2012 NLL Season Thread...

**Coddfish** · 01-29-2012, 02:58 PM

Well, better late than never I guess, right?

It's another year of box lacrosse action this winter, as the National Lacrosse League begins its' 2012 season. Aside from the suspension of the Boston Blazers, all other nine teams are back for another year, including the Calgary Roughnecks who's future was saved thanks to a new parent, the Calgary Flames.

This year, we're with the Toronto Rock as my one sibling was picked up by them during the off season. Hard to believe that we're now cheering on a team that we once considered "The Evil Empire" in the NLL! *laugh*

This should be a great year for Toronto after bringing home the championship last season. At first, things looked a bit rocky for them as they lost their first two games at home and on the road. But, things have improved for them, as they had a huge weekend with back to back wins at home with Rochester and on the road in Calgary, last night. Both wins were comebacks and the latter win was in OT!

Anyway, enough talking. Go Rock Go! (Wow, that is still weird to say)

**Coddfish** · 01-29-2012, 03:01 PM

Rock lose to Roughnecks in season opener - thestar.com

Toronto Rock lose game and star Blaine Manning - thestar.com

Toronto Rock win wild one over Rochester Knighthawks, 13-11 - thestar.com

Rock wins, loses | Sports | Toronto Sun

Wild game ends with OT winner for Toronto, 14-13 over Calgary | National Lacrosse League

**Coddfish** · 01-29-2012, 03:03 PM

East Division:

1. y-Toronto Rock: 9-7

2. x-Philadelphia Wings: 7-9

3. x-Rochester Knighthawks: 7-9

4. x-Buffalo Bandits: 7-9

West Division:

1. y-Calgary Roughnecks: 12-4

2. x-Colorado Mammoth: 11-5

3. x-Minnesota Swarm: 9-7

5. x-Edmonton Rush: 6-10

4. Washington Stealth: 4-12

Link:
National Lacrosse League - 2012 Regular Season - Standings

**Coddfish** · 01-29-2012, 03:10 PM

From The Toronto Sun:

Rock edge Roughnecks in OT

Alex Consiglio, QMI Agency

First posted: Sunday, January 29, 2012 12:23 AM EST | Updated: Sunday, January 29, 2012 12:48 AM EST

The Toronto Rock managed another miraculous comeback Saturday night by scoring with 10 seconds left to force the Calgary Roughnecks into overtime where an unlikely hero secured the victory.

Rock goaltender Matt Roik was supposed to have the night off, but just four minutes into the game Rock backup Pat Campbell, starting for the first time since April 2011, dropped the gloves with Geoff Snider in front of 7,460 screaming fans at the Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary.

Campbell came to the rescue of his teammates after Snider was tossed to the floor by three Rock players and got up looking for a fight. Before Snider could grab Rob Marshall, Campbell ran out of his net and started throwing punches.

Campbell received an instigator penalty and was automatically ejected from the game.

“I figured I was the best matched to take him on,” said Campbell. “I’m glad it sparked the guys.”

Down by two goals early, the Rock followed Campbell's fight by clawing back from two goal deficits three times, the last of which came off a hat-trick goal by Garrett Billings to send the game to overtime tied 13-13.

“I thought it was over,” said Billings, who also had four assists.

“I’m just glad I gave the guys a chance in OT.”

In overtime, a Calgary turnover in the neutral zone popped the ball out to Toronto's Mike Hobbins who fed a streaking Cam Woods for the game winner.

“I hadn’t scored in a long time,” said Woods, who’s OT winner was his first goal of the season after not recording any last year. “But it was definitely worth the wait tonight.”

Josh Sanderson also had a hat trick for the Rock, his second in a row, and added six assists to again carry the Rock on his back while it’s missing its top two players. Captain Colin Doyle is out with a hamstring injury and Blaine Manning has a broken collarbone.

“They should rename Josh,” said Campbell, explaining his new name should simply be Clutch. “That’s all that kid wants to do.”

