Crease Dives – The Let’s Get On A Roll Musings
By Mike Hancock
Better Than
When teams are in a perceived funk, the sports clichés can start to creep in. We’ll see what type of character we have or we need to be more resilient or we just need to capitalize on our chances. Sometimes though, it’s a lot more simple than just trying to measure character or resiliency, because let’s face it, I don’t think any of us have ever seen this character/resiliency/give-a-what measuring device anywhere. It doesn’t exist.
So where are we then? Well, it’s not really that complicated. On almost every night, in any sport, whoever plays better, ‘gets to the pay window’ as wrestler Dusty Rhodes used to say. After two games for the Rock, it’s easy to figure out why the team is 0-2, the better team deserved to win and got the win. So tonight, it’s just about being better than the 18 guys on the other side and getting what you deserve.
Experience
This is where you probably think you’re going to read about just how much veteran experience the Rock have and that’s what is going to pull them out of an 0-2 start to the season. Well, think again.
Here is where I talk about Turner Evans and Dan Lintner both getting their first taste of action on home floor and shaking some of the jitters that surely accompany that inaugural game at Air Canada Centre. These two have had their baptism, now it’s time to go get it. Time to watch these two start to grow and flourish into NLL players and also add that bit of jump their young legs can provide.
Milestones Are Fun
Yep, the title says it all. Rob Hellyer collected his 200th career point on Thursday night and this evening in Rochester, we could see a few more eclipsed. Stephan Leblanc needs 2 goals for 200 in his career, Brett Hickey needs 3 points for 100 in his career and Patrick Merrill is closing in on becoming the Rock all-time leader in penalty minutes. The veteran defender needs only 5 penalty minutes to pass Dan Ladouceur for the all-time lead.
Spitting Hot Fire
After the game on Thursday, Rock Owner, President and GM Jamie Dawick said he was, “glad he got his (derrière) kicked,” in reference to the fist-led lacrosse punishment handed down to Knighthawks defender Derek Searle by Billy Hostrawser. Also in the post-game scrum, Dan Lintner referenced the late game heat that seemed to boil the water as things came to a close and thought that intensity level should be there tonight right from the opening faceoff. This all means you could be in for a treat tonight lacrosse fans, usually when two teams legitimately don’t like each other; it makes for the absolute best when it comes to the theatre of sport. Be sure to watch on Fox Sports Go tonight at 7:30pm. foxsports.com/foxsportsgo
Remember when…
…Nick Rose played his first game for the Rock on March 24, 2012, walked right into the building where the Rock had experienced very little success and got the win allowing just 7 goals. That building, was the Blue Cross Arena in Rochester, NY.
Last Minute of Musing
Losing is for the birds. AKA – the Knighthawks. GO ROCK GO!
That’s all for now, muse amongst yourselves…
