Article content
HAMILTON — Lacrosse observers have identified Nick Rose as the leading candidate to grab his first goaltender of the year award in the National Lacrosse League. Many have even pencilled him in as a possible league MVP candidate. He took a big step to justifying that chatter on Saturday.
Advertisement 2
Article content
Rose, with the help of a defence missing a couple of key pieces, gave the Toronto Rock offence the time it needed to get untracked in a 9-5 win over the Vancouver Warriors at First Ontario Centre.
Article content
Toronto, coming off a neutral-site 16-10 win over the New York Riptide in Laval, Que. last week, were without both captain Challen Rogers who will miss 4-6 weeks and Mitch de Snoo, who was removed from the lineup early Saturday. But the deep back end helped Rose who made 45 saves.
“I was seeing the ball pretty good in the first half,” Rose said. “It’s just my job to hold the fort regardless of what we’re doing on offence.”
“He’s so great night in and night out,” forward Chris Boushy said. “We have full trust in him and he trusts us equally.”
Your Midday Sun
Article content
Advertisement 3
Article content
The Rock needed a four-goal run in the fourth quarter to dispose of the Warriors, who deserve full credit for their effort. The last-place team in the league at 2-8, Vancouver’s defence was determined to be in the face of any Rock player with the ball and for the most part succeeded. Goaltender Aden Walsh was also very solid, holding Toronto to just two goals in the first half and five after three quarters.
“They’re going to start winning some games in the league this year,” Rose said of the Warriors. “(Walsh) played the best game of his career. Happy for him. I’ve known him for a long time.”
The Rock led 2-1 after one after Chris Corbeil grabbed a loose ball behind the net and scored on a wrap-around. Kyle Killen scored the only goal of the second quarter to send the Warriors to the halftime break tied.
Advertisement 4
Article content
Two of Toronto’s younger offensive players, Josh Dawick and Marley Angus scored early in the third to give the Rock the lead. It was the first of the season for the seldom-used Angus who was in for the injured Dan Craig.
After Tom Schreiber gave the Rock a 5-3 lead after three, Kyle Killen and Riley Loewen brought the Warriors back even. Then came the run with Schreiber scoring his second, Mark Matthews giving the Rock a two-goal lead, Boushy getting his second and Brandon Slade capping it off with a breakaway marker in transition.
“We were getting a lot of good chances,” Boushy, who also scored in the first quarter said. “It would be a 15-5 game if we buried those opportunities. We had a couple of goals called back and a couple of posts.”
The Rock remained in a tie for first with the Albany FireWolves, who beat the Buffalo Bandits 13-10 later Saturday.
The Rock go out west next weekend for its only back-to-back on the schedule. On Friday, Toronto makes its first appearance at Michelob Ultra Arena to face the Las Vegas Desert Dogs. Then it’s over to Pechanga Arena to face the San Diego Seals.
Article content
