of last year but the Warriors were able to get that goal back four minutes later on a goal by Logan Schuss (2G) who shot around his defender and beat Nick Rose (39 saves) to the short side. Both teams traded chances for the next eight minutes before Adam Jones (2G, 2A) restored the lead for Toronto with a bounce shot through Penney’s legs for a power play goal. The low scoring quarter ended with the Rock leading 2-1 and the shots on goal were tied at 10 apiece.

Toronto had another power play three minutes into the second and would score when Challen Rogers (2G, 1A) took the over hand bounce shot beating Penney through the legs to give the Rock a two goal lead. They would continue their scoring a few minutes later as A. Jones took a shot from the outside over the shoulder making the score 4–1 for Toronto. Vancouver stopped the run with a goal of their own with one from Keegan Bal (4G) using the defender as a screen, shooting around him and beat Rose short side cutting the lead to two. Only 11 seconds later Tom Schreiber (2G, 7A) would restore the three goal lead with a hard overhand shot to the far side; Rob Hellyer (2G. 3A) scored next for Toronto on a feed from Kieran McArdle (4A) taking an outside shot to beat Penney increasing their lead 6–2. Bal would stop another run scoring his second of the game for the Warriors with a shot from the outside beating Rose low to the far side to make it 6-3. With less than two minutes left in the half the Rock found themselves killing a penalty. Brad Kri (2A) would do some nice work retrieving a loose ball and fed a breakaway pass to Rogers who jumped over the crease and deposited the ball over Penney’s shoulder for the shorthanded goal increasing their lead again by four. Vancouver wasn’t through yet, as Bal would score his hat trick goal with one minute left in the half on an outside low shot to the bottom corner on the power play cutting the lead to three at 7-4. Toronto would end the half with a transition goal from Latrell Harris (1G) when he cut to the net on a give and go with Hellyer and got a piece of the net top corner giving the Rock the lead 8–4 heading into the second half. The shots on goal favored Toronto 28—23.

Vancouver came out in the second half trying to end their year on a high note. They’d start it off with back-to-back goals, the first from Tony Malcolm (1G, 1A) beating his defender with a good fake and jump to beat Rose with a shot over the shoulder three minutes into the third; and four minutes later from Schuss when took a shot from the outside on the power play and beat Rose over the shoulder cutting the lead to two. The Toronto gap was increased again less than a minute later when Dan Craig (3G, 2A) picked up a loose ball and took a desperation shot which beat Penney through the legs as the shot clock expired restoring their three goal lead 9–6. Hellyer would increase the lead to four when he picked up a loose ball firing a shot to the short side to beat Penney making it 10–6. The best play for the Warriors on the night came as Matt Beers (2A) made a great hard pass from his own crease to Brandon Goodwin (1G, 1A) who took the pass in stride and beat Rose low to make the score 10–7 for the Rock at the end of the third. The shots on goal turned to Vancouver’s advantage, 44—37.

With 15 remaining in the Warriors season, Toronto would open the scoring in the fourth with back-to-back goals from Craig, the first he unloaded a hard side arm beating Penney low to the glove side; and his second for the hat trick goal on an outside shot to the glove side for a power play goal off the Mitch Jones (5A) five minute major for an illegal cross check. Toronto would get another during the man up from Johnny Powless (1G, 1A) off the pass from Craig at the side of the net to beat Penney between the legs increasing their lead by six 13–7. The run forced Vancouver to make a change in goaltenders and the bench boss inserted Aaron Bold (5 saves) but the Rock run continued. Brandon Slade (1G) would receive a pass from Schreiber and as he cut to the net, the shot hit the post, went off of Bold’s back and into the net giving them a seven goal lead. With less than half a quarter to go in the contest, the final goal of Rock run came from Schreiber after a lot of good movement; his bounce shot would beat Bold through the legs on the power play. Vancouver ended Toronto’s scoring spree with Bal scoring his fourth of the game on a hard side arm shot down low to beat Riley Hutchcraft (4 saves) who had replaced Rose halfway through the fourth quarter. With 10 seconds left in the game Vancouver’s Dallas Wade (1G, 1A) would score his first NLL goal and the last of the Warriors season on an outside shot to beat Hutchcraft between the legs. The shots on goal were Toronto 52—Vancouver 51. Final Score: Toronto 15—Vancouver 9.

Three Stars of the game

Tom Schreiber (2G, 7A)
Keegan Bal (4G)
Dan Craig (3G, 2A)

NEXT UP:

The Toronto Rock (12-6) will head to the playoffs on May 6^th against the Georgia Swarm (12-6) in the first round of the playoffs at 7:30pm EST in Georgia.