Last night was the first NLL action since the Champions Cup, with the Rock beating the Mammoth 10-7 in a pre-season game.
Aaron Pascas scored the first goal of the game for Toronto, but Colorado answered quickly with a goal from Bryan Langtry. Toronto's Mat MacLeod took the lead for the Rock. Colorado would do the rest of the scoring in the first quarter, with goals from Jamie Shewchuk and Langtry.
Toronto pulled Pat Campbell from the game and started Gee Nash in net for the second quarter. Rob Hellyer scored for Toronto on a power play, but Shewchuk took the lead again for the Mammoth. However, MacLeod and Hellyer were able to make it 5-4 Rock before the end of the first half.
Andrew Potter and Aaron Pascas scored to give themselves some distance from Colorado to start the third quarter. Connor Martin scored for Colorado to make it 7-5, but Josh Wassen's goal brought the Mammoth crowd back into their seats.
Campbell re-entered the game in the fourth quarter. In the fourth, each team scored twice as Pascas earned the hat trick and Toronto came up with the win.
Game Notes:
- John Grant did not dress for this game.
- Bob Watson did not play in the game. Toronto wanted to see what they had in Nash and Campbell. Hard to judge at the end of the game, but I have a feeling they stick with Nash.
- Rookie Aaron Pascas sure make an impression on the Rock staff.
- There are going to be a few more pre-season games up in New Westminster, so stay tuned to The Lacrosse Blog!
Showing posts with label Rock. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Rock. Show all posts
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Friday, December 3, 2010
Game Preview: Toronto Rock vs Colorado Mammoth
(Photo Credit: NLL.com)
Tomorrow night the new-look Colorado Mammoth take on the Toronto Rock in the first pre-season tilt of the NLL season. This will be the first time the two franchises have played each other since 2003, when the Mammoth moved to Colorado. The game will be seen on the National Lacrosse League's online channel, The NLL Network.
Game Notes:
Leading Scorer from last season: COL- Jamie Shewchuk TOR- Colin Doyle
Goaltender: COL- Matt King TOR- Bob Watson
Injuries:COL- Jed Prossner
Notes:
* This will be the first time John Grant jr does not wear a Rochester Knighthawks uniform.
* Former cup winning goaltender Gee Nash will make his return to Colorado as Bob Watson's backup.
* Mammoth head coach Bob Hamley said he wants to win this game, despite it only being in the pre-season.
* Matt King makes his Mammoth debut.
* Ned Crotty will make his NLL debut.
* Come over here tomorrow evening for an Open Game Thread.
Tomorrow night the new-look Colorado Mammoth take on the Toronto Rock in the first pre-season tilt of the NLL season. This will be the first time the two franchises have played each other since 2003, when the Mammoth moved to Colorado. The game will be seen on the National Lacrosse League's online channel, The NLL Network.
Game Notes:
Leading Scorer from last season: COL- Jamie Shewchuk TOR- Colin Doyle
Goaltender: COL- Matt King TOR- Bob Watson
Injuries:COL- Jed Prossner
Notes:
* This will be the first time John Grant jr does not wear a Rochester Knighthawks uniform.
* Former cup winning goaltender Gee Nash will make his return to Colorado as Bob Watson's backup.
* Mammoth head coach Bob Hamley said he wants to win this game, despite it only being in the pre-season.
* Matt King makes his Mammoth debut.
* Ned Crotty will make his NLL debut.
* Come over here tomorrow evening for an Open Game Thread.
Saturday, November 27, 2010
What Kind of Season Can Toronto Have?
(photo credit: NLL.com) 
The Toronto Rock are coming off an amazing turnaround season, going to the Champions Cup. The Rock had had 3 straight losing seasons before GM Jim Veltman pulled the lever and acquired Colin Doyle from Washington, who they eventually played in the Championship.
But it was not only Doyle who helped them get back into relevance. It was rookies Stephen LeBlanc, Garret Billings, goaltender Bob Watson, as well as Blaine Manning, Sandy Chapman, and Creighton Reid. But what do the Rock have to do to overcome a much improved eastern division?
Their biggest hurdle will be the Boston Blazers(read about them here). After that the Rochester Knighthawks have also improved. What area does Toronto have an advantage? Can they return to the Champions Cup? More, after the jump.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Toronto got a huge boost when word came that Bob Watson was returning the the organization. Watson amazingly had a GAA of under nine last season. And while Steve Dietrich retired, they have a healthy backup goaltender competition.
On offense, the Rock return with most of the same lineup as last season, with some new additions, but mostly defensemen with Kyle Ross and Phil Sanderson.
In what area does Toronto have an edge over Boston? If anything, maybe defense. Toronto did trade their defensman Scott Campbell to Boston's improved defense, but Toronto certainly does not have a better offense. With Dawson, Sanderson and Powell, it's hard to beat them. But Toronto is not far behind, with Billings, LeBlanc, Doyle, etc. Boston has more electric players, but Toronto may have more depth at forwards and transition players.
Does Toronto have an advantage in Goaltending? Probably not, with Boston having Anthony Cosmo, but Watson is sure a good goaltender to have. While they don't have the exact advantage, I would not complain if I was left with Bob Watson.
Last season, Stephen LeBlanc was seventh in the league in overall goals. Billings was 11th. Those two now-sophomore players look to be a huge part of Toronto's season in 2011. LeBlanc, 24 years old, last season had 36 goals and 82 points to lead the Rock in goals. Billings had 33 goals and 83 points. They had a combined 32 points in the playoffs.
Toronto has had a very interesting training camp so far, most of it revolving around goaltenders. There are a few more non-goalies, however, who have impressed Rock officials during camp. A few of note are Brice Queener, Aaron Pascas, Damon Edwards, and Glen Bryan. Right now Toronto has 34 men on their training camp roster. They will have to narrow it down to 23. Other players on their training camp roster include Geoff McNulty, Pat Maddalena, Mat McLeod, Drew Petkoff, Sandy Chapman, Tim O’Brien, Anthony Lackey, Rob Marshall, Colin Doyle, Kasey Beirnes, Creighton Reid, Kyle Ross, Garrett Billings, Blaine Manning, Patrick Merrill, Stephan Leblanc, Phil Sanderson, Brendon Doran, Jeff Gilbert, Mike Hobbins, Cam Woods, Josh Wasson, Stephen Hoar and Watson
Toronto plans to narrow down their roster over the next weekend when they play Colorado in a pre-season game. They will also scrimmage vs Buffalo and Minnesota.
As a whole, Toronto has not had an as noticeable off-season as Boston and Rochester. And while they may have taken a step forward, Toronto has not taken a step back, and will compete with them every step of the way.
