Black Bears Fall to Rock; Set Sights on Halifax
NLL Ottawa Black Bears

Black Bears Fall to Rock; Set Sights on Halifax

Published on April 11, 2026 under National Lacrosse League (NLL)
Ottawa Black Bears News Release


Hopes of the Ottawa Black Bears clinching a playoff spot will have to wait for another weekend, as the Black Bears dropped their fourth straight game on Saturday night, falling 10-6 to the Toronto Rock on home turf.

With the loss, the Black Bears fall under .500 on the season (8-9) for the first time since Jan. 31, when they lost 17-10 to the Rock and sat at 4-5 on the season. Since then, they've embarked on a four-game winning streak followed by a four-game losing streak.

"The boys were battling for 60 hard, right?" said forward Phil Caputo after the game. "These games are just getting tougher as we're getting down the line. I thought they did a good job defensively of just packing the middle, I think we've still got to just work harder, be physical, find those areas on the floor where need to get to and put the ball in the net."

Caputo was the only Black Bear to solve Rock netminder Nick Rose twice, wiring home a sidearm off a pass from Jeff Teat in the second quarter and then cleaning up Rob Hellyer's rebound just moments later, making the score 5-3.

The two-goal deficit was as close as the Black Bears got to the playoff-bound Rock, who improve to 11-6 with the win.

"I pride myself on getting to those dirty areas, and it's always nice to see a couple fall," said Caputo. "But it doesn't mean much with the result tonight."

The Black Bears head to Halifax next Saturday, April 18, with their playoff destiny still in their own hands - with a win over the Thunderbirds, Ottawa would punch their ticket to the playoffs for the first time in franchise history.

"Absolutely," said Caputo about the importance of moving on from the loss quickly. "I mean, obviously we're going to learn from it. But I think it's important to put this one in the rearview, focus on Halifax, and get ourselves into the dance."

Goaltender Zach Higgins continued a strong stretch of play despite the loss, saving 33 of 42 shots, good for a. .786 save percentage. The 10th goal was scored on an empty net, making it the fifth time in his last eight starts that he has allowed less than shots go past him.

Teat and Hellyer both scored and finished with three assists apiece. Connor Kearnan tucked one past Rose on a dunk attempt, reaching across the netminder's body and tucking it into the far side of the net. Kearnan also added an assist on a goal from Jake Stevens, who now sits tied for the team lead in goals from the back door, with five.

Brent Noseworthy led the way with 10 loose balls, while Callum Jones nabbed eight, Teat scooped six, and Kearnan and Stevens had five apiece. Drawman Reed Kurtz won 12 of 20 faceoffs and also added six loose balls himself.

Next weekend's game in Halifax begins at 6 p.m. EST, and will now appear as the first half of an NLL on TSN doubleheader.

Check out the Ottawa Black Bears Statistics

Share: Facebook | Twitter/X | LinkedIn | Reddit | Email



National Lacrosse League Stories from April 11, 2026


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central