Shawn Palmer, Toronto Rock Correspondent
Lacrosse is Awesome©
Featured Image Photo Credit: Jaclyn McKee
The Toronto Rock (4-9) travelled to Rogers Arena to face the Vancouver Warriors (6-7) on Friday night March 14, 2025. They had just come off an improbable win over Halifax last week after trading away their starting goaltender and two of their top defenders. Vancouver also made some news at the trade deadline as they traded with the Calgary Roughnecks to get the 2023 MVP Christian Del Bianco to solidify their goaltending. Del Bianco comes in after being the winning goalie at the World Championships for Canada last summer and also played in the Arena Lacrosse league in Vancouver. It turns out that even though Del Bianco hadn’t played a game in the NLL in over 300 days he hadn’t lost his ability to stop opposing players from scoring as he continually shut down the top shooters for the Rock. The Warriors jumped out to a large first half lead of 8 – 2 and were able to cruise through the second half on their way to a 13 – 8 win.
Vancouver would open the scoring just over one minute into the first quarter. Kevin Crowley (1G, 2A) came across the top and his high-to-high shot went over Troy Holowchuk’s (26 saves) shoulder to make it 1 – 0 for the Warriors. Thirty seconds later Tom Schreiber (2G, 3A) fired a low-to-low side arm shot that squeezed through Del Bianco’s (37 saves, 1 assist) legs and just over the line to tie the game at one. Ten seconds later, while in transition, Del Bianco would pass up to Brett Mydske (1G) and he fired an overhand shot short side and the Warriors would regain the lead at 2 – 1. Eight minutes would come off the ticker while the teams would battle. The final tally came with 4:51 left in the frame. On the power, Vancouver would double their lead when Keegan Bal (4G, 5A) fired an overhand shot from the top that went glove side and it was 3 – 1 for the Warriors. The shots at the end of the first quarter were Toronto 17 and Vancouver 14.
It would take a little over two minutes in the second quarter, but the Warriors would strike first again. Bal would notch his second in a row with a high-to-high shot to the far top corner on Holowchuk to make it 4 – 1 for Vancouver. A minute later Adam Charalambides (3G, 3A) would get the first of three on the night when he fired a high to low shot far stick side and it was 5 – 1. They’d close out their five-goal run with an extra man on during a delayed penalty. Charalambides passed to Dylan McIntosh (2G, 1A) at the side of the crease and his quick stick bounce shot went short side to extend their lead to 6 – 1. Toronto would halt the run with their lone tally in the second less than a minute later. Josh Dawick (2G, 1A) with his back to the goal, threw a behind the back shot through Del Bianco’s legs and it was 6 – 2 with just over seven minutes left in the first half. The Warriors would restore their five-goal lead three minutes later. Riley Loewen (1G, 3A) fought through a few slashes from his defender, fired and his shot went short side low to make it 7 – 2. They’d close out the half in transition when Owen Grant (1G) ran in all alone on Holowchuk and beat him with a low shot to the far side and it was 8 – 2 for Vancouver. The shots at the end of the first half were Toronto 33 and Vancouver 30.
Three and a half into the third, the Warriors would go man down on an illegal substitution call giving Toronto a scoring opportunity, but instead, while shorthanded Charalambides ran behind the net, both defenders got turned around, he came in front on his own, threw two fakes and went stick side to make it 9 – 2. Fortunately, with time still on the man up, Toronto would have some good ball movement, Dawick found a cutting Corey Small (2G, 1A) and his quick shot beat Del Bianco to the stick side cutting the Warrior lead to 9 – 3. In the next two minutes Vancouver would put up another three in a row. Bal got it started when he shot around his defender, went top corner for his hat trick goal and it was 10 – 3 for Vancouver. They’d add another when Charalambides was open at the top and his step downside arm shot went under the arm of Holowchuk increasing their lead to 11 – 3. Bal put up his fourth of the game and second in the frame past Holowchuk as he came around his defender and his side arm shot beat him over the shoulder and into the top corner and it was 12 – 3. Toronto Bench Boss Matt Sawyer decided it was time to pull Holowchuk in favour of Gowah Abrams (6 saves). This gave them some momentum along with another man up opportunity and they were able to halt the Warriors run and get another on the board. While on the power play, Small passed to a cutting Chris Boushy (1G) and his quick shot beat Del Bianco over the shoulder to make it 12 – 4 still in favour of the Warriors. Vancouver would add one more to their lead and what would turn out to be their last marker in the game. McIntosh would take a high to low shot that beat Abrams to the low short side corner to make it 13 – 4 for the Warriors with less than a minute left in the third. The shots at the end of the third quarter were Toronto 45 and Vancouver 40.
Holowchuk was put back in net for Toronto to start the fourth and they’d control the frame with a late surge. A little over five minutes in, and late in the shot clock, Schreiber would fire a sidearm laser to the top corner over Del Bianco’s shoulder cutting the Warriors lead to 13 – 5. For the first time in the game Toronto would tally two in a row. Small fed a cutting Dawick whose bounce shot went short side to make it 13 – 6. Ryan Martel would get nabbed for goalie interference giving the Rock another power play opportunity with 3:04 left in the contest and they’d capitalize. Small fired a high-to-high shot over Del Bianco’s shoulder to make it 13 – 7 for the Warriors. As the clock was ticking down, Zach Kearney (1G) was in the right place at the right time, picked off a pass, ran the length of the floor fired a bounce shot five-hole with .19 seconds left in the contest for the first goal of his NLL career cutting the Warriors lead to five and the final goal on the night. Final Score: Roughnecks 13—Rock 8. The shots on goal were Toronto 55 and Vancouver 45.
The Three Stars of the game were:
Christian Del Bianco – Calgary Roughnecks: 37 saves, 1 assist
Keegan Bal – Calgary Roughnecks: 4 goals, 5 assists
Adam Charalambides – Calgary Roughnecks: 3 goals, 3 assists
GAME STATS:
Toronto Rock—SOG 56; Saves 26; Sv% .577; FO 16-25; PP 3-5; PIM 18
em>Calgary Roughnecks—SOG 45; Saves 48; Sv% .857; FO 9-25; PP 1-3; PIM 12
NEXT UP:
The Toronto Rock (4-9) will be back at home on Saturday March 22, 2025, when they host the Philadelphia Wings (5-8), game time 7:00 p.m. EST. Fans in the USA can see the game on ESPN+, while fans in Canada get to catch the action on TSN+. The game is also available on NLL+.
The Vancouver Warriors (6-7) will host the Georgia Swarm (7-5) at Rogers Arena on Saturday March 22, 2025, game time 10:00 p.m. EST. Fans in the USA can see the game on ESPN+, while fans in Canada get to catch the action on TSN+. The game is also available on NLL+.
Shawn Palmer, Toronto Rock Correspondent
Lacrosse is Awesome©