Toronto Rock Deliver Complete Performance in 17-10 Triumph Over Ottawa Black Bears
In a display of resilience and teamwork, the Toronto Rock executed a full 60-minute game to secure a decisive 17-10 victory over the Ottawa Black Bears at TD Coliseum on Saturday. This win served as a vital rebound for the Rock, who suffered a second-half collapse in their previous outing against the Georgia Swarm.
Consistent Scoring and Defensive Prowess Seal the Deal
The Rock established control early, never trailing throughout the contest. A balanced offensive attack saw contributions from multiple players, with veteran Josh Dawick spearheading the initial charge with two goals in the first quarter, helping build a 5-2 lead.
While rookies CJ Kirst and Owen Hiltz each added two goals, it was Chris Boushy who stole the spotlight with a remarkable five-goal performance. Challen Rogers contributed three goals, and Mark Matthews orchestrated the offense with two goals and nine assists, totaling an impressive 11 points on the night.
"That's the special thing about lacrosse," Boushy remarked. "Anybody has the opportunity to be the big guy and carry a team. A good team shares that load equally throughout the year."
Defensive Efforts Neutralize Ottawa's Top Scorers
Defensively, the Rock effectively contained two of the NLL's top three scorers. Ottawa's points leader, Jeff Teat, was limited to two goals, while Rob Hellyer managed three. Goaltender Troy Holowchuk, making his second start in place of the injured Nick Rose, was instrumental with 37 saves.
Rock head coach Matt Sawyer praised the team's cleaner execution, stating, "We needed to play a cleaner game. We certainly did that tonight. We got some execution early on and it was nice to play with the lead."
Justin Martin also found the net for Toronto, improving their record to 4-3. For Ottawa, now 4-5, Reilly O'Connor and Connor Kearnan added to the scoring.
Around the National Lacrosse League
In other NLL action, the Oshawa FireWolves continued to struggle on the road, falling 16-13 to the Las Vegas Desert Dogs. This marks their third consecutive loss during a challenging four-game road swing.
The Colorado Mammoth delivered a stunning 20-9 defeat to the Buffalo Bandits, one of the worst in Bandits franchise history, dropping the three-time defending champions below .500. Andrew Kew led Colorado with seven goals.
Controversy erupted in Vancouver's 16-6 win over Rochester, where a cross-check by Rylan Hartley on Steph Charbonneau sparked a brawl, drawing significant media attention.
Additional results include the Georgia Swarm's 11-7 victory over the Halifax Thunderbirds, the San Diego Seals' 13-7 win against the Philadelphia Wings, and the Saskatchewan Rush's 14-8 triumph over the Calgary Roughnecks, solidifying their strong 7-1 start to the season.
