Effort By Nighthawks Veterans Leads To Win And NLL Weekly Awards
Published on February 25, 2010 under National Lacrosse League (NLL)
Rochester Knighthawks News Release
Rochester, February 26)... The Rochester Knighthawks were down 3-0 early in the first quarter to the Philadelphia Wings last Saturday and to the casual fan it seemed like a "here we go again" moment. That was before Steve Toll stole a pass and raced down the floor to beat Brandon Miller to net a shorthanded goal. That was the spark the Knighthawks needed.
"I thought it was a big momentum shift," said Toll about his goal that made it 3-1. "Shorthanded goals kill momentum. I haven't scored one all year and it got us going."
Rochester used the goal by Toll to chip away at the lead and eventually overtake Philadelphia in the second half for a 12-6 win over the Wings at the Wachovia Center. Toll finished the game with two goals and a team-high 18 loose balls. He was rewarded with the National Lacrosse League's Transition Player of the Week.
"It's always nice," said Toll. "The main thing is we won the game."
The efforts of Toll and goalie Pat O'Toole ended Rochester's three-game road-losing streak and moved the Knighthawks closer to first-place Toronto (6-3). Rochester (5-3) is now just one-half game behind the Rock for the top spot in the East Division. Both players were honored by the NLL for their performances.
"It is a good feeling for me to start to get back on track," said O'Toole, who was named the Defensive Player of the Week. "It was a good defensive effort on all of our parts."
O'Toole took home the award for the second time this season after making 34 stops on 40 shots this past weekend. After giving up three early first-quarter goals, O'Toole only allowed three additional goals the last 56 minutes of the game. He was able to stop all nine of Philadelphia's fourth-quarter shots on goal in the 12-6 road win.
"He played really well. We gave up a couple of early goals and didn't give him any help. He is a goalie that likes to get into the game and we didn't allow him to do that," said Toll. "He came back and made some big saves. He is the key to our defense. When he plays well it is always a good sign."
Toll also netted the third Rochester goal to cut the deficit to 5-3 and sparked a four-goal run that extended into the third quarter to give the Knighthawks a 6-5 advantage. In his sixth season with Rochester, the St. Catharines, Ontario, native now has three goals for three points in eight games for the Knighthawks. Further, the 13-year pro is first on the team and third in the NLL with a team-best 82 loose balls. In the win at Philadelphia, O'Toole saw glimpses of the Toll that won the 2007 NLL Transition Player of the Year.
"Steve played a huge game and was the Steve Toll of 2007," said O'Toole. "He had two huge goals. When he picks off passes and plays good defensively it leads to goals."
The lone Philadelphia goal was scored by John Christmas that tied the game at six. O'Toole took over from that point as he held the Wings scoreless for the final 22:59 of the contest. Meanwhile the Knighthawks notched six straight goals, including four straight on the power play to ice the game in the fourth quarter.
O'Toole, a 16-year pro, improved to 4-1 this season with the win at Philadelphia. His 10.09 goals-against average and .785 save percentage currently rank him sixth and seventh among league goaltenders, respectively, while his four wins are second best. O'Toole, the Knighthawks' all-time save leader, enters the week just 66 saves away from passing National Lacrosse League Hall of Fame netminder Dallas Eliuk as the all-time saves leader. Eliuk recorded 6,356 saves during his 18 seasons in the league. O'Toole now has 6,290 following a stellar performance at Philadelphia.
O'Toole and Toll lead the Knighthawks into a showdown with the Edmonton Rush on Saturday, February 27th. The game is a 7:35 p.m. start at The Blue Cross Arena. For more information or to order tickets call (585) 454-5335. Tickets are also available online at ticketmaster.com and knighthawks.net.
"This game against Edmonton is a big one for us. They are a much improved team from past years and are coming off a big win against Toronto," said O'Toole. "They are coming into our barn, and we need a win. We need to keep some of this momentum going and put some consecutive wins together to claw our way back to the top of our division and in a playoff spot."
National Lacrosse League Stories from February 25, 2010
- Mammoth Signs Forward Derek Malawsky - Colorado Mammoth
- Wings Sign Free Agent David Mitchell; Release Veteran Crosbie - Philadelphia Wings
- Bandits Radio Broadcast On WGR 550 This Saturday - Buffalo Bandits
- Titans Face Tough Test In Toronto - Orlando Titans
- Rochester Lacrosse Game Features Knighthawks, Tigers, And Bears - Rochester Knighthawks
- Effort By Nighthawks Veterans Leads To Win And NLL Weekly Awards - Rochester Knighthawks
- Toronto Rock Host Orlando Titans Saturday - Toronto Rock
- Rookie's debut against Rock a gem - Edmonton Rush
- NewsWings Shuffle Off To Buffalo Looking To Stop Winless Streak - Philadelphia Wings
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