 Members of the Toronto Rock pose with the NLL Champion's trophy after beating the Washington Stealth 8-7. (Jack Boland/QMI Agency) |
Toronto’s drought is over.
On Sunday afternoon, the Toronto Rock - who else? - brought the city its first professional championship since the Rock won the Champion’s Cup back in 2005.
In a thrilling game that came right down to the final seconds, the Rock outlasted the Stealth 8-7 in a fitting duel of goaltenders, considering Rock legend Bob Watson was playing his final game.
It was the Rock’s sixth championship - tying the franchise with the Philadelphia Wings for the most in National Lacrosse League history.
The defending champion Stealth - who also rallied a season ago in the title game against the Rock - had impressed in winning two playoff games on the road, but a third in front of a raucous crowd of 14,488 was too much to ask for, though the team certainly gave it its best shot, outscoring Toronto 3-1 in the second half.
Amazingly, the Rock only scored once in the final two quarters, but Stephan Leblanc’s only goal of the game held up.
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