The Toronto Rock are coming off an amazing turnaround season, going to the Champions Cup. The Rock had had 3 straight losing seasons before GM Jim Veltman pulled the lever and acquired Colin Doyle from Washington, who they eventually played in the Championship.
But it was not only Doyle who helped them get back into relevance. It was rookies Stephen LeBlanc, Garret Billings, goaltender Bob Watson, as well as Blaine Manning, Sandy Chapman, and Creighton Reid. But what do the Rock have to do to overcome a much improved eastern division?
Their biggest hurdle will be the Boston Blazers(read about them here). After that the Rochester Knighthawks have also improved. What area does Toronto have an advantage? Can they return to the Champions Cup? More, after the jump.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Toronto got a huge boost when word came that Bob Watson was returning the the organization. Watson amazingly had a GAA of under nine last season. And while Steve Dietrich retired, they have a healthy backup goaltender competition.
On offense, the Rock return with most of the same lineup as last season, with some new additions, but mostly defensemen with Kyle Ross and Phil Sanderson.
In what area does Toronto have an edge over Boston? If anything, maybe defense. Toronto did trade their defensman Scott Campbell to Boston's improved defense, but Toronto certainly does not have a better offense. With Dawson, Sanderson and Powell, it's hard to beat them. But Toronto is not far behind, with Billings, LeBlanc, Doyle, etc. Boston has more electric players, but Toronto may have more depth at forwards and transition players.
Does Toronto have an advantage in Goaltending? Probably not, with Boston having Anthony Cosmo, but Watson is sure a good goaltender to have. While they don't have the exact advantage, I would not complain if I was left with Bob Watson.
Last season, Stephen LeBlanc was seventh in the league in overall goals. Billings was 11th. Those two now-sophomore players look to be a huge part of Toronto's season in 2011. LeBlanc, 24 years old, last season had 36 goals and 82 points to lead the Rock in goals. Billings had 33 goals and 83 points. They had a combined 32 points in the playoffs.
Toronto has had a very interesting training camp so far, most of it revolving around goaltenders. There are a few more non-goalies, however, who have impressed Rock officials during camp. A few of note are Brice Queener, Aaron Pascas, Damon Edwards, and Glen Bryan. Right now Toronto has 34 men on their training camp roster. They will have to narrow it down to 23. Other players on their training camp roster include Geoff McNulty, Pat Maddalena, Mat McLeod, Drew Petkoff, Sandy Chapman, Tim O’Brien, Anthony Lackey, Rob Marshall, Colin Doyle, Kasey Beirnes, Creighton Reid, Kyle Ross, Garrett Billings, Blaine Manning, Patrick Merrill, Stephan Leblanc, Phil Sanderson, Brendon Doran, Jeff Gilbert, Mike Hobbins, Cam Woods, Josh Wasson, Stephen Hoar and Watson
Toronto plans to narrow down their roster over the next weekend when they play Colorado in a pre-season game. They will also scrimmage vs Buffalo and Minnesota.
As a whole, Toronto has not had an as noticeable off-season as Boston and Rochester. And while they may have taken a step forward, Toronto has not taken a step back, and will compete with them every step of the way.
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Training Camp Update
As the NLL season creeps closer, more teams are coming to agreements with their players. The Boston Blazers signed Casey Powell and Dan Dawson to two year deals today, locking up two of their new big three. The Blazers have all three of the last three MVPs in Dawson, Powell, and Josh Sanderson. “Dan is one of the most electrifying players in our league,” team president and general manager Doug Reffue said in a release by the team. “With his leadership and offensive presence as well as the addition of all-stars like Casey and Josh, we will be a major challenge for every team this year. Anything short of a Champions Cup would be a major disappointment.”
John Tavares will return to the Buffalo Bandits for one last season. He says he feels old, but wants one more season as a Bandit. “I asked my wife to put my bag in my car because it looked really heavy, since I’m too old. Once I get my stick in my hand, then it’ll be nice to be back. Now it’s like, ‘oh man,’ line after line and driving two hours to get here can be a pain, but it’s nice to be able to do it.” Buffalo looks to be another improved team in the east with additions such as Tracey Kelusky, Scott Self, Brenden Thenhaus, Travis Irving and Ben McCoullogh.
The Toronto Rock have already had an interesting training camp after the retirement of Steve Dietrich. With him out, the Rock have four backup goaltender candidates with Zack Boychuk, Gee Nash, Pat Campbell and Matt Flindell.
Over in Colorado, rookies Ned Crotty and Ben Daives have impressed. They look to add to a much improved offensive Colorado Mammoth team. They look to join John Grant, Ilija and Alex Gajic, and Jamie Shewchuk as the Mammoth offense.
John Tavares will return to the Buffalo Bandits for one last season. He says he feels old, but wants one more season as a Bandit. “I asked my wife to put my bag in my car because it looked really heavy, since I’m too old. Once I get my stick in my hand, then it’ll be nice to be back. Now it’s like, ‘oh man,’ line after line and driving two hours to get here can be a pain, but it’s nice to be able to do it.” Buffalo looks to be another improved team in the east with additions such as Tracey Kelusky, Scott Self, Brenden Thenhaus, Travis Irving and Ben McCoullogh.
The Toronto Rock have already had an interesting training camp after the retirement of Steve Dietrich. With him out, the Rock have four backup goaltender candidates with Zack Boychuk, Gee Nash, Pat Campbell and Matt Flindell.
Over in Colorado, rookies Ned Crotty and Ben Daives have impressed. They look to add to a much improved offensive Colorado Mammoth team. They look to join John Grant, Ilija and Alex Gajic, and Jamie Shewchuk as the Mammoth offense.
Monday, November 22, 2010
Boston Blazers.. Is This Their Year?
(photo credit: NLL.com)
When the Boston Blazers first acquired Casey Powell, I thought they became the favorites in the East. When they acquired Josh Sanderson, I thought so even more. The Blazers certainly have what looks to be a powerhouse offense, with those additions along with Dan Dawson. But did the Blazers address their biggest need? And are there more teams to worry about in the East?
Looking at the Blazers roster up-to-down, it looks pretty solid. Along with their big three they have Scott Campbell, John Orsen, Greg Downing, Gary Bining, Kevin Buchanan, Sean Morris, and Dan Teat. Those are some pretty good complementary players to Sanderson, Dawson and Powell. And on the goaltending front, you cannot go wrong with Anthony Cosmo. So again, on paper this team looked solid.
I feel they did address their biggest problem, which was second half scoring. After teams would adjust to Dan Dawson, the Blazers did not have enough players to pick up the slack. They tried to fix this by acquiring Mat Giles, and he was ok, but he was also not their scoring solution.
