Toronto Rock opens NLL semis with Game 1 win over Seals

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The Toronto Rock had everything thrown at them on Friday. But for one night, the Rock was able to shake off some of the demons of past National Lacrosse League semifinals.

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The Rock defeated the San Diego Seals 14-12 in Game 1 of their best-of-three series at TD Coliseum. The teams will meet again on Sunday in California, with a Game 3, if necessary, back in Hamilton next weekend.

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The Seals actually carried much of the play in the final three quarters. But the Rock was solid defensively in the latter half of the fourth quarter, allowing for two key goals with under two minutes left in the game.

“I thought we were really good for stretches, but there were times where we didn’t do what we needed to do to be successful,” Rock head coach Matt Sawyer said. “But when you’re not at your best and you find a way to win, those are more special.”

The Rock dominated early. Sam English started the fun with a transition breakaway goal. Mark Matthews, Challen Rogers and Owen Hiltz also scored. Nick Rose made 12 saves in the period as Toronto built a 4-1 lead.

The Seals owned the second quarter. Matching the Rock’s physicality, particularly on defence, San Diego started burying long-range shots. Dylan Watson’s second goal of the game got them started. Tre Leclair, who scored the winning goal last week to eliminate the Colorado Mammoth, scored twice in the period. Noah Armitage and Connor Robinson also scored for the Seals. Chris Boushy scored twice for Toronto to send the teams to the halftime break with six goals apiece.

The Rock killed a five-minute penalty to Josh Jackson to open the third quarter. In that time, Mark Matthews took a lovely transition feed from Latrell Harris to restore the Rock lead. Midway through the period, another transition opportunities was finished by Dan Craig. Then off the ensuing faceoff, English gained possession and raced unopposed to the net, restoring a three-goal lead.

Zach Currier and Ben McIntosh both scored to bring the Seals back to within one. Then Leclair completed his hat trick in the dying seconds of the period to send the teams to the final period tied 9-9.

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Hiltz and Robinson traded power-play goals early in the fourth. McIntosh then gave San Diego its first lead with just over 10 minutes to play but Rogers tied it again.

Matthews beat San Diego goaltender Cameron Dunkerley with 1:33 left to complete a hat trick and Rogers padded the lead with his hat trick goal just seconds later in what would eventually be the game-winner. McIntosh completed his hat trick with 44 seconds left. With 22 seconds left, English sealed the win with an empty-netter off a long feed from Rose.

“We took a few half-quarters off and let them stick around,” Matthews said. “But the confidence is high for our group.”

The other semifinal series, between the Georgia Swarm and Halifax Thunderbirds, begins Saturday in Duluth, Ga. The second game will be in Halifax next Saturday. If a third-game is necessary, it will be next Sunday in Halifax. Though the Swarm is the higher seed, their home floor, Gas South Arena, will be unavailable.

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