What to watch for vs. Ottawa Black Bears

Rock Ready To Face Provincial Foes

OTTAWA, ON – The Toronto Rock (10-6) have clinched a berth in the postseason and will be in hot pursuit of another win when they take on the Ottawa Black Bears (8-8) tonight at Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa.  The Rock are still in the hunt for a top four spot in the NLL final standings and a first-round home playoff game.

Fans can watch the game vs. Ottawa at 7:30pm ET on NLL Friday Night on TSN.  Alternatively, tune in on TSN’s digital platform TSN+ via TSN.ca and the TSN App as well as ESPN+.  To stream the game on TSN+ or ESPN+, a paid subscription is required.

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

• This is the second meeting of the season between the two clubs. The Rock took the first meeting back on January 31 at TD Coliseum by a score of 17-10.  Chris Boushy was the top goal scorer for the Rock netting 5 on just 7 shots on goal for the home side.
• Following morning shoot around, the Rock placed forward Mark Matthews on Injured Reserve with an upper body injury. Jake Darlison was moved from the Practice Roster to the Active Roster.
• CJ Kirst and Owen Hiltz are just the fourth set of rookie teammates to top the 30-goal mark in the NLL debut season. However, it’s not the first time in Rock history as both Stephan Leblanc and Garrett Billings accomplished the feat in 2010.
• While he did miss significant time due to injury, Nick Rose’s numbers are starting make a strong case for him to be a Goaltender of the Year Finalist once again this season. Two more outstanding performances down the stretch here and voters won’t be able skip over his name on the ballot as one of the top 3.
• The benefits of adding Nick Rowlett at the trade deadline extend beyond the faceoff dot. Josh Jubenville, who had been handling the duties at the dot prior to Rowlett’s arrival, noted on this week’s Toronto Rock Total Access podcast that he absolutely feels fresher in games and even joked that at the end of games, he’s ready to keep playing as he doesn’t feel nearly as exhausted.
• INJURY REPORT: TD Ierlan is on the PUP List. Zack Kearney, Kobe Handsor, and Robert Hudson are on the Season Ending Injured Reserve List. Mark Matthews (Upper), Justin Martin (Lower), Dan Craig (Lower), and Phil Mazzuca (Upper) are on the Injured Reserve List.
• The Rock will finish the regular season next weekend at Saskatchewan to take on the Rush on Saturday, April 18.

A new episode of the Toronto Rock Total Access Podcast is out now!  Challen Rogers and Mike Hancock welcome Rock defender Josh Jubenville to the program.

Check out the latest episode of Rock City Unplugged which is out now!  A new episode drops this weekend!

For more information on Toronto Rock tickets, please contact a Toronto Rock account executive by phone at 905-426-4744, by email at tickets@torontorock.com or visit torontorock.com.