By getting Powell and later Sanderson, that should solve the issue. Teams cannot double cover all three players. Especially Powell, who has had a history of good second halves.
While credit to Boston for improving the issue, Powell kind of fell right into their lap. Thanks to the Giles trade of the previous season, Boston was left with the #2 pick of the Titans dispersal. With Colorado snatching up Matt Vinc, Powell was left open for the Blazers. They did have to surrender a few players for Sanderson, but it was well worth getting the former MVP.
The rest of their additions look like good support players, like Dan Teat, who is 20th all time in NLL scoring. And then Kevin Buchanan, who looks to score a few goals.
But other teams are improving too. Toronto has a really solid roster, with Blaine Manning, Colin Doyle, Garret Billings and Wade LeBlanc. The Rock, I have always thought, would be able to contend with Boston. But with the recent additions of Rochester, the Knighthawks might jump into that mix. And it is not so much Vinc, as they always had Pat O'Toole in net.
But even with the loss of John Grant, they have Cody Jaimeson, Jordon Hall, Craig Point, Steve Toll, Shawn Evans, and Matt Zash. With a few more roster moves, they also have Brad Self and Matt Danowski.
So with the Knighthawks and Rock in the mix, that leaves the Blazers with some tough opponents. Back to the Blazers, is their still a weakness on this team? They improved their problems from last year, but that does not mean they won't have problems somewhere else.
I think the Blazers acquired some good defensive players with Orsen and Campbell, but they lost Paul Dawson, who is one of the best in the league. While those two may make up for the loss, the acquisition of Kyle Rubisch was supposed to as well. However he remains unsigned, and it is unknown if Boston will have to trade him.
When the Boston Blazers first acquired Casey Powell, I thought they became the favorites in the East. When they acquired Josh Sanderson, I thought so even more. The Blazers certainly have what looks to be a powerhouse offense, with those additions along with Dan Dawson. But did the Blazers address their biggest need? And are there more teams to worry about in the East?
Looking at the Blazers roster up-to-down, it looks pretty solid. Along with their big three they have Scott Campbell, John Orsen, Greg Downing, Gary Bining, Kevin Buchanan, Sean Morris, and Dan Teat. Those are some pretty good complementary players to Sanderson, Dawson and Powell. And on the goaltending front, you cannot go wrong with Anthony Cosmo. So again, on paper this team looked solid.
I feel they did address their biggest problem, which was second half scoring. After teams would adjust to Dan Dawson, the Blazers did not have enough players to pick up the slack. They tried to fix this by acquiring Mat Giles, and he was ok, but he was also not their scoring solution.
By getting Powell and later Sanderson, that should solve the issue. Teams cannot double cover all three players. Especially Powell, who has had a history of good second halves.
While credit to Boston for improving the issue, Powell kind of fell right into their lap. Thanks to the Giles trade of the previous season, Boston was left with the #2 pick of the Titans dispersal. With Colorado snatching up Matt Vinc, Powell was left open for the Blazers. They did have to surrender a few players for Sanderson, but it was well worth getting the former MVP.
The rest of their additions look like good support players, like Dan Teat, who is 20th all time in NLL scoring. And then Kevin Buchanan, who looks to score a few goals.
But other teams are improving too. Toronto has a really solid roster, with Blaine Manning, Colin Doyle, Garret Billings and Wade LeBlanc. The Rock, I have always thought, would be able to contend with Boston. But with the recent additions of Rochester, the Knighthawks might jump into that mix. And it is not so much Vinc, as they always had Pat O'Toole in net.
But even with the loss of John Grant, they have Cody Jaimeson, Jordon Hall, Craig Point, Steve Toll, Shawn Evans, and Matt Zash. With a few more roster moves, they also have Brad Self and Matt Danowski.
So with the Knighthawks and Rock in the mix, that leaves the Blazers with some tough opponents. Back to the Blazers, is their still a weakness on this team? They improved their problems from last year, but that does not mean they won't have problems somewhere else.
I think the Blazers acquired some good defensive players with Orsen and Campbell, but they lost Paul Dawson, who is one of the best in the league. While those two may make up for the loss, the acquisition of Kyle Rubisch was supposed to as well. However he remains unsigned, and it is unknown if Boston will have to trade him.
Friday, November 19, 2010
Player Preview: Bob Watson
After Bob Watson officially announced he would return to the National Lacrosse League next season, I'm sure the Toronto Rock breathed a sigh of relief. Watson is known as one of the best goaltenders of all time, playing mostly with the Ontario Raiders/Toronto Rock franchise. Let's take a look at his career, and what is to come for him and his Toronto Rock.
Watson was drafted by the Baltimore Thunder, where he played for one season was a goals against average over 17 in nine games. The next season he was drafted by the Ontario Raiders in the expansion draft. The Raiders played one season, 1998, where Watson played all 12 games with a GAA of 12.02.
The next season the Raiders moved to Toronto and played as the Toronto Rock, and Watson led the team to the Champions Cup in two consecutive seasons, including a dramatic win in their second championship, with Kaleb Toth scoring with one second on the clock.
The Rock once again went to the Championship in 2001, but were defeated by the Philadelphia Wings. Watson was goaltender of the year that season, with an 8.89 GAA in all 14 games. In 2002 the Rock won another championship, defeating the Albany Attack. The Rock won again the next year, this time over Rochester.
All these championships with Watson were no coincidence. Watson was considered the best goaltender in the league, and this dynasty stretch for Toronto may have put him in the best of all time discussion.
In 2004, the Rock lost in the conference championships, and did not go to the Champions Cup. Watson that season had a 11.14 GAA with a .775%.
In 2005, the Rock went to defeat the Arizona Sting in the championship in front of 19,432. Watson had another fabulous season.
Toronto took a step back in 2006, finishing 8-8 and being bumped in the first round. Watson had a GAA of 11.35. Before 2007, the Rock were looking to be a powerhouse again, trading for Colin Doyle and Ryan Benesch. However, the Rock struggled to a 6-10 record under Watson's 11.01 GAA.
Toronto had another losing season, but Watson was named goaltender of the year with a 10.26 GAA and .787S%.
Toronto missed the playoffs again in 2009, and Watson had his career worst since 1999 in GAA at 12.79. 2010 was a different story, as Toronto traded for Colin Doyle back from Washington, giving up Lewis Ratcliff. Toronto went on to play Ratcliff and the Stealth in the Champions Cup, but lost. Watson finished the year with a GAA of 9.31, but fell in the goaltender of the year race to Matt Vinc.
