Shawn Palmer, Toronto Rock Correspondent
Lacrosse is Awesome©
Featured Image Photo Credit: James Bennett
The Toronto Rock (4-0) travelled to Halifax to play the Halifax Thunderbirds (3-2) on Friday January 12, 2024, in the hopes of increasing their undefeated streak to start the season to four games. Halifax was looking to get above .500 on the season and move to 3 – 2. The Rock jumped out to an early lead and Halifax could only get as close to within one goal late in the fourth as Toronto would hold on for the 11 – 9 win.
A minute and a half into the first quarter in transition Dan Lintner (1G, 3A) dove across the crease and Warren Hill (29 saves) made a great save but the rebound was picked up by Mitch de Snoo (1G, 2A) and his shot beat Hill to the glove side for the 1 – 0 Rock lead. But Halifax would come right back less than a minute later tying it at one when Ryan Benesch (1G, 1A) received a pass from Briley Maxwell (1A), and he beat Nick Rose (45 saves) to the short side. It was then that Toronto would take control for the remainder of the first. While on a power play, Mark Matthews (1G, 2A) would pass to Challen Rogers (2G, 3A) on the left side and his side arm bounce shot went far side to make it 2 – 1 for the Rock. With less than four minutes in the frame, Dan Craig (2G, 2A) made a one-handed flip pass to Corey Small (4G, 1A) and his low bounce shot went far side increasing the Rock lead to 3 – 1. The next tally would come from Craig who got a pass at the top from Chris Boushy (2A), he would face dodge his first defender, did the same to a second defender and beat Hill to the stick side to make it 4 – 1 Rock. With just under two minutes on the ticker, Small would fake a shot from the top, went around the pick and his side arm shot went stick side giving the Rock a four-goal lead to end the period and the Rock lead was 5 – 1. At the end of the first quarter the shots were Toronto 16—Halifax 8.
Halifax would halt the run three minutes into the second quarter. While in transition Randy Staats (3G, 1A) took a shot that Rose stopped, the rebound came right out to Ryan Terefenko (2G, 1A) who put it into the open side before he could get back in his net and the lead was cut to 5 – 2 for the Rock. There would be only two more tallies in the frame, both power plays and one for each side. Halifax would put one up at the 9:56 mark when Staats took a high to low shot that hit the post on the stick side and went in the net to make it 5 – 3 Toronto. The final marker came off a cross floor pass from Rogers to Small and his quick stick beat Hill to the short side for his hat trick goal and it was 6 – 3 Toronto. At the end of the first half the shots on goal were Halifax 25—Toronto 19.
The teams would combine for six goals in the third, with three on each side. Less than a minute into the second half Staats got a pass from Cody Jamieson (1G, 2A) and his defender fell allowing Staats to go in all alone, he threw two fakes and beat Rose over the shoulder to make it 6 – 4. Right after that Lintner would go around his defender and in on Hill and his high-to-high shot went top corner restoring the three-goal lead to 7 – 4 for Toronto. The Thunderbirds would put up their second power-play marker on the night. Staats would take a bounce shot from the right side and it found the top corner on the far side over Rose’s glove cutting the Rock lead 7 – 5. Halfway through the quarter, while in transition, Staats would pass to an incoming Terefenko and his shot beat Rose low to the glove side and it was a one goal game at 7 – 6. Toronto would get that one back less than a minute later. Rogers passed to Craig and his side arm rocket went to the top corner and it was 8 – 6 for Toronto. The Rock would close out the third with 25 seconds on the ticker while on a two-man advantage they moved the ball around up top, and Matthews fired a bounce shot from the top that beat Hill through the legs giving them a three goal lead for Toronto at 9 – 6 after three quarters. The shots on goal were Halifax 38—Toronto 32.
Although the Thunderbirds would outscore the Rock in the fourth, the closest they could get was two. Five minutes into the fourth, Toronto would score another when Rogers passed to Small in the middle, he faked high and threw a bounce shot through the legs for his fourth tally of the game and it was 10 – 6. Halifax would rattle off three in a row starting 0ff of the ensuing faceoff. Jake Withers (1G, 2A) would win the ball, beat his defender, switched hands and beat Rose to the far side, and it was 10 – 7. Withers would win another faceoff, this time passing to Clarke Petterson (1G, 3A), he would cut to the net and went short side reducing the Rock lead to 10 – 8 with nine minutes left in regulation. Halifax would continue their run and put up their final marker in the contest. Staats missed the net with a shot, but Jamieson was there to pick it up, he dove in front of the net beating Rose to the short side, and it was a one goal game at 10 – 9 Toronto. The Rock would put up the final goal with 4:41 to go. Rogers was working on defender Tyson Bell (1A) and while pushing him back towards the net, he made a swim move, beat him and his high to low shot beat Hill to the stick side high restoring the two goal lead for Toronto at 11 – 9 with less than five minutes left in the game. In a last-ditch effort in the last minute of the game, Halifax would pull their goalie for the extra attacker and pressed for another goal. After Rose made a save, he passed to de Snoo who went down the floor on a two on one with Petterson playing goalie for Halifax and he made a great stick save on de Snoo. Petterson would then take the ball back up the floor firing a shot that Rose saved, and the rebound went to Benesch whose shot was saved by defender Rogers to seal the win for the Rock at 11 – 9. The shots on goal at the end of the game were Halifax 54 and Toronto 43.
The three stars of the game were:
Corey Small – Toronto Rock: 4G, 1A
Randy Staats – Halifax Thunderbirds: 3G, 1A
Dan Craig – Toronto Rock: 2G, 2A
NEXT UP:
The Toronto Rock (4-0) will play host to the Georgia Swarm (4-1)** at First Ontario Centre on Saturday January 20, 2024, game time 7:00 p.m. EST. Fans in the USA can see the game on ESPN+. Fans in Canada get to catch the action on TSN+.
The Halifax Thunderbirds (2-3) have a bye week and when they hit the floor again, will play host to the Rochester Knighthawks (3-1)** at Scotiabank Centre on Saturday January 27, 2024, game time 6:00 p.m. EST. Fans in the USA can see the game on ESPN+. Fans in Canada get to catch the action on TSN+.
**Record at the time of publication.
Shawn Palmer, Toronto Rock Correspondent
Lacrosse is Awesome©