Shawn Palmer, Toronto Rock Correspondent
Lacrosse is Awesome©
Featured Image Photo Credit: Christian Bender
The Toronto Rock (1-0) opened their 2022/23 season at home against the Vancouver Warriors (0-1) on Saturday night December 3, 2022 which had been called “Guaranteed Win Night” by owner and GM Jamie Dawick. Based on the way that the Toronto Rock played they wanted to deliver for their owner as they came out of the gate scoring the first six goals enroute to a decisive 19 – 8 win.
The Rock came out with their offense blazing in this game just 51 seconds into the game as Brandon Slade (1G) picked up a rebound from a Challen Rogers (2G, 4A) shot to beat Steve Fryer (38 saves) through the five hole for the 1 – 0 lead. A couple of minutes later while in transition, a three-way passing play between Tom Schreiber (3G, 5A), Jay Jubenville (1G, 1A) and Corey Small (3G, 2A) ended up with Small scoring his first goal as a Rock player to double the lead. A minute later while on transition again, Jubenville went in on a breakaway after receiving a pass from Latrell Harris (3A) to beat Fryer through the legs to make it 3 – 0. Toronto continued their onslaught as Zach Manns (1G, 3A) took an outside low to low shot to the far side increasing the lead to 4 – 0. Small notched his second when he picked up a rebound and shot it through Fryer’s legs making it 5 – 0. Vancouver decided to change goalies just over halfway through the first quarter and Aidan Walsh (8 saves) was in the net. Two minutes later Dan Dawson (1G) used his defender as a screen and shot over him to the far corner past Walsh to give the Rock a 6 – 0 lead. Vancouver would finally stop the run when Riley Loewen (2G) cut through the middle and beat Nick Rose (51 saves) for the Warriors first goal cutting the lead to 6 – 1. In the last minute of the first the Rock were short-handed, and Mitch De Snoo (3G, 1A) would get the pass from Dan Craig (1G, 4A) on the side of the net to beat Walsh over the shoulder to finish the scoring and increase the lead to 7 – 1. The shots on goal in the first favored Toronto 17—Vancouver 10.
The second quarter started the same way as the first ended. Craig would get the pass from Rogers and his quick stick shot beat Walsh to the short side to make it 8 – 1 Toronto. A minute later Harris was in transition on a fast break and passed to Schreiber coming off the bench and he went low under the glove increasing the lead to 8. Fifty seconds later Rogers would fire a laser from the outside over the shoulder top corner to get the Rock to double digits 13 minutes into the game as it was 10 – 1. Vancouver got that one back as Adam Charalambides (2G, 1A) went behind the net and dove back the opposite way and beat Rose to the open side to make it 10 – 2. Ten seconds later the Rock responded as Stephen Keogh (2G, 1A) got the feed in front from Schreiber and his bounce shot beat Walsh though the legs for his first goal as a Toronto Rock and it was 11 – 2. Vancouver put Steve Fryer back in net hoping to help stop the onslaught. The Warriors were on the power play and Mitch Jones (1G, 4A) fired a bounce shot from the top stick side to cut the lead to eight. Two minutes later Small received a pass from Rogers, cut through the middle and beat a falling Fryer to make it 12 – 3. Charalambides would score his second for Vancouver with a spin move at the crease to the far side, but the Rock responded when De Snoo, while in transition swims his defender and went five-hole to end the scoring in the first half with the Rock leading the Warriors 13 – 4. Shots at the end of the first half evened up Toronto 30—Vancouver 30.
The scoring slowed down in the third quarter as no points went up on the board for the first half of the frame but then Schreiber with a low bounce shot beat Fryer to the short side increasing the Rock lead to 14 – 4; and Keogh, while on the power play would fire one short side for his second goal of the game. Fifteen seconds later a Vancouver player touched the ball with his hand while in the crease which gave the Rock a penalty shot. Rogers made no mistake as he threw a fake to the short side and then beat Fryer to the far side to increase the lead to 12 as the score was 16 – 4. The third quarter scoring ended with Owen Barker (1G) scoring in transition with a low shot that beat Rose to the glove side and the score was 16 – 5. The shots at the end of the third quarter once again favored Toronto 51—Vancouver 44.
Each team would score three apiece in the fourth matching score for score. Just 21 seconds into the fourth Schreiber fired a side arm shot between the legs for his hat trick making it 17 – 5 for the Rock. Keegan Bal would answer back for Vancouver when he crossed in front of the crease to beat Rose to the short side making it 17 – 6. A minute later Harris went in on a 2 on 1 and passed to De Snoo who went top corner for his second short-handed goal of the game and his hat trick. Vancouver came right back with a long pass to Loewen on the crease from Jones and he beat Rose to the short side for a power play goal 18 – 7 for the Rock. With five minutes left in the game Brad Kri (1G) grabbed the loosie in transition, went in all alone and beat Fryer with a bounce shot for a power play goal. Vancouver ended the scoring in the game when Logan Schuss (1G, 1A) received a pass on the crease and beat Rose over the shoulder but the Rock win 19 – 8. The shots on goal were Toronto 65 and Vancouver 63.
The three stars for the game were:
Tom Schreiber—Toronto Rock: 3G, 5A
Mitch De Snoo—Toronto Rock: 3G, 1A
Corey Small—Toronto Rock: 3G, 2A
NEXT UP:
The Toronto Rock (1-0) will play their next game on Saturday December 10th at Blue Cross Arena in Rochester against the Rochester Knighthawks (1-0) at 7:00 p.m. EST. The game can be seen on ESPN+ in the USA and on TSN.ca for fans in Canada.
The Vancouver Warriors (0-1) will play at 9:30 p.m. on Saturday December 10th against the Calgary Roughnecks (0-0) at the Scotiabank Saddledome. Fans in the USA can catch the game on ESPN+. This is the Game of the Week in Canada so fans can catch the game on TSN or the TSN app or TSN.ca.
Shawn Palmer, Toronto Rock Correspondent
Lacrosse is Awesome©