Watson returns again this season to a Rock team that still looks to compete. This could be Watson's last year, and that would be the end of a lacrosse legend and future NLL hall of famer.
Watson was drafted by the Baltimore Thunder, where he played for one season was a goals against average over 17 in nine games. The next season he was drafted by the Ontario Raiders in the expansion draft. The Raiders played one season, 1998, where Watson played all 12 games with a GAA of 12.02.
The next season the Raiders moved to Toronto and played as the Toronto Rock, and Watson led the team to the Champions Cup in two consecutive seasons, including a dramatic win in their second championship, with Kaleb Toth scoring with one second on the clock.
The Rock once again went to the Championship in 2001, but were defeated by the Philadelphia Wings. Watson was goaltender of the year that season, with an 8.89 GAA in all 14 games. In 2002 the Rock won another championship, defeating the Albany Attack. The Rock won again the next year, this time over Rochester.
All these championships with Watson were no coincidence. Watson was considered the best goaltender in the league, and this dynasty stretch for Toronto may have put him in the best of all time discussion.
In 2004, the Rock lost in the conference championships, and did not go to the Champions Cup. Watson that season had a 11.14 GAA with a .775%.
In 2005, the Rock went to defeat the Arizona Sting in the championship in front of 19,432. Watson had another fabulous season.
Toronto took a step back in 2006, finishing 8-8 and being bumped in the first round. Watson had a GAA of 11.35. Before 2007, the Rock were looking to be a powerhouse again, trading for Colin Doyle and Ryan Benesch. However, the Rock struggled to a 6-10 record under Watson's 11.01 GAA.
Toronto had another losing season, but Watson was named goaltender of the year with a 10.26 GAA and .787S%.
Toronto missed the playoffs again in 2009, and Watson had his career worst since 1999 in GAA at 12.79. 2010 was a different story, as Toronto traded for Colin Doyle back from Washington, giving up Lewis Ratcliff. Toronto went on to play Ratcliff and the Stealth in the Champions Cup, but lost. Watson finished the year with a GAA of 9.31, but fell in the goaltender of the year race to Matt Vinc.
Watson returns again this season to a Rock team that still looks to compete. This could be Watson's last year, and that would be the end of a lacrosse legend and future NLL hall of famer.
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Player Preview: John Grant
With the bloackbuster trade of Matt Vinc and John Grant last week, we had a Vinc player preview with his new team in upstate New York. Now, we look at the player moving from the only franchise he's ever known to Denver.
Grant was originally a third round pick for the Buffalo Bandits in 1995, but opted not to sign and to stay in college. He re-entered the draft four years later in 1999, and was selected first overall by the Rochester Knighthawks, and was named rookie of the year. In the next three years in Rochester, Grant scored 95, 105, and 99 points. The year where he scored 105 came in a 14 game season, and the year he scored 95 was in 12 games.
The next season, 2004, Grant was injured most of the year and was only able to score 35 points in 5 games.
In 2007, Grant set a National Lacrosse league record with 15 points in a single game in a win over the New York Titans. Grant was also named MVP that season, as well as Champions Cup MVP with the championship in Rochester. The record does not hold, as Mark Steenhius of the Buffalo Bandits broke it.
Grant missed the entire 2009 season with emergency knee surgery. He returned to play 15 out of the Knighthawks 16 games in 2010, but they did not make the playoffs after falling to the Washington Stealth in the last game of the season.
In the MLL, Grant was a member of the Rochester Rattlers in their inaugural season. He finished second in the league with 59 points, and won offensive player of the year.
He skipped the 2002-2004 seasons, but returned to the Rattlers in 2005. In 2007, he broke the single season points record with 71, and was again named offensive player of the year, and also the MVP. He again led the league in scoring in 2008, and was again names MVP.
With the Rattlers folded, Grant now plays on the Toronto Nationals. He has been to two championship games, one in Rochester and one in Toronto.
Grant also played in the Ontario Lacrosse Association, with the Peterbourogh Lakers in the junior OLA. He was the league's top scorer in 1993, 1994, and 1995, as well as MVP in 1994. In 1995, Grant moved up to Major Series Lacrosse, also with the Lakers, and won the Rookie of the Year award. In 2000, he won the league's MVP. In 2002 and 2003, Grant moved to the Western Lacrosse Association, with the Coquitlam Adanacs.
Grant returned to Peterbourough in 2005, and led his team to the Mann Cup Championship. He also won the championship with the Lakers in 2006 and 2007. Grant surprisingly played in 2009, after his knee surgery that kept out of the Knighthawks lineup. In 2010, the Lakers won the championship again.
Grant is about to write a whole new chapter to his lacrosse legacy in Colorado now, hoping to lead the Mammoth the the playoffs, and the Champions Cup.
Grant was originally a third round pick for the Buffalo Bandits in 1995, but opted not to sign and to stay in college. He re-entered the draft four years later in 1999, and was selected first overall by the Rochester Knighthawks, and was named rookie of the year. In the next three years in Rochester, Grant scored 95, 105, and 99 points. The year where he scored 105 came in a 14 game season, and the year he scored 95 was in 12 games.
The next season, 2004, Grant was injured most of the year and was only able to score 35 points in 5 games.
In 2007, Grant set a National Lacrosse league record with 15 points in a single game in a win over the New York Titans. Grant was also named MVP that season, as well as Champions Cup MVP with the championship in Rochester. The record does not hold, as Mark Steenhius of the Buffalo Bandits broke it.
Grant missed the entire 2009 season with emergency knee surgery. He returned to play 15 out of the Knighthawks 16 games in 2010, but they did not make the playoffs after falling to the Washington Stealth in the last game of the season.
In the MLL, Grant was a member of the Rochester Rattlers in their inaugural season. He finished second in the league with 59 points, and won offensive player of the year.
He skipped the 2002-2004 seasons, but returned to the Rattlers in 2005. In 2007, he broke the single season points record with 71, and was again named offensive player of the year, and also the MVP. He again led the league in scoring in 2008, and was again names MVP.
With the Rattlers folded, Grant now plays on the Toronto Nationals. He has been to two championship games, one in Rochester and one in Toronto.
Grant also played in the Ontario Lacrosse Association, with the Peterbourogh Lakers in the junior OLA. He was the league's top scorer in 1993, 1994, and 1995, as well as MVP in 1994. In 1995, Grant moved up to Major Series Lacrosse, also with the Lakers, and won the Rookie of the Year award. In 2000, he won the league's MVP. In 2002 and 2003, Grant moved to the Western Lacrosse Association, with the Coquitlam Adanacs.