The Rock scored six unanswered goals Friday night in the fourth quarter to win its first game of the season before coming into Calgary on Saturday looking for revenge after the Roughnecks spoiled Toronto's home opener.

It was tied 6-6 heading into the second half Saturday, which saw a high-scoring third quarter with each team scoring five times to head into the fourth tied 11-11.

In the fourth quarter Calgary’s Curtis Dickson scored his third goal before the Roughnecks added their third power play goal to pull ahead two goals with ten minutes remaining.

The score remained 13-11 Calgary until the final minutes of the game, when Kasey Beirnes put his second goal in to bring the Rock within one and then assisted on Billings' game-tying goal with 10 seconds left.

Roik made 33 saves in his fourth game, getting his second win in a row to bring the Rock’s record to an even 2-2.

Link:
Rock edge Roughnecks in OT | Other Sports | Sports | Toronto Sun

**Coddfish** · 01-29-2012, 03:12 PM

From CTV News:

T.O. Rock surge past Calgary Roughnecks 14 - 13

The Canadian Press

Date: Sunday Jan. 29, 2012 7:55 AM ET

CALGARY — Defenceman Cam Woods was the unlikely hero Saturday night, scoring 1:05 into overtime to give the Toronto Rock a thrilling 14-13 victory over the Calgary Roughnecks.

Toronto sent the ball up the floor on a quick transition, where Woods scored his first goal of the year, bouncing a shot past Roughnecks goaltender Mike Poulin.

Toronto had forced extra time on two goals late in the fourth quarter.

Kasey Beirnes converted a Josh Sanderson pass at 13:18 to narrow Calgary's lead to 13-12.

The Roughnecks kept the ball in Toronto's end for much of the remaining time, but the Rock got possession and Garrett Billings scored the tying goal with 11 seconds remaining.

Sanderson and Billings each had three goals for Toronto (2-2). Sanderson added six assists against his former team. Dan Carey added two goals and scoring once each were Mike Hobbins, Stephan Leblanc, Brendan Thenhaus and Drew Petkoff.

The Rock find themselves back at the .500 mark, having won their first game of the season 13-11 over the Rochester Knighthawks on Friday night.

Curtis Dickson led the way for Calgary (2-2) with three goals and three assists. Shawn Evans, Daryl Veltman and Jeff Shattler all scored twice. Jon Harnett, Dane Dobbie, Scott Ranger and Peter McFetridge added singles.

After opening the season with consecutive road victories, the Roughnecks have dropped two straight at home -- both losses in overtime.

The two teams were playing for the second time. Calgary won the season opener, overcoming a deficit of its own, once trailing 5-0 in that game, before rallying for a 12-9 win.

Goaltenders struggled at both ends of the floor.

Poulin got the start but was pulled 2:22 into the second quarter by coach Dave Pym after the first two shots of the quarter beat him giving Toronto a 5-3 lead.

His replacement, Nick Rose, didn't fare much better though and when Toronto surged in front 11-10 at 12:55 of the third quarter, back into the game came Poulin.

The Rock also had to make a goaltending change when starter Pat Campbell was tossed from the game less than four minutes in after a fight with Roughnecks drawman Geoff Snider.

Campbell, beaten on two of four shots, was replaced by Matt Roik.

Dickson tied the game 11-11 with 15 seconds remaining in the third quarter on a bullet from the slot.

Dickson's third of the night put the Roughnecks into the lead 24 seconds into the fourth quarter, cutting to the middle and whipping a shot inside the goal post.

Daryl Veltman scored at 3:32 giving Calgary a 13-11 lead, which stood up for nearly 10 minutes.

The game got off to a fiery start.

After Dickson gave Calgary a 1-0 lead 24 seconds into the game and Dobbie increased made it 2-0 three minutes later.

Toronto was missing a couple of key offensive weapons. Blaine Manning, out with a broken collarbone, missed his second game.

