NLL Playoffs: Titans, Rock Advance in East
from press releases
ORLANDO, Fla. -- Casey Powell scored five
goals, including a pair in the fourth quarter, to lead the Orlando
Titans past the Boston Blazers, 12-11, at Amway Arena on
Friday.
The Titans will host the Toronto Rock next weekend in the East
Division Final at Amway Arena.
In the opening quarter, Nick Cotter scored twice, and Blazers
captain Dan Dawson scored once on the powerplay and assisted on
three other goals as the Blazers took a 4-2 lead.
Powell and Mike McLellan each tallied goals in the second stanza,
but goals from forwards Jamie Rooney, Mat Giles and Daryl Veltman
gave the visitors a 7-4 edge at the halfway point.
Powell scored the first two goals of the third quarter to bring
Orlando within a goal at 7-6. Veltman notched his second of the
game to give Boston a two-goal lead again, but the Titans scored
twice late in the quarter, and Boston took a 9-8 lead into the
fourth.
Powell scored two goals in a two-minute span, including a
behind-the-back shot that gave Orlando a one-goal lead. But, Rooney
and Gary Bining goals gave Boston the lead again 8:32 into the
fourth. Transition Jarrett Park and forward Jordan Hall each scored
to give Orlando the lead again, 12-11, with five minutes to go.
The Titans advance to the NLL East Division final against the Toronto Rock.
*****
TORONTO – Rookie Stephan Leblanc scored five
goals and veteran Colin Doyle chipped in with four as the Rock
mounted a fourth-quarter comeback to defeat the Buffalo Bandits,
13-11, at Air Canada Centre on Saturday.
After falling to the Buffalo Bandits twice in the 2010 regular season, the Rock fought back from a 6-0 deficit in the second quarter to take the single-win elimination game.
Leblanc was named game MVP for a team-leading eight points from
five goals and three assists. Bob Watson recorded the win in
Toronto’s net.
Mike Accursi scored six goals and assisted on three others for the
Bandits.
Roger Vyse was the first to score for the Bandits, three minutes
into the game. The up-tempo defence that both teams pride
themselves on took over for the next eight minutes until Brett
Bucktooth got past Watson to end the quarter with Buffalo up
2-0.
Bucktooth continued his streak into the second quarter followed by
Mark Steenhuis and Mike Accursi. Toronto opted for a goalie change,
but Accursi struck again to get past Steve Dietrich. Rookie Stephan
Leblanc got Toronto onto the board to bring the game to 6-1
followed immediately off the faceoff by Blaine Manning to narrow
the Bandit lead. Accursi was next, which brought Watson back
onto the turf sparking Leblanc’s second goal. Colin Doyle
followed suit picking the top left corner of Mike Thompson’s
net.
Accursi struck again for Buffalo to start the second half, but it
was quickly answered by Doyle. The game continued back and forth
with another from Accursi and a Rock goal from Mike Hominuck.
Leblanc recorded the hat trick on the powerplay to bring the
Toronto tally to seven. Steenhuis followed up with number 10 for
the Bandits. Leblanc kept it within two, scoring his fourth of the
game.
Doyle began the final quarter with a goal, his third of the night,
but it was answered by Accursi’s sixth. Manning drained the
tenth for Toronto to bring it within one, and Garrett Billings
followed to tie it up. Leblanc and Doyle continued the Rock roll to
put Toronto up by two, their first lead of the game. The clock
wound down, as the crowd got on their feet cheering on the Rock as
they held onto the 13-11 win.
