There’s absolutely no question that for many fans, the appeal of lacrosse lies in seeing tons of goals scored and watching amazing offensive performances. Highlight-reel goals are sexy. Big scores are a built-in advertising campaign.
You’ll forgive the Toronto Rock if they don’t particularly care.
OK, they do. But now that they’re into the playoffs, they care a whole lot more about winning. Which generally comes with terrific defence.
“Defence and goaltending win championships,” says head coach Matt Sawyer. “And that’s our plan.”
So far so good.
On Saturday afternoon, the Rock knocked off the Rochester Knighthawks 9-6 in a National Lacrosse League quarter-final to advance to a semifinal against Buffalo next weekend.
To be sure, this one wasn’t all about defence. Four goals by the home side in the first two minutes of the game was an offensive explosion that thrilled the crowd at FirstOntario Centre.
But it was the lockdown D that followed that was most impressive. Led by some remarkable saves by goalie Nick Rose.
“It clearly starts with him,” says defender Brad Kri. “We clearly give him the shots he wants to see and he has also made some saves that he probably had no business making as well.”
This isn’t new. Keeping teams below 10 goals in the NLL isn’t easy to do. It’s a goal-scorers’ league. Yet the Rock have now held opponents to single digits 11 times this year. That’s remarkable.
Great goaltending? Absolutely. But it’s really the result of a solid defensive effort all around.
That’s now going to be tested when the Rock face the Buffalo Bandits in a best-of-three semifinal that begins Friday at 7:30 at FirstOntario Centre. Game Two is Saturday in Buffalo. If Game Three is needed, it’ll be back in Hamilton the following Saturday at 7 p.m.
This is unquestionably the team’s biggest challenge of the season. Because the Bandits are the highest-scoring team in the league and come into this series on a five-game winning streak. And there’s some recent history.
The Rock lost both regular-season games to the defending champs this year. More troubling were the scores of 16-14 and 14-12. Those were the two highest goal totals they gave up.
Last year, they split the two regular-season games but Buffalo swept both games of a playoff series to eliminate Toronto.
This is a huge challenge. It’s also the perfect time to test this commitment to stingy defence. And to continue doing the little things that worked so well on Saturday. Battling, blocking shots and doing whatever’s needed.
“That’s what championship teams are made of,” Kri says. “That’s what we’re trying to mimic. Some of us have been on championship teams and that’s just the stuff it’s going to take.”
Can that continue? Can the defence hold?
If so, there’s a great chance he and his teammates will be playing for its first championship since 2011 — and their first in Hamilton — a couple weeks from now.
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