Shawn Palmer, Toronto Rock Correspondent
Lacrosse is Awesome©
Featured Image Photo Credit: Spencer Kagan
The Toronto Rock travelled to Uniondale, NY on Saturday February 26, 2022 to play the New York Riptide for the first time ever and each team had players who were looking to reach milestones. Toronto’s goalie Nick Rose needed five saves to move into 10th place overall and New York’s Callum Crawford needed one point to reach 1,100 career points. In their second season in the NLL the New York Riptide were looking for their first win at home in the 2021-22 season and the Toronto Rock were looking to extend their win streak to five games. The game was close throughout with the largest lead being three goals and the final lead change came in the last two minutes of the game. The Riptide were able to squeak out a one goal advantage for the win holding off the Rock’s push in the last minute of the game. Final Score: Riptide 14—Rock 13.
In the first quarter while on the power play Tom Schreiber (3G, 4A) received a seal up top from Dan Dawson (2G, 4A) and his low to high shot beat Steven Orleman (30 saves) to the stick side. Schreiber had 40 friends and family in attendance for his first game in his home city as well. Less than a minute later Schreiber scored his second in a row as he beat his defender low and jumped over the crease and beat Orleman to the short side to double the Rock lead. At the nine minute mark of the first the Riptide got on the board when on transition Andrew Borgatti (1A) flipped the ball to Connor Kearnan (1G, 2A) and he’d beat Nick Rose (5 saves) over the shoulder to cut the Rock lead to one. On another transition chance for New York, Damon Edwards (2G, 1A) went in on a breakaway and beat Rose with a bounce shot through the legs to tie it up with one second left in the quarter. This was the first game that Edwards has played against his former team after spending nine seasons with the Rock. The shots at the end of the first were Toronto 12—New York 7. Score at the end of one: Rock 2—Riptide 2.
The second quarter would go back and forth with each team going ahead and the other team tying it right back up. Toronto started quick when Dan Craig (1G, 4A) received a pass from Schreiber on the outside and his sidearm went short side to retake the lead at 3 – 2. Thirty five seconds later Edwards got a pass from Darryl Robertson (1A) and while on a breakaway he found the top corner with a nice bounce shot while falling to tie it up at three apiece. The Rock would get that one back when Zach Manns (2G) fired an over hand high to low shot to the far side to make it 4 – 3 for the Rock. Less than two minutes later Crawford (4G, 2A), while on a delayed penalty to Toronto, received a pass through the middle and his quick stick shot beat Rose to the stick side for his 1,100th point of his career. This tied it up at four. Twenty seconds later the Riptide took their first lead of the game when Jeff Teat’s (4G, 3A) high to high over hand shot beat Rose over the shoulder to the far corner to make it 5 – 4 New York. Toronto would tie it up 33 seconds later when Dawson, on a delayed penalty to New York, cut down the middle and his shot around the defender beat Orleman to the far side. The Riptide took the lead 20 seconds later when Crawford made a swim move on his defender and took a jump shot that beat Rose to the top corner to regain the lead at 6 – 5. While on the power play, Schreiber passed the ball over to Reid Reinholdt (2G, 1A) who went five-hole to tie it up once again 6-6. But as before, New York came right back when Crawford got a pass on the crease as he was wide open and beat Rose to the open side for his hat trick goal to make it 7 – 6 in favor of the Riptide. Teat would notch his second in the frame coming across the top and his step down over hand shot beat Rose over the near side shoulder to give New York their first two goal lead of the game. The Rock’s Mitch De Snoo (1G, 1A) would picked up a loose ball on the ensuing face-off and came right down the middle of the floor and his over hand shot beat Orleman over the shoulder to bring the Rock to within one to end the first half. The shots in the half were Toronto 17—New York 13. Score at the end of two: Riptide 8—Rock 7.
New York started the scoring in the second half when Jake Fox (1G) took a high to low shot glove side bottom corner restoring the two goal lead at 9 – 7. Toronto would respond with a goal of their own when Challen Rogers (1G) received a pass from Craig, beat his defender low and with a twister shot beat Orleman to the short side to make it 9 – 8 for New York. With one second left on the shot clock the Riptide’s, Kieran McArdle (1G, 2A) threw the ball towards the net and it beat Rose short side restoring the two goal lead once again. It took only 40 seconds for the home squad to hit net again as Teat took a shot from the top around his defender and beat Rose to the far side top corner for his hat trick goal putting them up by three 11 – 8. The Rock would halt the Riptide run when Schreiber took three defenders to the far side of the floor which left Dawson wide open on the crease and his quick stick shot beat Orleman to the short side to make it 11 – 9 for New York half way through the third. Manns finished the scoring in the frame for Toronto when he threw a hard pick, received a pass from Reinholdt and beat Orleman to the short side with a quick stick to get the Rock within one. The shots on goal after three quarters were Toronto 27—New York 19. Score at the end of three: Riptide 11—Rock 10.
Starting off the fourth quarter the Rock decided to change goalies and Riley Hutchcraft (12 saves) came into replace Rose. Tyson Gibson (1G, 3A) started the scoring for the Riptide when his first shot missed the net, he’d pick up his own rebound and with a spinning back hand beat Hutchcraft under the arm to make it 12 – 10 for New York. Crawford extended the New York lead when he beat his defender, jumped and beat Hutchcraft over the shoulder for his fourth on the night to make it 13 – 10. While on transition Schreiber picked up a rebound and his quick stick beat a falling Orleman to the top corner for his hat trick goal. Forty five seconds later, Rob Hellyer (1G, 2A), during a delayed penalty on New York received a pass from Dawson and he went far side to make it a one goal game 13 – 12. The Rock would tie it up with some good ball movement and Reinholdt got a pass in front and went far side with less than four minutes to go in the game. With less than two minutes left on the clock, Teat received a pass while all alone on the crease and beat Hutchcraft through the legs to give New York the lead. The Rock had the ball for the full final minute of the game and couldn’t beat Orleman to get the tying goal. This gave New York only their second win at home since they defeated the Georgia Swarm on January 18, 2020 in OT by the score of 13—12. The final shots were Toronto 43 and New York 31. Final Score: Riptide 14—Rock 13.
The Three stars of the game were:
Jeff Teat—New York Riptide: 4G, 3A including the game winner
Callum Crawford—New York Riptide: 4G, 2A including his 1,100th career point
Tom Schreiber—Toronto Rock: 3G, 4A
GAME STATS:
Toronto Rock: SOG 32; Saves 21; FO 16-30; Assists 19; LB 82; PP 2-2
New York Riptide: SOG 35; Saves 39; FO 14-30; Assists 17; LB 77; PP 0-1
NEXT UP:
The Toronto Rock (6-4) will come home to Hamilton and will get to play in front of their fans for the first time since December for a rematch with the New York Riptide (2-7) on Saturday March 5th, game time 7:00 p.m. EST. Fans in the USA can watch the game on ESPN+. Fans in Canada can catch the action on TSN.ca or the TSN app.
Shawn Palmer, Toronto Rock Correspondent
Lacrosse is Awesome©