Shawn Palmer, Toronto Rock Correspondent
Lacrosse is Awesome©
Photos Credit: B. Lee
The Toronto Rock (0-1) made the one-hour drive to their new and closest rival’s arena, the Tribal Communities Centre, to start the 2025-26 NLL Season. This would be the inaugural game for the Oshawa FireWolves (1-0) who were formerly known as the Albany FireWolves until early fall when it was announced that the franchise was moving to Oshawa, Ontario. Based on the sellout crowd for the season opener, the move was a good idea. It was also the first game for the first and third picks in this year’s draft for the Rock as CJ Kirst (2G, 2A) and Owen Hiltz (2G) would play in their first NLL game. The game started off with both teams showing some nerves as there were several missed opportunities when passes and shots went off course. The goalies on the other hand were in mid-season form as the first half ended 5 – 4 for the Rock. But Oshawa would rally at the end of the fourth quarter to come back from a one goal deficit to win 8 – 7 with a goal in the last minute of the game.
In the first quarter, the play went back and forth as both offenses were having a tough time getting shots on net and when they did the goalies made the stops. The Rock had the majority of the chances and just over 12 minutes into the quarter, Toronto would halt the drought. Kirst shot around his defender and beat Doug Jamieson (1A, 48 saves) to the short side for his first career NLL goal to give the Rock a 1 – 0 lead. Less than two minutes later after a fight for the loose ball Nick Chaykowsky (1G) fired a low-to-high shot that beat Nick Rose (32 saves) over the shoulder tying the game at one, while inking his name in the record books for scoring the first goal in Oshawa’s team history. The shots on goal after the first quarter were Toronto 13 and Oshawa 8. Score at the end of one: Toronto 1—Oshawa 1.
The second quarter started out slow as well with the first tally of the frame coming just over five minutes in. Chris Boushy (1G, 1A) took a shot in transition that hit the boards, came back, hit Jamieson in the back of the leg and bounced into the net to give the Rock a 2 – 1 lead. Less than 30 seconds later Taggart Clark (1G, 2A) would beat his man down low, jump across the crease and shoot to the short side to beat Rose to tie the game at two. With just over three minutes left in the first half Alex Simmons (2G, 4A) would come down the side of the floor, fire a bounce that shot beat Rose to the short side giving Oshawa their first lead of the game at 3 – 2. Less than a minute later Dyson Williams (1G, 1A) would get on the scoresheet when he came around a screen, and his low-to-low shot beat Rose through the legs to double up Toronto 4 – 2. The Rock would respond less than a minute later while on the power play when Challen Rogers (2G, 1A) came across the top and his high-to-low shot beat Jamieson through the legs. Oshawa would take a 4-3 lead into the half. The shots on goal were 26 for the Rock and 20 for the FireWolves.
Toronto would once again open the scoring for the third quarter in a row, and this time would shut out the home squad. Kirst would tally his second just 33 seconds into the frame as he cut by his defender and beat Jamieson to the far side after diving across the crease to tie the game at four. Less than three minutes later Rogers picked up a rebound off of the back boards and his sidearm low shot beat Jamieson through the five-hole to give the Rock a 5 – 4 lead. For the remaining three and change, each team had chances that were thwarted by the two goalies keeping the score 5-4 heading into the fourth. The shots at the end of the third quarter were Toronto 41 and Oshawa 28.
The fourth quarter scoring started less than a minute into the period. Ethan Walker (2G, 1A) fired a low to low sidearm from near the restraining line that beat Rose through the legs to tie the game at five. Less than a minute later the Rock would regain the lead after Oshawa was whistled for and over and back infraction. Sam English (1A) picked up the ball, fed to Hiltz coming off of the bench and his low bounce shot beat Jamieson to the far side and it was 6 – 5 for the Rock. Just over five minutes into the frame, with the shot clock running out, Simmons picked up the loose ball and fired a high to low shot that beat Rose through the legs to tie the game at six. Halfway though the final quarter, Ty Kurtz (1G, 2A) picked up a rebound and his behind the back shot beat a fallen Rose giving Oshawa a 7 – 6 lead. With 2:03 left in the contest, Hiltz received a flip pass from Mark Matthews (3A), and his low bounce shot beat Jamieson to the short side tying the game at seven. With less than a minute left to go, Walker would fire the game winner, a low-to-low bounce shot beating Rose through the legs to give Oshawa an 8 – 7 lead. Mike Byrne (8 LB), who had a very good night at the faceoff dot, awon another faceoff which allowed Oshawa to gain possession, run out the clock and preserve their first victory as a franchise. The shots on goal at the end of the game were Toronto 55 and Oshawa 42.
The Three Stars of the game were:
Alex Simmons – Oshawa FireWolves: 2G, 4A
CJ Kirst – Toronto Rock: 2G, 2A
Doug Jamieson – Oshawa FireWolves: 1A, 48 saves
GAME STATS:
Toronto Rock: SOG 55; Saves 32; Sv% .850; FO 7-19; PP 1-2; PIM 6
Oshawa FireWolves: SOG 48; Saves 48; Sv% .873; FO 12-19; PP 0-3; PIM 4
NEXT UP:
The Toronto Rock (0-1) have a bye next week and will play their home-opener on Saturday December 13, 2025 at TD Coliseum, (formerly known as FirstOntario Centre) against the Calgary Roughnecks (0-0), game time 7:00 p.m. EST. The game can be seen on ESPN+ and NLL+ for fans in the USA. Fans in Canada can catch the action on TNN+
The Oshawa FireWolves (1-0) will travel to Nova Scotia to face off against the Halifax Thunderbirds (0-0) on Friday December 5, 2025 at Scotiabank Centre, game time 6:00 p.m. EST. Fans in the USA can see the game on ESPN+ and NLL+. The fans in Canada can catch the action on TSN5 and TSN+.
Shawn Palmer, Toronto Rock Correspondent
Lacrosse is Awesome©