Grant returned to Peterbourough in 2005, and led his team to the Mann Cup Championship. He also won the championship with the Lakers in 2006 and 2007. Grant surprisingly played in 2009, after his knee surgery that kept out of the Knighthawks lineup. In 2010, the Lakers won the championship again.
Grant is about to write a whole new chapter to his lacrosse legacy in Colorado now, hoping to lead the Mammoth the the playoffs, and the Champions Cup.
Monday, October 4, 2010
NLL Player Preview: Josh Sanderson
After all the NLL team previews, we will now look at some player previews. We will look at some of the more intriguing players in the NLL. It will be a total of 20 players, with at least one from each team. This series will stretch until January.
Right now, it's Josh Sanderson.
Sanderson was originally drafted by the Rochester Knighthawks in 1998. In his rookie year, he played in four games and scored four points. The next he played five and then Rochester traded him to the Albany Attack. With the Attack in 2002, he scored 103 points with 35 goals. That was his peak in Albany, while he scored 76 and 89 points, the last year with San Jose before the franchise moved on from him and he went to Toronto. With the Rock he broke out, scoring 102, 98 and 85 points before being traded to Calgary. With Calgary, he had only 16 points in an injury plagued season and ended up back in Toronto. He scored only 50 points in 11 games that year before he was shipped back out to the Roughnecks, for Lewis Ratcliff. He then scored 103 and 104 points, leading the league last season and was second the year before. He was also named MVP of the 2009 Champions Cup with Calgary.
In the offseason, he was traded to the Boston Blazers, where he will play alongside Casey Powell and Dan Dawson.
Josh Sanderson is related to the goaltender, Chris Sanderson, who was an all-time goaltending great in the MLL. He recently returned from brain cancer and played in the FIL for team Canada.
Sanderson has won two NLL Champions Cups, with Calgary and Toronto. In 2002 he won the MVP of the Mann Cup in Major Series Lacrosse. He has been an all-pro in 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, and 2010. He was also a starter for the 2009 NLL all-star game. Sanderson was MVP of Calgary's Championship. He also played in the Bowhunter Cup.
The Next Player Preview will be Ryan Powell at some time this month. If you have any ideas of who you want to see next in this series, write it in the comments.
Right now, it's Josh Sanderson.
Sanderson was originally drafted by the Rochester Knighthawks in 1998. In his rookie year, he played in four games and scored four points. The next he played five and then Rochester traded him to the Albany Attack. With the Attack in 2002, he scored 103 points with 35 goals. That was his peak in Albany, while he scored 76 and 89 points, the last year with San Jose before the franchise moved on from him and he went to Toronto. With the Rock he broke out, scoring 102, 98 and 85 points before being traded to Calgary. With Calgary, he had only 16 points in an injury plagued season and ended up back in Toronto. He scored only 50 points in 11 games that year before he was shipped back out to the Roughnecks, for Lewis Ratcliff. He then scored 103 and 104 points, leading the league last season and was second the year before. He was also named MVP of the 2009 Champions Cup with Calgary.
In the offseason, he was traded to the Boston Blazers, where he will play alongside Casey Powell and Dan Dawson.
Josh Sanderson is related to the goaltender, Chris Sanderson, who was an all-time goaltending great in the MLL. He recently returned from brain cancer and played in the FIL for team Canada.
Sanderson has won two NLL Champions Cups, with Calgary and Toronto. In 2002 he won the MVP of the Mann Cup in Major Series Lacrosse. He has been an all-pro in 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, and 2010. He was also a starter for the 2009 NLL all-star game. Sanderson was MVP of Calgary's Championship. He also played in the Bowhunter Cup.
The Next Player Preview will be Ryan Powell at some time this month. If you have any ideas of who you want to see next in this series, write it in the comments.
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Toronto Aquires Pat Merrill
Today the Toronto Rock signed free agent Pat Merril. Here is the press release.
The Toronto Rock Lacrosse Club have acquired unrestricted free agent and former Orlando Titans defender Patrick Merrill to a four year deal this week. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Introduced into the NLL as a Rock player in 2003, Merrill played in Toronto for the first five seasons of his career until he was picked up second overall by the New York Titans during the 2007 Expansion Draft.
Being very familiar with the coaching staff in Rock assistant coach and GM Terry Sanderson, Patrick is looking forward to playing for Toronto again.
“I’m extremely thrilled to be back playing for the Rock organization” Merrill says. “It’s a very strong team on the floor and a first class organization off the floor. I know the Rock ownership, coaching staff and players put winning first and that is very important to me.”
The assistant captain and defenseman spent two seasons as a Titan in New York before the team moved to Florida where he spent the 2010 season with the Orlando Titans and tallying 13 regular season points (1 goal, 12 assists). Along with his Titans squad, Patrick appeared in two NLL playoff games in 2010, the second of which was the East Division final where the Toronto Rock defeated the Titans 15-10 and pushed them into the Championship game.
Having coached him in the past during summer lacrosse, Sanderson and head coach Troy Cordingley know Merrill is comfortable with the way they run the defense and are big fans of the way he plays the game.
“He plays with an edge that in a way makes us a harder team to compete against” says Sanderson, “and brings a great wealth of leadership qualities that you really can’t have enough of.”
Merrill, 31, has appeared in the NLL playoffs every season he’s played in the League. Two of these playoff years were with the Rock that also led to NLL Champions Cup titles. The first in 2003 when the Rock defeated the Rochester Knighthawks and most recently the 2005 season when he was a part of the Championship victory for the Rock over the Arizona Sting at the Air Canada Centre.
‘It was an amazing experience to be a part of two Championship teams with the Rock and I’m really hoping to help this team bring another to the great lacrosse fans of Toronto” Merrill adds.
Patrick, along with his Toronto Rock teammates will kick off the 2011 regular season against his younger brother Brodie Merrill and the Edmonton Rush. The Rock home opener takes place on Saturday January 8th at 7:00 p.m. ET at the Air Canada Centre
Schedule Update: Look out for the Roughnecks preview tomorrow.
The Toronto Rock Lacrosse Club have acquired unrestricted free agent and former Orlando Titans defender Patrick Merrill to a four year deal this week. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Introduced into the NLL as a Rock player in 2003, Merrill played in Toronto for the first five seasons of his career until he was picked up second overall by the New York Titans during the 2007 Expansion Draft.
Being very familiar with the coaching staff in Rock assistant coach and GM Terry Sanderson, Patrick is looking forward to playing for Toronto again.
“I’m extremely thrilled to be back playing for the Rock organization” Merrill says. “It’s a very strong team on the floor and a first class organization off the floor. I know the Rock ownership, coaching staff and players put winning first and that is very important to me.”
