Rock acquire second-round draft pick from Edmonton

TORONTO – The Toronto Rock and expansion Edmonton Rush completed a trade today, with Toronto sending journeyman forward Mat Giles to the Rush in exchange for Edmonton’s second-round pick in the 2006 NLL Entry Draft.
Giles, 30, lives in Peterborough where he also plays summer lacrosse with the KC Lakers. He won one NLL Championship with Toronto in 1999, and a Mann Cup (Canadian senior box lacrosse championship) with Peterborough in 2004.
Giles has one goal and one assist (2 points) in four games with Toronto this season along with 9 PIM and 13 loose balls. In 2005, Giles played with the Rochester Knighthawks finishing seventh in scoring with 23 points (10 goals and 13 assists). In Edmonton,
Mat will rejoin former coach Paul Day and an offensive system he is familiar with. In 89 career regular season and playoff games, Giles has amassed 100 goals and 82 assists (182 points) and has won 47% of the 88 faceoffs he has taken.
Mat was a member of the Rock’s first championship winning team in 1999 before stints in Columbus, Montreal, Albany and in Ottawa.
Taylor moves from Practice Roster to Active Roster
Matt Taylor, 22, is a left-handed forward standing at 5’11” and weighting 200 lbs.
While he played his minor and junior lacrosse in Whitby, he is currently living in St. Catharines and playing for the Brock Badgers, winners of the past two Canadian University Field Lacrosse Association championships (2004, 2005). Nicknamed Jackpot, the Kinesiology student was drafted by the Rock. Last summer, Taylor played with the Brooklin Redmen (OLA Major). He’s also won a Founder’s Cup Junior B box lacrosse national championship with the Green Gaels in 2000, two provincial championships with the Whitby Warriors minor lacrosse system and three Ontario field lacrosse titles with the Oshawa Blue Knights.
Matt began play later than most NLLers, beginning as a 12-year-old and began his post-secondary lacrosse play after earning a lacrosse scholarship to Drexel University in Philadelphia, but transferred to Brock University in 2004.