John Grant Jr. makes an impressive comeback with five goals and game MVP
Published on August 8, 2009 under Major League Lacrosse (MLL)
Hamilton Nationals News Release
TORONTO - After spending 11 months on the disabled list with an injured knee, John Grant Jr. made his triumphant return to Major League Lacrosse tonight, leading the Toronto Nationals with five goals in the 16-10 victory over the Denver Outlaws.
His performance, in front of 3,635 Nationals fans, earned him game BudLight MVP honours, and clinched the second seed in the MLL playoffs for Toronto. Fellow attacker Merrick Thomson also had a big night, scoring four goals and an assist.
The Outlaws were led by attacker Drew Westervelt, who had three goals, including a two-point marker, for a total of six points in the game. Mundorf had made the opening move in the points race, notching the first goal of the night three minutes in to the game. Westervelt added to the Outlaws lead a minute later with a powerplay marker from Josh Sims. Westervelt returned the favour two minutes later, feeding Sims on the power play, making it 3-0 Denver.
Eight minutes into the frame, Grant announced his return, scoring Toronto's first goal of the night. Jeff Zywicki made the marker possible, passing from the goal line to a wide-open Grant who fired it past the out-of-position Jesse Schwartzman.
Grant's goal woke up the Nationals' offence and Shawn Williams scored a minute later followed by a Zywicki acrobatic marker. Zywicki's score was assisted by Thomson, his first point of the game. Shortly after that, All-Star defender Brodie Merrill got in on the action, giving Toronto a 4-3 lead, their first of the game.
Thomson stepped into the fray with sixty seconds left in the quarter. Scoring his league leading 41st goal, he bumped Toronto up to a 5-3 lead with the help of Joe Walters, the over-time hero of the Nationals last game. The goal inched Thomson up to 47 points on the season.
Denver responded early in the second quarter, with Matt Brown and Westervelt earning tallies and tying the game at five apiece. Again, Grant stepped up for the Nationals, working with Walters to give Toronto a 6-5 lead. His goal was followed by one from fellow Team Canada veteran Colin Doyle. Attacker Delby Powless had fed the rushing attacker from behind the goal, moving Toronto up to a two-point lead.
Half-way through the second quarter, it was clear that Grant was happy to be healthy and playing lacrosse. He scored back-to-back goals putting Toronto up 9-5. Outlaws' midfielder Max Seibald scored to make it 9-6, breaking up a natural hat trick by Grant. Grant scored again, his fifth of the night to give Toronto a 10-6 lead going into halftime.
Seibald scored less than a minute into the third quarter, to keep Denver alive. He was followed by Dan Hardy forty seconds later, to make a game of it at 10-8. Thomson had his third point of the night, as he shed his defender and scored a diving goal. The marker was short-handed, as both Walters and defender Sid Smith were sitting out on personal fouls. After a staid seven minutes, Gavin Prout pushed the score up to 12-8 for Toronto, and reinvigorated the Nationals faithful who had come out despite the rain.
Goalie Brett Queener, who stepped between the pipes in the second half, brought his usual energy to the field. After a big stick save, he made a behind-the-back pass to midfielder Steve Hoar who fired a shot into the top right-hand corner of Denver's net.
Powless ended the third with an underhand shot from a Zywicki assist. The goal capped a quiet quarter with Toronto possessing a solid 14-8 lead. In the fourth quarter, Denver's Westervelt took advantage of an empty net, scoring from behind the two-point arc to bring the Outlaws closer at 14-10. Eight minutes later, Thomson had a hat trick on the evening. He earned the marker by absorbing a cross-check to the back and scoring as he fell forward. Thomson scored his fourth goal of the night a minute later setting a new personal best of 44 goals in the regular season. In 2008 with the New Jersey Pride, Thomson set a record of 42 goals.
The Toronto Nationals have two weeks before heading to Annapolis, Maryland for the 2009 New Balance Major League Lacrosse Championship Weekend on August 22 and 23. The Nationals are now seeded second and will play at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, August 22 in the #2 vs. #3 game.
Major League Lacrosse Stories from August 8, 2009
- Strong 2009 Finish Not Enough to Earn Bayhawks Fourth Seed in MLL Playoffs - Chesapeake Bayhawks
- John Grant Jr. makes an impressive comeback with five goals and game MVP - Hamilton Nationals
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