Rock face Bandits in playoff preview
In what is sure to be an emotionpacked game, the Toronto Rock lacrosse team closes out its home schedule on Friday with a game against their bitter rival, the Buffalo Bandits, in a first-round playoff preview.
“They’re always tough games, it’s a bitter rivalry,” Rock coach John Lovell told the Toronto Star. “They still have to try to nail down home floor and we haven’t beaten them this year.”
The Rock will wind up the regular season on Saturday with a road game against the Minnesota Swarm.
The Rock (7-9) clinched a playoff spot in the National Lacrosse League by defeating the Philadelphia Wings 10-9 last Friday at the Air Canada Centre.
The team has made the playoffs for five consecutive seasons.
The Rock have claimed the third and final seed in the East Division. Now, second place is at stake against the Bandits (8-7). A loss ensures they will travel to Buffalo in the first round. A victory would be a step toward securing that second place and a home playoff date.
In two previous regular-season games against the Bandits this sea- son, the Rock have lost both by a count of 12-10.
“It’s a game for us to set a tone and a message that we can beat them,” Lovell said.
The last game was played at the ACC before a season-high crowd of 12,223.
The five teams that have clinched playoff spots include the Rochester Knighthawks (12-4), the Bandits and the Rock in the East. The Knighthawks have clinched the east division title and home field advantage through the first two rounds of the playoffs.
In the West, the Edmonton Rush (15-1) have clinched first place overall while the Calgary Roughnecks (10-6) have clinched second. The Colorado Mammoth (6-10) and Vancouver Stealth (4-11) must battle it out for the last playoff spots.
Toronto has been on a bit of a roll, winning their last two. The Bandits, by contrast, have tumbled to five straight losses.
Toronto clinched its playoff spot with their league-leading scorer on the sidelines due to a knee injury. Garrett Billings has 101 points on 32 goals and 69 assists.
However, he is done for this season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL).