Shawn Palmer, Toronto Rock Correspondent
Lacrosse is Awesome©
Featured Image Photo Credit: Ryan McCullough
The Toronto Rock (6-2) hosted the Calgary Roughnecks (3-5) in their half of the home and home series after defeating Calgary 9 – 7 last weekend. Toronto also welcomed back defender Chris Corbeil to the lineup for the first time this season. In front of 7,623 disappointed Rock fans, Calgary used a 5-goal run at the end of the second quarter and throughout the third to build a five-goal lead and then hung on at the end for an 11 – 10 win.
The Calgary Roughnecks opened the scoring just over three minutes into the first quarter when Jesse King (2G, 3A) took a side arm bounce shot that beat Nick Rose (38 saves) to the stick side and Calgary lead 1 – 0. A minute and a half later the Rock would tie it up. Mark Matthews (2G, 4A) made a flip pass to Corey Small (5G), and his bounce shot beat Christian DelBianco (44 saves) between the legs. Forty seconds later while in transition Harrison Matsuoka (2G) went in all alone on Rose and his show went low glove side restoring the one goal lead. Calgary would put up another a couple of minutes later while on the power play. Tyler Pace (1G, 2A) took a sidearm shot from the outside that went far side, and the Calgary lead was increased to 3 – 1. With 1:47 left in the first, Small would score his second of the game with a high-to-high shot over the shoulder cutting the Roughnecks lead to 3 -2. Toronto would pull Rose for the extra attacker in the final seconds of the quarter, they lost the ball, it was picked up by Robert Hudson (2G) and he went in all alone on Mitch deSnoo (1G) who ended up playing goal and his low shot went in on the far side with two tenths of a second left in the first quarter and it was 4 – 2 Calgary. The shots on goal at the end of the first quarter were Toronto 14—Calgary 9.
The tables would turn in the second with the Rock who not only opened the scoring, but they’d also outscore the Roughnecks. Five minutes in on the power play, Matthews was at the top and he fired an overhand shot that beat DelBianco to the glove side, cutting the lead to 4 – 3. Calgary would get that one back when a Rock defender lost the ball in front of their net and Haiden Dickson (1G) picked it up faked low and went high over the shoulder to make it 5 – 3. The scoring would slow for the next four before Toronto would respond right back. They had two-point blank chances that DelBianco saved but the third rebound went right to Dan Lintner (1G, 1A), he dove across the crease to beat DelBianco to the short side making it 5 – 4. Toronto would tie the game with 2:12 in the half while in transition when deSnoo came down the outside and took an overhand shot over his defender that went over the shoulder, and it was five all. Unfortunately, with just over a minute left in the first half, Calgary would score their own in transition. Shane Simpson (1G) went down in transition on Rose and his low-to-low shot went five-hole and it was 6 – 5 for Calgary. The shots on goal were Toronto 29—Calgary 24.
The third quarter was all Roughnecks as they would shut out the Rock. It took only 17 seconds into the frame; Hudson went in all alone on Rose and beat him through the legs increasing the Calgary lead to 7 – 5. Five minutes later DelBianco made a nice floor length pass to Matsuoka who went on a breakaway and beat Rose glove side low, and it was 8 – 5 Calgary. They’d put up their next tally with 6:12 in the quarter. Josh Currier (1G) beat his defender to the inside and his shot went short side and it was 9 – 5 Roughnecks. The third quarter run would continue with King taking a sidearm shot from beyond the restraining line that beat Rose to the stick side, and it was 10 – 5. The shots on goal after the third quarter were Toronto 39—Calgary 37.
Toronto came out in the fourth quarter on fire on the power play. Matthews passed to Small, and he fired a shot over DelBianco’s shoulder for his hat trick goal and it was 10 – 6 for Calgary. Thirty seconds later Small took a bounce shot from the outside that went five hole for his fourth of the night and the Rock were within three at 10 – 7. The lone goal and what turned out to be the GWG for Calgary came a minute later. Thomas Hoggarth (1G) got a flip pass from Pace, and he went low stick side, and it was 11 – 7. The netminders held strong for the next five and it was Toronto who would break the stalemate. While shorthanded, Challen Rogers(4A) passed to Justin Martin (1G), and he went low to the stick side cutting the gap to three and it was 11 – 8. They’d put up the second man up tally in the frame just two minutes later with 6:51 to go. Small took a low-to-low bounce shot that went far side for his fifth on the night and it was 11 – 9 with a lot of time left in the game. With just over five minutes left in the game, the Rock put up the final tally. Matthews cut across the top and his shot went high to high over DelBianco’s shoulder into the top corner and they were within one at 11 – 10. Toronto continued to pressure the Roughnecks, but DelBianco kept them off of the board at the end to preserve the 11 – 10 win for Calgary. The shots at the end of the game were Toronto 56—Calgary 48.
The Three stars of the game were:
Christian DelBianco – Calgary Roughnecks: 44 saves
Corey Small – Toronto Rock: 5 Goals
Mark Matthews – Toronto Rock: 2 Goals, 4 assists
NEXT UP:
The Toronto Rock (6-2) will be back in action on Friday February 16, 2024, when they head to Montreal Quebec to face the red-hot New York Riptide (5-4) for the NLL Unboxed Series at Place Bell in Laval, QC, game time 7:00 p.m. EST. For fans in Canada, this will be the Game of the Week on TSN and also available in French on RDS in Canada. In the USA, the game will be available on ESPN+.
The Calgary Roughnecks (3-5) will host the Halifax Thunderbirds (5-3) at home in Scotiabank Saddledome on Sunday February 18, 2024, game time 7:00 p.m. EST. Fans in the USA can see the game on ESPN+. This is another Game of the Week for fans in Canada and they can see the game on TSN or TSN+.
Shawn Palmer, Toronto Rock Correspondent
Lacrosse Is Awesome©