Shawn Palmer, Toronto Rock Correspondent
Lacrosse is Awesome©
Photo Credit: Greg Mason
The Toronto Rock (11-6) travelled east to play the final battle of Ontario against the Ottawa Black Bears (8-9) on Friday night April 10, 2026. Even though the Rock clinched a playoff berth last week with their win over the San Diego Seals (6-9), they came into this game with one thing in mind…continue getting wins to improve their seeding. While the Black Bears were still looking to clinch a berth for the first time in franchise history, a win and some help elsewhere could boost them into the playoff picture, but they would need to put a halt to their three-game winless streak. In what turned out to be a great defensive display by the Rock, Nick Rose for the second week in a row kept the opposing team to less than seven goals while making 38 saves and his defense also helped with six blocked shots. The Rock took an early lead and never trailed throughout the game. Even though the Black Bears had a desperate feeling to their game to try and keep their playoff chances alive their offense couldn’t get on track as even Ottawa’s leading scorer Jeff Teat (1g, 3a) could only manage one goal in the 10 – 6 loss.
The Rock would open the scoring less than two minutes into the game. Hugh Kelleher (2a) passed across the floor to Chris Boushy (3g, 1a) and his low-to-low bounce shot beat Zach Higgins (33 saves) to the far side for an early 1 – 0 lead. For the next 12 minutes, the teams went back and forth but neither could find the back of the net. At the end of the first quarter the shots were Toronto 15 and Ottawa 8. The Rock also went (0-2) on the power play in the frame.
Toronto would double their lead a minute and a half into the second. Josh Dawick (2g, 3a) ripped a high-to-high shot from the restraining line and put it over the shoulder of Higgins to make it 2 – 0. Ottawa was in transition 20 seconds later when Brent Noseworthy (1a) found Jeff Teat coming off of the bench and he went in all along on Nick Rose (38 saves, 1a) and beat him with a bounce shot through the legs to make it 2 – 1 Toronto. Scoring came to a halt for the next five and just over halfway through the second, CJ Kirst (1a) passed to a cutting Boushy and he put a high-to-high shot over the shoulder increasing the Rock lead to 3 – 1. After another three ticked off the timer, the Rock would put up another. Sam English (3g) and Dawick combined on a give-and-go allowing English to put a twister bounce shot far side and they were up by three. Ottawa would respond less than two minutes later when Teat found Phil Caputo (2g) open in the middle and his side arm shot went stick side cutting the Rock lead in half to 4 – 2 with just over four minutes left in the second. With 2:49 left in the frame, the Rock would get that one back. Owen Hiltz (1g,1a) cut around his defender, went in on Higgins and his shot to the far side beats Higgins and it was 5 – 2 Rock. Ottawa came right back when Rob Hellyer (1g, 3a) shot from the outside, Rose made the save but Caputo scooped the rebound and deposited it into the back of the net. The second would end with Toronto up 5 – 3. At the end of the first half the shots on goal were Toronto 23 and Ottawa 20.
With seven seconds left in the second, Toronto was called for a Delay of Game penalty allowing Ottawa to start the third on the power play, but they were unable to capitalize. This gave the Rock another opportunity to open the scoring and they did. English put up his second when he completely undressed his defender, beat Higgins with a shot to the glove side and they had doubled up Ottawa 6 – 3. Halfway through the third quarter, they’d notch another. Dawick fired a mid to low sidearm shot glove side to make it 7 – 3 for the Rock. A little less than two minutes later, Ottawa was able to get one back. Connor Kearnan (1g, 1a) stood behind the net and dove in front while backhanding a shot behind Rose to the far side to make it 7 – 4 for the Rock. With a little less than five in the frame, Josh Jubenville (1g) was in the right spot, picked off a pass in the defensive zone for Toronto, ran untouched the length of the floor, beat Higgins to the glove side and once again, they had doubled up the Black Bears 8 – 4. Then, less than a minute later, a cutting Jake Stevens (1g) got a pass from Kearnan, and he went stick side cutting the Rock lead to 8 – 5 with just over four minutes left in the third. Scoring stalled for the remainder of the frame. The shots at the end of the third quarter were Toronto 32 and Ottawa 30.
The final frame got off to a snail’s pace start with neither team finding twine for almost seven minutes. At the 8:37 mark, Toronto was nabbed for a holding call, giving Ottawa their fourth man up opportunity on the night. It took 27 seconds for the Black Bears to get their first and only power play marker in four chances. Hellyer fired an overhand shot that beat Rose to the far side getting them to within two 8 – 6 with eight minutes left in the fourth. However, English would answer back less than 60 seconds later. He went one on one with his defender, then around him and beat Higgins to the far side post and in for his first NLL hat trick to regain the three-goal lead for Toronto at 9 – 6. With the goalie pulled for Ottawa in favor of the extra attacker, Toronto moved the ball up the floor, Kelleher passed to Boushy who shot the ball into the empty net for his hat trick goal with less than 40 seconds left in the fourth quarter and what turned out to be the final tally on the night. Final Score: Rock 10—Black Bears 6.
The three stars of the game were:
Nick Rose – Toronto Rock: 38 saves, 1 assist
Sam English – Toronto Rock: 3 goals
Josh Dawick – Toronto Rock: 2 goals, 3 assists
GAME STATS:
Toronto Rock—SOG 43; Saves 37; Sv% .864; FO 8-20; PP 0-4; PIM 8; LB 72; TO 21
Ottawa Black Bears—SOG 44; Saves 33; Sv% .777; FO 12-20; PP 1-4; PIM 8; LB 60; TO 18
NEXT UP:
The Toronto Rock (11-6) will close out their regular season out west as they travel to face off against the Saskatchewan Rush (11-5)*** at SaskTel Centre for their second meeting this season on Saturday April 18, 2026, game time 9:00 p.m. EST. The last time the teams met, Toronto defeated the Rush by the score of 13-9. Can they do it again? Fans in the USA can see the game on ESPN+. This will be the NLL Friday Night on TSN but on Saturday for fans in Canada so they will have two options to see the action, TSN and TSN+. The game will also be televised on NLL+.
The Ottawa Black Bears (8-9) head to Nova Scotia also on Saturday April 18, 2026, to face the Halifax Thunderbirds (7-10) at Scotiabank Centre. The Thunderbirds are coming off a loss to Vancouver and with their season coming to a close, they’ll be itching for a win. Fans in the USA can see the game on ESPN+. Fans in Canada have two options to see the action, TSN and TSN+. The game will also be televised on NLL+.
Shawn Palmer, Toronto Rock Correspondent
Lacrosse is Awesome©
***Record at the time of the article