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Matt McKayBasically, I'm a little league reporter trying to make it into the big leagues...
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Air Canada Centre (22), Colin Doyle (7), Garrett Billings (4), National Lacrosse League (6), Rochester Knighthawks (2), Toronto Rock (9)For the Toronto Rock the math was overtly simple: win and you’re in.
Clearly taking this to heart, the Rock displayed past championship form in a 15-7 demolition of the Rochester Knighthawks, in front of 9,959 raucous supporters at the Air Canada Centre Friday.
With the win, the Rock guaranteed themselves a post-season game but a home date was still in the offing after the final buzzer.
So the Rock played another type of game: waiting.
If the Orlando Titans beat the Buffalo Bandits, Toronto would host an Eastern Conference semi-final game on May 1.
Minutes later they got their wish as the Titans beat Buffalo 9-7.
Given what was on the line Friday night, it was easy to assume a close, tight-checking game between two rivals.
Early in the first quarter that’s exactly what fans were treated to as both teams game out gunning.
Rochester found the back of the net first, scoring two goals after six minutes of play.
The Rock took over the game from there.
Blaine Manning scored back-to-back goals, just over three minutes apart, to tie the game.
Mike Hominuck and rookie sensation Garrett Billings doubled the lead to 4-2 after the opening 15 minutes.
Both teams started slowly in the second quarter but Toronto got the jump off at 4:50 when Rock defender Mike Hobbins waltz in untouched and beat Knighthawks keeper Aaron Bold, .
Over 30 seconds later Stephan Leblanc made it 6-2, followed by Hobbins’ second of the game, just over two minutes later, to chase Bold.
Toronto owned a dominating 9-3 lead after 30 minutes.
In the second half, the Rock refused to relent.
Under a minute in to the third, Rock goalkeeper Bob Watson found captain Colin Doyle with a Hail Mary pass.
Doyle raced in and got his 22nd of the year on a pretty backhand.
Creighton Reid and Leblanc later scored on back to back breakaways to make it 11-3 before the ‘Hawks Craig Point fired his second of the game past Watson.
In a feisty final quarter, both teams traded goals and punches with the Rock standing tall at the final buzzer.
After the game, Doyle saluted the fans and promised a successful postseason.
The game could also be seen as a bit of a revenge match for Toronto because the Knighthawks are responsible for eliminating the Rock in their past two playoff appearances.