The assistant captain and defenseman spent two seasons as a Titan in New York before the team moved to Florida where he spent the 2010 season with the Orlando Titans and tallying 13 regular season points (1 goal, 12 assists). Along with his Titans squad, Patrick appeared in two NLL playoff games in 2010, the second of which was the East Division final where the Toronto Rock defeated the Titans 15-10 and pushed them into the Championship game.
Having coached him in the past during summer lacrosse, Sanderson and head coach Troy Cordingley know Merrill is comfortable with the way they run the defense and are big fans of the way he plays the game.
“He plays with an edge that in a way makes us a harder team to compete against” says Sanderson, “and brings a great wealth of leadership qualities that you really can’t have enough of.”
Merrill, 31, has appeared in the NLL playoffs every season he’s played in the League. Two of these playoff years were with the Rock that also led to NLL Champions Cup titles. The first in 2003 when the Rock defeated the Rochester Knighthawks and most recently the 2005 season when he was a part of the Championship victory for the Rock over the Arizona Sting at the Air Canada Centre.
‘It was an amazing experience to be a part of two Championship teams with the Rock and I’m really hoping to help this team bring another to the great lacrosse fans of Toronto” Merrill adds.
Patrick, along with his Toronto Rock teammates will kick off the 2011 regular season against his younger brother Brodie Merrill and the Edmonton Rush. The Rock home opener takes place on Saturday January 8th at 7:00 p.m. ET at the Air Canada Centre
Schedule Update: Look out for the Roughnecks preview tomorrow.
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Boston Blazers Preview
The NLL Draft will be soon upon us. The NLL season is now only a few months away, and it's time to preview them.
The Boston Blazers bounced back last season from a devastating defeat to the Buffalo Bandits in the playoffs. They made the playoffs on the final day of the season, beating out the Rochester Knighthawks, but they barely backed in. They lost to Buffalo that night and needed Washington to defeat Rochester. Lucky for them, they did. But it once again proved Boston's inconsistencies with a season full of them.
Boston had one issue all season long; If Dan Dawson was shut down, so were the Blazers. They had some good players in Daryl Veltman and they went out and acquired Mat Giles, but it was not enough. They relied on Dawson and their goaltender Anthony Cosmo to get it done.
Boston finished fourth in the east and had to travel to Orlando for their playoff showdown. They lost similarly to the rest of their regular season: They had a lead, but Orlando adjusted to shutting down Boston's top scorer. Well, the Blazers were full aware of this flaw and used a golden opportunity to fix it.
The Blazers have lucked out on dispersal drafts their entire existence, having the number one pick to steal Dawson from Arizona and Cosmo from Chicago. This year they had a number two pick for the Orlando Titan's dispersal, and they drafted league MVP Casey Powell. Now with Dawson and Powell on offense, that was sure to fix a flawed offense. But even better, Boston made one of the bigger blockbusters of the last few years and acquired Josh Sanderson, the 2009 playoffs MVP. Similar to the Boston Celtics big three, the Blazers look to take this opportunity and win the whole thing.
With the best team in the east, Orlando, out of the league, their only real competition will be Toronto and maybe Buffalo might be a surprise team. But Boston has a real golden opportunity to make this their year.
The Boston Blazers bounced back last season from a devastating defeat to the Buffalo Bandits in the playoffs. They made the playoffs on the final day of the season, beating out the Rochester Knighthawks, but they barely backed in. They lost to Buffalo that night and needed Washington to defeat Rochester. Lucky for them, they did. But it once again proved Boston's inconsistencies with a season full of them.
Boston had one issue all season long; If Dan Dawson was shut down, so were the Blazers. They had some good players in Daryl Veltman and they went out and acquired Mat Giles, but it was not enough. They relied on Dawson and their goaltender Anthony Cosmo to get it done.
Boston finished fourth in the east and had to travel to Orlando for their playoff showdown. They lost similarly to the rest of their regular season: They had a lead, but Orlando adjusted to shutting down Boston's top scorer. Well, the Blazers were full aware of this flaw and used a golden opportunity to fix it.
The Blazers have lucked out on dispersal drafts their entire existence, having the number one pick to steal Dawson from Arizona and Cosmo from Chicago. This year they had a number two pick for the Orlando Titan's dispersal, and they drafted league MVP Casey Powell. Now with Dawson and Powell on offense, that was sure to fix a flawed offense. But even better, Boston made one of the bigger blockbusters of the last few years and acquired Josh Sanderson, the 2009 playoffs MVP. Similar to the Boston Celtics big three, the Blazers look to take this opportunity and win the whole thing.
With the best team in the east, Orlando, out of the league, their only real competition will be Toronto and maybe Buffalo might be a surprise team. But Boston has a real golden opportunity to make this their year.
Thursday, August 26, 2010
NLL Preview: Toronto Rock
The NLL Draft will be soon upon us. The NLL season is now only a few months away, and it's time to preview them.
The Toronto Rock finished in second place in the East last season and made it to the Champions Cup where they were defeated by the Washington Stealth. Key players for the Rock last season were rookies Garret Billings and Stephen LeBlanc, an then of course Colin Doyle, Blaine Manning and Sandy Chapman. But what will the Rock look like this year?
The Rock lost the division to the Orlando Titans. While they may not be in the league any more, expect the Boston Blazers to have a strong season. If the Rock want to compete, they will need those players and others to contribute. With Bob Watson getting older, the Rock will need a new "rock" in net. They already have Steve Dietrich, but can he step in and be the everyday goaltender? Or will the Rock go via the draft to find a new goaltender? They may still keep Watson on the roster, but he can not do everyday what he used to. I expect them to draft a young goalie to learn under Watson and Dietrich.
The Rock made a questionable deal this off-season, trading veteran defense man Scott Campbell to Boston for a second round draft pick. The Rock, however, did try to fill that void by attempting to sign restricted free agent defensemen Paul Dawson, Kyle Ross and John Orsen. They failed at the first two, but have a shot at Ross. The contract would make him one of the highest paid NLL defensmen, but he is not as good as Campbell.
In the dispersal draft this year, the Rock picked up attack man Mike McLellan. A great pick up, it adds a ton of scoring depth for an already high-powered Rock offense. Garret Billings was rookie of the year last season, and I just expect for him and LeBlanc to keep getting better.
I see the Blazers as the East champions, but the Rock are going to have a good shot at it too.
The Toronto Rock finished in second place in the East last season and made it to the Champions Cup where they were defeated by the Washington Stealth. Key players for the Rock last season were rookies Garret Billings and Stephen LeBlanc, an then of course Colin Doyle, Blaine Manning and Sandy Chapman. But what will the Rock look like this year?
