Starting 0-5 in an 18-game season, desperation time had arrived for the Toronto Rock. On Saturday, it started what it hopes will be the road back.
In an effort more like one Rock fans have been used to the past few seasons, Toronto finally got into the win column with a 11-8 win over the Saskatchewan Rush at Paramount Fine Foods Centre. This was spearheaded by a four-goal third quarter, a strong defensive effort, and a bounce-back performance from goaltender Nick Rose.
“It’s been a long time coming,” Rock head coach Matt Sawyer said. “I feel like we have been slowly getting better the past few games but we weren’t getting the result we wanted.”
“We’re hoping on getting on a run but we couldn’t do that until we got one.”
The teams were tied 3-3 after one quarter and 5-5 at the half before the home side took control. Captain Challen Rogers scored in the opening minute of the third period. Rooke Brian Cameron scored twice and Corey Small also scored, giving Toronto a 9-5 lead. Saskatchewan scored twice to cut the deficit in half before Josh Dawick iced the game, wrapping the ball into the net from behind the crease for the second time in the game.
The Rock went into the game with some positives. It was coming off its best effort of the season in a 15-13 loss to the undefeated Buffalo Bandits which itself came on the heels of two one-goal losses. In addition, following on the return of Rogers last week, forward Tom Schreiber and faceoff specialist T D Ierlan made their returns against the Rush. With the exception of defender Latrell Harris and forward Mark Matthews, the team is relatively healthy.
Both had an immediate impact. Ierlan won the majority of the game’s faceoffs while Schreiber scored twice in the first quarter, once from long range and once from behind the net. He would complete his hat trick into an empty net in the final half-minute. Regarded amongst the best players in the world in both the box and field games, Schreiber was thrilled to be back after suffering an injury in the team’s opening game of the season against the Ottawa Black Bears.
“Just to get back out there was a big win for me personally,” Schreiber said. “To get introduced, to see that opening faceoff, I had goosebumps.”
Chris Boushy also scored twice in the second quarter.
Rose made 41 saves including several from close range as the reigning NLL goaltender of the year recovered from being pulled late in the third quarter in the loss to the Bandits.
“(Rose) was outstanding tonight,” Sawyer said. “He’d be the first one to tell you that his first few games were not to his standards. But we’re happy to have him and he was great tonight.”
Ryan Keenan and Robert Church scored twice each for Saskatchewan. Brock Haley, Clark Walter, Bobby Kidd and former Rock Zach Manns added singles.
The Rock head on the road to face the Calgary Roughnecks on Friday and the Colorado Mammoth on Feb. 1 before returning to Mississauga on Feb. 8 to face the San Diego Seals.