The Rock were also without captain Colin Doyle, who played in his 188th consecutive game in Friday night's 13-11 win over Rochester, tying him with Steve Toll for the league's all-time mark.

Doyle suffered a hamstring injury in the first half of the game with the Knighthawks, preventing the 34-year-old from setting a new NLL iron man record.

Link:
T.O. Rock surge past Calgary Roughnecks 14 - 13 | CTV Toronto

**Coddfish** · 01-29-2012, 03:15 PM

For anyone interested, there will be 11 Rock games to be shown on either TSN or TSN2, this season. Check your local listings!

Link(s):
LACROSSE

2012 TSN NLL Broadcast Schedule

**Coddfish** · 02-06-2012, 11:23 AM

Rock: 15
Wings: 6
Toronto wins big in Philly to take over First Place in East | National Lacrosse League

Rochester: 16
Minnesota: 14
Vitarelli & Jamieson power Rochester over Minnesota 16-14 | National Lacrosse League

Stealth: 11
Bandits: 10 (OT)
Clutch Duch shoots Stealth into the win column as Bandits fall 11-10 in OT | National Lacrosse League

Mammoth: 11
Rush: 7
Colorado now 5-0 after 11-7 win over Edmonton | National Lacrosse League

**Coddfish** · 02-06-2012, 11:24 AM

From The Toronto Sun:

Rock devour Philly Wings

ALEX CONSIGLIO, Special to the Toronto Sun

First posted: Saturday, February 04, 2012 09:40 PM EST | Updated: Saturday, February 04, 2012 11:22 PM EST

The Toronto Rock is starting to look like the former champs that it is after winning its third straight game Saturday to climb atop the Eastern Conference.

The Rock flew into Philadelphia and dominated the Wings 15-6 as goaltender Matt Roik put on a clinic and teammate Stephan Leblanc had a breakout game in front of 7,807 fans.

After letting in only six goals during the first half, Roik shut out the Wings in the second half.

“He was a little shaky at first,” Rock head coach Troy Cordingley said, noting Philadelphia is Roik’s former team and he was a little nervous.

“But he settled down and played outstanding — there were a few uncontested shots he stopped that sealed the game for us.”

In the first quarter, the Rock let two, two-goal leads slip away as the Wings took a 4-3 lead before Leblanc became the player his coaches expect him to be.

Leblanc leaped over Wings goaltender Brandon Miller to tie it up 4-4 and on the Rock’s next possession, two Wings hammered Leblanc to the floor — a bad decision.

Leblanc got up angry and when he got the ball back, he powered his way to the net through two defenders and buried his second goal for his first multi-goal game of the year.

“He’s a power forward, and I don’t think any player can stop him once he sets his mind to driving the net,” Rock assistant coach Terry Sanderson said.

Leblanc said: “It was a bit of luck that helped him net four, with a couple coming off rebounds.”

After a big save by Roik prevented another Wings’ comeback to tie it 6-6, Rock all-star Josh Sanderson was at it again, scoring a natural hat-trick.

His third hat-trick in as many games gave the Rock a 9-5 lead before the Wings scored one more before the half.

Roik blanked the Wings in the third quarter and Leblanc scored his final two goals to give the Rock a 13-6 lead heading into the fourth.

By then, the Wings had no fight left and the Rock was on cruise control as Roik made 35 saves for his third win of the season, holding the Wings’ top two point-getters, Dan Dawson and Kevin Crowley, to only four points combined.

Sanderson alone had nine points.

“It’s quite easy for me to make the saves when I don’t have to,” said Roik, praising his team’s defence and the way its offence kept the ball in Philadelphia’s end.

A fortunate Buffalo Bandits overtime loss to the formerly winless Washington Stealth Saturday means Toronto has sole position of first in the East.

The Rock, now 3-2, has a week off before the Wings travel to Toronto on Feb. 18 looking for revenge.

Link:
Rock devour Philly Wings | Other Sports | Sports | Toronto Sun