TORONTO ROCK HOST ORLANDO TITANS SATURDAY

After two road games, the Toronto Rock return home to the Air Canada Centre Saturday, February 27 to host the Orlando Titans. Game time is 7:00 p.m. and will be broadcast on TSN2, tape delayed at 8:00 p.m. ET.

The Rock, now 6-3, remain first in the NLL East Division, while Orlando (3-2) is ranked third in the East and have played the least amount of games through seven weeks of regular season play. Both teams enter Saturday’s matchup off a loss last weekend. Toronto fell 14-13 to the Edmonton Rush, while the Titans lost to the Boston Blazers in double overtime.

“We have to improve and get a better work ethic,” said Terry Sanderson, Toronto’s general manager and assistant coach. “Edmonton out worked us. Whipper gave us a chance to win, but we kept shooting ourselves in the foot.”

The last meeting between the Rock and the then New York Titans was the 2009 season opener in Sunrise, Florida that acted as a foreshadowing for the Titans move. The game, referred to as the Florida Lacrosse Cup, was the first-ever professional lacrosse game to be played in the state of Florida. Toronto headed home victorious with a 15-14 win.  

A lot changed since last year’s matchup. Toronto switched their coaching staff twice, owner once, and brought in 11 new faces. While the Titans colours, mascot and logo remained the same, the team found a new home at Amway Arena in Orlando, Florida. 

“I think it’s going to be our toughest challenge to-date,” said Sanderson of Saturday’s game. “I like the way the Titans play and the speed they bring to the game.”

Orlando Titans head coach Ed Comeau agrees.

“Any time you go to Toronto you’re going to have a tough game,” said Comeau. “It’s a tough place to play and the crowd gets behind [the team].

“Toronto is the leading team in the division and we’re chasing them.”

The two teams meet for the first time this season when the ball drops at 7:00 p.m. Tickets are available for Saturday’s matchup through Ticket Master online at ticketmaster.ca, or through the Toronto Rock office at www.torontorock.com. If fans are unable to make the game at the Air Canada Centre, it will be broadcast on TSN2 with an hour tape delay at 8:00 p.m. nationally, and streamed live on the NLL Network at www.nll.com outside of Canada.