Toronto Finishes 8-10 And Out Of The Post-Season
Denver, CO – The Colorado Mammoth (11-7) defeated the Toronto Rock (8-10) by a score of 19-15 on Saturday night at the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado. A 9-3 run by the Mammoth to finish the game ended the Rock’s hopes of earning a playoff berth.
“It’s not what anyone pictured at the start of the season,” said Rock Head Coach Matt Sawyer. “It was a disappointing end to a disappointing season to tell you the truth. There’s no way to sugar coat that. That game was a picture of our season, at times we were real good, but overall just not good enough in all areas consistently for 60 minutes or 18 games.”
The roller coaster ride began right from the start of this one. The Rock built a 3-0 lead but it quickly became a one-goal lead after the Mammoth scored twice in just 43 seconds. Reid Reinholdt’s second goal of the quarter in the final minute of the first made it 4-2 after one.
Colorado swung the momentum in their favour with a strong second quarter, outscoring Toronto 6-3 to take a one-goal lead, 8-7 at the half. Nick Rose was replaced in the Rock goal after Colorado’s seventh tally. Brandon Miller finished the half, allowing two goals in 6:50 of work.
Rose was back between the pipes to start the second half for the Rock and Challen Rogers tied the game in the first minute getting Toronto off to a great start. The Mammoth went up 10-8, but the Rock appeared to take control with a four-goal run, three of which came from Dan Lintner, running his goal total to four. Colorado score the final three goals of the quarter to lead 13-12 heading for home.
The Rock had their opportunities in the final frame, but the fourth quarter just ran away on them. Colorado scored three shorthanded goals over the final fifteen minutes. A 6-3 Mammoth fourth quarter sealed the win for Colorado.
Tom Schreiber paced the Rock offence with seven points (2+5) while Adam Jones (3+3) and Rob Hellyer (0+6) each chipped in six points. Lintner scored four times and Reinholdt and Brett Hickey each scored twice. Rogers and Damon Edwards each had a goal.
The Rock will now look ahead to a busy off-season, planning for this summer’s NLL Expansion Draft. The current NLL teams will lose one player to each of the two new franchises in San Diego and Philadelphia.
2018-19 Toronto Rock Season Tickets are on sale now. For more information on Toronto Rock tickets, please visit torontorock.com/tickets or call 416-596-3075
