Toronto Rock clinches NLL East title with win
TORONTO — Kasey Beirnes scored three goals and Garrett Billings, Stephan Leblanc and Josh Sanderson got two each as the Toronto Rock led all the way in defeating Rochester 10-9 and clinching the NLL East title Sunday.
Roger Vyse also scored for the Rock (10-5), who can finish first overall by completing their 16game schedule with a win in Philadelphia on Saturday.
Captain Colin Doyle did not suit up against the Knighthawks as he was with his wife who was giving birth to their third child, a daughter.
Dan Dawson and Johnny Powless scored two each and Cody Jamieson, Mike Accursi, Cory Vitarelli, Joe Walters and Joel McCready got one each for the Knighthawks (6-7).
Toronto outshot Rochester 54-42.
Rock excellence on power plays was pivotal as they went 3-for-5 while Rochester as 0-for-3.
The Rock went up 3-0 in front of a season-best Air Canada Centre crowd of 13,073 when NLL points leader Billings scored with an over-the-back shot destined for a highlight reel. Beirnes got an assist on the power-play goal for his 500th career point.
Nick Rose stopped 10 of the 11 shots he faced in the second quarter and Sanderson scored both Rock goals to enable them to take a 7-4 lead into the halftime break.
In the third quarter, Vitarelli sent an overhand shot off a post and in at the 59-second mark, Vyse beat Vinc with an overhand bouncer on a power play at 2:33, Powless darted past Stephen Hoar to get clear for a Mike Accursi pass that set him up for a goal at 5:08 and that was it.
Toronto will be at home for an East semifinal game on Sunday, April 28, regardless of the outcome in Philadelphia.
NOTES: Billings has an NLLbest 98 points, six more than Calgary’s Shawn Evans ... Besides Doyle, Toronto deleted Scott Evans and Scott Johnston ... Rochester scratched Craig Point, Jon Sullivan and Jimmy Purves ... Kyle Belton was back in the lineup after sitting out the previous two games ... Defenceman Pat Merrill received the Les Bartley Award for inspirational team leadership.