The Toronto Rock began the National Lacrosse League playoffs as the sixth seed in the eight-team field. But after a wild weekend that saw the top three seeds upset at home and the three-time defending champions eliminated, the Rock now have home-floor advantage in the second round. Toronto earned it with a solid 16-13 victory over the Saskatchewan Rush on Saturday.
Rock Overcome Early Pushback
The night started well for the visitors at SaskTel Centre. Chris Boushy scored three times and Josh Dawick added two long-range goals as the Rock took a 6-2 lead after the first quarter. The Rush stormed back in the second to even the game, but Latrell Harris gave Toronto an 8-7 lead at halftime after stealing the ball in the defensive zone and racing down the floor on a transition breakaway.
In the third quarter, the Rock overcame giving up the first two goals, scoring three of their own—including one from Mark Matthews with 3.6 seconds left—to maintain an 11-9 advantage. Boushy, who finished with five goals, scored again in the final period. The Rush scored three times with an extra attacker to keep the score respectable, but Toronto held on.
"It's win or go home, and we got out to a good lead and stuck with the game plan," head coach Matt Sawyer said. "We felt if we could play our best, we were going to be successful, and we found that for long enough here tonight."
CJ Kirst and Josh Dawick each had three goals. Brad Kri, Hugh Kelleher, and Elijah Gash added transition goals, while goaltender Nick Rose made 49 saves. "When you have Rosey in the net and our defense back there, they're always going to hold it down. Just a real, real big team win," Dawick said.
For the Rush, Robert Church and Austin Shanks each scored three times, and Ryan Keenan added two. Levi Anderson, Ryan Barnable, Brock Haley, Connor McClelland, and Zach Manns also found the net.
Seals Win in Overtime
The Rock will face the San Diego Seals in the second round after relentless offensive pressure by the Seals in the first minute of overtime resulted in a goal by Tre Leclaire 59 seconds in, giving the seventh seed a 13-12 upset over the Colorado Mammoth. The Mammoth went on a 5-2 run early in the third quarter to build an 11-7 lead, but San Diego answered with a 5-0 run. Dylan McIntosh scored his third goal for Colorado late in the fourth to send the game to overtime. Wes Berg, Dylan Watson, and Zach Currier each had hat tricks for the Seals, while Andrew Kew scored four for Colorado.
Bandits' Run Ends
The Buffalo Bandits, who had been part of the past five NLL finals and won the last three, were firmly dismissed 17-10 by the Georgia Swarm. A four-goal run in the second quarter broke the game open for Georgia, with rookie-of-the-year candidate Nolan Byrne scoring two of his three goals as the Swarm built a 9-5 lead. Lyle Thompson led Georgia with four goals, while Richie Connell and Shayne Jackson also had hat tricks. Ian MacKay had a hat trick for the Bandits. Buffalo may undergo significant changes in the off-season, with veterans Matt Vinc and Paul Dawson possibly having played their final games.
Historic Comeback for Thunderbirds
The Vancouver Warriors showed why they were the top team in the NLL this season for a half, leading 7-1 at halftime at Rogers Arena, sparked by a 5-0 second-quarter run including three goals from Keegan Bal. But the eighth-seeded Halifax Thunderbirds staged an incredible comeback to steal a 10-7 win. With under seven minutes to play in the third quarter, the Halifax run began with an outside shot by Cody Jamieson. Just over six minutes later, spearheaded by three goals from Jason Knox, the Thunderbirds tied the game. Jake Withers put them ahead four minutes into the final period, and Halifax pulled away. Halifax ended with 71 shots on goaltender Christian Del Bianco, while Warren Hill had a 36-save performance for the Thunderbirds.
Semifinal Schedule (Times EDT)
- #7 Halifax Thunderbirds vs #6 Toronto Rock: Friday, May 1 at Hamilton, 7:30 p.m.; Sunday, May 3 at San Diego, 6 p.m.; *Saturday, May 9 at Hamilton, 7 p.m.
- #7 San Diego Seals vs. #4 Georgia Swarm: Saturday, May 2 at Georgia, 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, May 9 at Halifax, 7 p.m.; *Sunday, May 10, TBA