The Rock lost the division to the Orlando Titans. While they may not be in the league any more, expect the Boston Blazers to have a strong season. If the Rock want to compete, they will need those players and others to contribute. With Bob Watson getting older, the Rock will need a new "rock" in net. They already have Steve Dietrich, but can he step in and be the everyday goaltender? Or will the Rock go via the draft to find a new goaltender? They may still keep Watson on the roster, but he can not do everyday what he used to. I expect them to draft a young goalie to learn under Watson and Dietrich.
The Rock made a questionable deal this off-season, trading veteran defense man Scott Campbell to Boston for a second round draft pick. The Rock, however, did try to fill that void by attempting to sign restricted free agent defensemen Paul Dawson, Kyle Ross and John Orsen. They failed at the first two, but have a shot at Ross. The contract would make him one of the highest paid NLL defensmen, but he is not as good as Campbell.
In the dispersal draft this year, the Rock picked up attack man Mike McLellan. A great pick up, it adds a ton of scoring depth for an already high-powered Rock offense. Garret Billings was rookie of the year last season, and I just expect for him and LeBlanc to keep getting better.
I see the Blazers as the East champions, but the Rock are going to have a good shot at it too.
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Rock sign Orson to Offer Sheet, New Trend in the NLL?
The Toronto Rock have signed yet another Boston Blazer's restricted FA defenseman, John Orson. The Blazers, similar to Paul Dawson, have up to 72 hours to match that. The Blazers are obviously vulnerable with money after acquiring Casey Powell and Josh Sanderson, but may have cleared some space trading Daryl Veltman. The Blazers acquired Orson from the Orlando Titans in the recent dispersal draft. Orson was expected to be a key in the Blazer's defensive plans.
Meanwhile, there will be an arbitration hearing for the whole Paul Dawson thing. The Blazers traded him to the Calgary Roughnecks and they matched the offer sheet Toronto signed him to. The question is what is Dawson owed for the 2011 season?
Quote from Inside Lacrosse:
This will resolve an NLL-wide issue, as Professional lacrosse Players Association member David Succamore says. Dawson is still expected to be a Calgary Roughneck in this upcoming season.
Meanwhile, there will be an arbitration hearing for the whole Paul Dawson thing. The Blazers traded him to the Calgary Roughnecks and they matched the offer sheet Toronto signed him to. The question is what is Dawson owed for the 2011 season?
Quote from Inside Lacrosse:
The league maintains the stance that a matching offer to a restricted free agent only include the player’s base compensation and bonuses, the Professional Lacrosse Player’s Association also looking for promotional monies to be included, Dawson’s offer from the Rock also including those additional payments which normally includes non-playing additions like appearances, camps and extras of that nature
This will resolve an NLL-wide issue, as Professional lacrosse Players Association member David Succamore says. Dawson is still expected to be a Calgary Roughneck in this upcoming season.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
More Orlando Titans Aftermath
As expected, there is a lot more in the aftermath of the folding of the Orlando Titans, including the draft order in tomorrow's dispersal draft. However as it was expected tomorrow, it may be held out into next week because of the players wanting to terminate their contract. The order of the draft is expected to look like this:
Colorado (expected to select Casey Powell)
Boston (via the Max Seibald trade)
Rochester
Minnesota
Philadelphia
Buffalo
Edmonton
Calgary
Toronto
Washington.
Philadelphia and Boston will flip-flop their positioning in later rounds due to trades and acquisitions that allow Boston to currently be ahead of Philadelphia.
It is also believed now that Matt Vinc may terminate his contract with Orlando.
Colorado (expected to select Casey Powell)
Boston (via the Max Seibald trade)
Rochester
Minnesota
Philadelphia
Buffalo
Edmonton
Calgary
Toronto
Washington.
Philadelphia and Boston will flip-flop their positioning in later rounds due to trades and acquisitions that allow Boston to currently be ahead of Philadelphia.
It is also believed now that Matt Vinc may terminate his contract with Orlando.
Saturday, July 3, 2010
Rock trade Campbell to Boston
The Toronto Rock have traded defnseman Scott Campbell to the Boston Blazers for their 2010 second round draft pick.
Campbell recorded five goals and eight assists as well as 48 loose balls playing defense for Toronto.
“Scott is a consistently solid player” said Doug Reffue, Blazers GM. “His experience and leadership on and off the floor will be a tremendous benefit to our young team.”
Campbell recorded five goals and eight assists as well as 48 loose balls playing defense for Toronto.
“Scott is a consistently solid player” said Doug Reffue, Blazers GM. “His experience and leadership on and off the floor will be a tremendous benefit to our young team.”
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Lax Links for 6/10
Here are today's Lax Links:
Keenan signs extension with Rush- NLL Insider
Colin Doyle traded in Canadian BoxLax- NLL Insider
Cannons vs Denver to be on ESPN2- MLL.com
And to followers of NLL Blog: We need your support. If you are a follower, comment on posts and help build the community, we need it to be on SBN.
Keenan signs extension with Rush- NLL Insider
Colin Doyle traded in Canadian BoxLax- NLL Insider
Cannons vs Denver to be on ESPN2- MLL.com
And to followers of NLL Blog: We need your support. If you are a follower, comment on posts and help build the community, we need it to be on SBN.
Friday, May 14, 2010
NLL Champions Cup Preveiw: Stealth vs Rock
It's time for the National Lacrosse League Champions Cup. This years matchup features the team with the best regular season, the Washington Stealth. They face a team in the Toronto Rock who look to tie the Philadelphia Wings record of six championships. Fresh off his rookie of the year, Stephen Leblanc look to knock off Rhys Duch and the Washington Stealth.
Leading Point Scorer(Playoffs): Was:Rhys Duch, 14 pts
Tor: Stephen LeBlanc, 12 pts
Goaltender: Was: Tyler Richards
Tor: Bob Watson
Injuries: Was: Travis Gillspie
Tor: None
Game Notes:
* The Rock look for their sixth championship in a year that was meant for rebuilding.
* A sub-plot in this game will be the return of Colin Doyle to the Stealth. Both Lewis Ratcliff and Doyle, the two center pieces in that deal, have not done much these playoffs
* The Stealth held the Rush to one goal in thirteen shots on Saturday
* The Rock were 0-4 on their power play
* The game can be seen Saturday night at 10:30 on NLL.com, or Sunday at 2pm on Versus. I will have an open thread to chat tomorrow night and Sunday.
