Bob Watson earns MVP in final pro lacrosse game as Rock win NLL title
Posted May 15, 2011 5:39 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
TORONTO – Bob Watson earned the MVP honours in his final pro lacrosse game as the Toronto Rock edged the Washington Stealth 8-7 in the NLL’s title game Sunday afternoon.
“This goes right to the top,” the 41-year-old Watson replied when asked where his and the team’s sixth championship ranks. “This is a special moment. I’ll cherish this for the rest of my life.”
Garrett Billings and Kasey Beirnes scored two goals each for the Rock and Rob Hellyer, Blaine Manning, Glen Bryan and Stephan Leblanc got one each in front of an Air Canada Centre crowd of 14,488.
Lewis Ratcliff led the Stealth with three and Rhys Duch, Jeff Zywicki, Cliff Smith and Paul Rabil got one each, and Tyler Richards was outstanding in the nets. Washington rallied from a 7-2 halftime deficit to set up a thrilling finish.
Bryan had opened the scoring with a breakaway bouncer 1:54 into the game, Smith tied it with an overhand shot over Watson’s right shoulder at 5:14, and Beirnes darted to the front of the crease to take a Doyle pass and pick a top corner at 8:47 to put the Rock up 2-1.
After a video review backed up a referee’s decision to disallow a Doyle goal off an acrobatic leap from behind the Stealth net, Beirnes again struck from the edge of the crease, this time on a power play, at 13:03 to make it 3-1, and that’s how the first quarter ended.
