What to watch for vs. Buffalo Bandits

The Rivalry Continues

Hamilton, ON – The Toronto Rock (1-1) face their biggest rivals, the Buffalo Bandits (0-1) tonight at FirstOntario Centre in Hamilton, ON in a rematch of last year’s East Conference final.  The Rock were swept 2-0 by the Bandits last season, so revenge will be on the mind of the home side.

Fans can watch the game vs. Buffalo live at 7pm ET on TSN’s digital platforms via TSN.ca and the TSN App.  To stream the game, simply login to TSN Direct with your cable or satellite provider’s credentials or your TSN Direct account info if you’re a subscriber to the streaming service.

Here’s what to watch for in tonight’s matchup.

• The Rock and Bandits have played each other 62 times. The Rock hold the head-to-head advantage with 35 wins, while the Bandits have won 27 of the meetings.
• Rose vs. Vinc. These two were the top two goalies in the regular season a year ago.  There wasn’t much difference statistically between the two except for Rose’s GAA which was over a goal a game less than Vinc’s.  Despite this, the voters still placed Vinc first and Rose second in the goaltender of the year balloting.  Both were named NLL All-League team selections.
• Rock defender Mitch de Snoo will no doubt play a big role in tonight’s game. Not too long ago, he was on the side of this rivalry playing for the Bandits.  Since being acquired from Buffalo, de Snoo has emerged as one of the Rock’s most valuable players and of course was named the NLL’s defensive player of the year in 21-22.  He scored three goals in the season opener, two of them shorthanded, and the Rock will need his excellence in transition again tonight.
• These two teams won’t play again until April. Once more in Rock City on April 1 and then again later in the month on April 22 in Buffalo.
• For the Rock, Chris Corbeil (upper body), Sheldon Burns (lower body), Tyler Hendrycks (lower body) are all out with injuries

Check out this week’s edition of the Toronto Rock Total Access podcast to get yourself ready for the game.  This week’s show features Toronto Rock Head Coach Matt Sawyer and Latrell Harris.

Tickets are available for tonight’s game against the Buffalo Bandits at 7pm at FirstOntario Centre.  It’s the Holiday Bash and the annual Teddy Bear toss benefitting the United Way and McMaster Children’s Hospital.

For more information on Toronto Rock tickets, please contact a Toronto Rock account executive by phone at 416-596-3075, by email at tickets@torontorock.com or visit torontorock.com.