Leading Point Scorer(Playoffs): Was:Rhys Duch, 14 pts
Tor: Stephen LeBlanc, 12 pts
Goaltender: Was: Tyler Richards
Tor: Bob Watson
Injuries: Was: Travis Gillspie
Tor: None
Game Notes:
* The Rock look for their sixth championship in a year that was meant for rebuilding.
* A sub-plot in this game will be the return of Colin Doyle to the Stealth. Both Lewis Ratcliff and Doyle, the two center pieces in that deal, have not done much these playoffs
* The Stealth held the Rush to one goal in thirteen shots on Saturday
* The Rock were 0-4 on their power play
* The game can be seen Saturday night at 10:30 on NLL.com, or Sunday at 2pm on Versus. I will have an open thread to chat tomorrow night and Sunday.
Thursday, May 13, 2010
LeBlanc Rookie of the Year, Powell MVP
Stephen LeBlanc of the Toronto Rock was named Rookie of the Year. LeBlanc, the 11th overall pick from Queens, scored 82 points (36) goals and helped lead the Rock to the Champions Cup. The rest of the all rookie team is Garret Billings (Rock), Alex Gajic (Mammoth), Curtis Manning (Roughnecks), Matt Beers (Stealth) and Chris Corbeil (Bandits). I find it intriguing that Ryan Hotaling did not make this list.
Anyways congrats to Stephen and the Rock!
UPDATE: Casey Powell of the Orlando Titans will be named MVP of the NLL. First team all- NLL: Powell (Titans), Josh Sanderson (Roughnecks), Dan Dawson (Blazers), Brodie Merill (Rush), Sandy Chapman (Rock) and Matt Vinc (Titans)
Anyways congrats to Stephen and the Rock!
UPDATE: Casey Powell of the Orlando Titans will be named MVP of the NLL. First team all- NLL: Powell (Titans), Josh Sanderson (Roughnecks), Dan Dawson (Blazers), Brodie Merill (Rush), Sandy Chapman (Rock) and Matt Vinc (Titans)
A look back at the trade that shaped the Champions Cup
The face of the Stealth had been Colin Doyle all the way back to when they were the Albany Attack. He was the captain of the Stealth franchise and stood for everything for it. But last off season the Stealth traded Doyle to the Toronto Rock for Lewis Ratcliff, Joel Delgarno and Tyler Codron. The center piece for the Stealth was obviously Ratcliff, who went on to lead the NLL in goals with 46. Delgarno, a rookie, scored sixteen points in the first half of the season. Codron did not see much action this season due to a knee injury.
Early it looked like the Rock got the better part of the deal. Doyle was a great addition to a Rock team that was supposed to be in rebuilding. An interesting story line this series is Doyle faced the Toronto Rock in the 2002 Champions Cup as a member of the Attack.
Read more about this story here
The Champions Cup will air live on NLL.com and TSN2 in Canada. You watch the game via tape delay the next day on Versus at 2pm.
Early it looked like the Rock got the better part of the deal. Doyle was a great addition to a Rock team that was supposed to be in rebuilding. An interesting story line this series is Doyle faced the Toronto Rock in the 2002 Champions Cup as a member of the Attack.
Read more about this story here
The Champions Cup will air live on NLL.com and TSN2 in Canada. You watch the game via tape delay the next day on Versus at 2pm.
Sunday, May 9, 2010
NLL Final Scores
Last night the Toronto Rock beat the Orlando Titans to clinch a trip to the Champions Cup. The Rock went up early, 3-1, before Orlando stormed back to take a 5-3 lead. The Rock swarmed back and scored seven goals in the third quarter alone. The Rock dominated play in the second half and picked up the 15-10 win.
It was a much tighter game in Everett as the Washington Stealth beat the Edmonton Rush 12-11 in overtime, ironically the same score when these two teams met for the last time in the regular season. The Rush scored two goals in the final 56 seconds to tie it and came back from a fourth quarter three goal deficit. The Stealth would lead by five in the second quarter, but the Rush resiliently came back. The Stealth scored eight seconds into the OT, a goal from Paul Rabil to beat Matt Disher.
Next week the Washington Stealth will host the Toronto Rock for the Champions Cup. The game will be Saturday, May 15 at 10:30 pm. You can watch the game on Versus at 2 pm the next day.
It was a much tighter game in Everett as the Washington Stealth beat the Edmonton Rush 12-11 in overtime, ironically the same score when these two teams met for the last time in the regular season. The Rush scored two goals in the final 56 seconds to tie it and came back from a fourth quarter three goal deficit. The Stealth would lead by five in the second quarter, but the Rush resiliently came back. The Stealth scored eight seconds into the OT, a goal from Paul Rabil to beat Matt Disher.
Next week the Washington Stealth will host the Toronto Rock for the Champions Cup. The game will be Saturday, May 15 at 10:30 pm. You can watch the game on Versus at 2 pm the next day.
Friday, May 7, 2010
Controversy?
There was some controversy in last week's Bandits-Rock game. Blaine Manning and Steve Hoar went down with injuries late in the fourth quater, but came right back out before an offical stoppage of play. Here is the rule:
Rule 28: INJURED PLAYERS
INJURED PLAYER DEFINITION – An injured player shall be defined as a player hurt requiring the official to stop play. The injured player may not return to the floor until the next non technical stoppage of play. Violation will result in a bench minor penalty
When Hoar came back onto the field, it was after the 30 second shot clock violation. Is that an offical stoppage of play? The refs thought so, and Hoar was able to come back out.
In Manning's case, he was hurt on a cross-check penalty. He needed the help of an athletic trainor to get off the field, but was back 28 seconds later to assist on Stephen LeBlanc's game winning goal.
You make the call.
Other news: Tomorrow the divison finals games between the Rock and Titans, and Rush and Stealth will air on NLL.com. You can follow and chat about the games here.
Help me get this blog on SBNation! Comment and become a follower to grow the community!
Rule 28: INJURED PLAYERS
INJURED PLAYER DEFINITION – An injured player shall be defined as a player hurt requiring the official to stop play. The injured player may not return to the floor until the next non technical stoppage of play. Violation will result in a bench minor penalty
When Hoar came back onto the field, it was after the 30 second shot clock violation. Is that an offical stoppage of play? The refs thought so, and Hoar was able to come back out.
In Manning's case, he was hurt on a cross-check penalty. He needed the help of an athletic trainor to get off the field, but was back 28 seconds later to assist on Stephen LeBlanc's game winning goal.
You make the call.
Other news: Tomorrow the divison finals games between the Rock and Titans, and Rush and Stealth will air on NLL.com. You can follow and chat about the games here.
Help me get this blog on SBNation! Comment and become a follower to grow the community!
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