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The Toronto Rock are the beneficiaries for the second year in a row of an upset
elimination of the Calgary Roughnecks from the National Lacrosse League
playoffs. Isaac Redman Jersey . Toronto was seeded
behind Calgary, but has home floor for the Champions Cup falling into its lap
after the Rock dispatched Buffalo and the Roughnecks were upset by Edmonton in
the first round. Standing in the way are the Rochester Knighthawks, wholl trot
into Toronto for the East final Saturday night after knocking off Philadelphia.
One year ago Toronto was back of the seeding line but got home floor for the
title game after going into Buffalo and beating regular-season leader Buffalo in
the East Division final. Then they lucked out with top overall seed Calgary
losing the West final to Washington. The Rock then won the championship at home.
This year, Toronto swept Rochester 3-0 during the regular season, but Colin
Doyle made sure to downplay expectations before reporters could ask about the
record. “Everything goes out the window before you ask,” he said. “Weve had
their number as of late but this is obviously a team that has changed since we
played them last. “They are playing with confidence. Theyre doing something
right because theyre beating some good teams. Well stick with what we do, grind
it out and focus on what we do best and the results take care of themselves.”
Toronto has won its last three games and is 6-1 since installing Nick Rose as
No. 1 goaltender. Rochester has won its last two and has two-time NLL goalie of
the year Matt Vinc, who was in the nets for Canada when it won the world indoor
championship in Prague last May. “I know theyre a great team and theyre proven
that over the years,” said Knighthawks captain Pat McCready. “Theyve had a great
history and theyve carried that on.” As for the mood of his team, McCready
offers up one word: expectant. “Were a young team and we know we have to go in
and play a really disciplined and hard game and not make any mistakes to have a
chance to win,” he said. “We have to win all the little battles including loose
balls and running to the bench. “We have to stay very disciplined, keep the
penalties to a minimum and, overall, just work hard.” Rochester would love to
make amends for a 10-8 loss in Toronto in a first-round 2011 playoff game and go
on to its first championship game appearance since winning in 2007, while
Torontos players are trying to be the first to win consecutive NLL titles since
the 2002-2003 Rock. Meanwhile, the Edmonton Rush will be in St. Paul for the
West final Saturday night against the Minnesota Swarm, who advanced by upsetting
the Colorado Mammoth for their fifth win in a row. The teams met twice during
the regular season, with each team winning at home in overtime and scoring 18
goals apiece. Theyve never met in playoffs previously, and neither team has won
an NLL title. Rookies comprise one half of the Minnesota lineup, and getting
this far after so many roster changes earned John Arlotta the NLL award for GM
of the year and Joe Sullivan the coach of the year honour. “I know theyre on a
roll,” said Rush transition player Steve Toll. “Theyre a young team that works
very hard. Were just going to have to outwork them.” Edmonton had the poorest
regular-season record (610) of any of the eight playoff hopefuls and knocking
off No. 1 overall seed Calgary buoys confidence. The Rush have won five of their
last eight games—a turnaround that coincided with the signing of Toll. “The
key to winning (the division final) is not to allow Minnesota to go on runs,” he
said. “Hopefully, well get a couple of goals early and take the crowd out of it.
“Well have to limit our mistakes and capitalize on their mistakes. I like our
chances.” Rush goalie Aaron Bold has been among league leaders in goals-against
average and save percentage all year. “Aaron prepares for games so well,
physically and mentally,” said Rush forward Shawn Williams. “Hes reaping the
rewards for his work ethic. Hes making the big saves when we need him to make
them.” Minnesota has had success rotating Evan Kirk and Tyler Carlson, a pair of
rookies who have been superb in net. Its Carlsons turn to play this weekend but
Kirk was so good last Saturday in Denver that coach Joe Sullivan has a tough
decision to make. “We have the utmost confidence in both,” said Swarm captain
Andrew Suitor. “They both play like starters and seasoned vets. Well have his
back, whoever it is.” Williams watched Suitor play junior in Orangeville,
Ontario, and is full of praise of the Swarm captain. “Hes a great leader and hes
brought his passion to the boys in Minnesota,” says Williams. “Theyre all on
side with him.” Suitor was asked to describe the mood of his team. “Were
definitely committed,” he said. “I know we have to stick to our game plan and
give Edmonton the utmost respect. These are two hot teams about to go at it.
Were trying to keep level-headed. We dont want to let this opportunity slip
away. “We need to play a balanced game with a lot of transition and we have to
capitalize on our opportunities.” There has never been an all-Canadian NLL
final. Emmanuel Sanders Jersey . The story of the
year, from an individual standpoint, has to be Angels centre fielder Mike Trout,
the recently-turned-21-year-old, who has been the games top prospect for the
last couple seasons while hes been in the minors and then he showed up in the
majors and exceeded all expectations. Ike Taylor Jersey . hit his 598th home run,
his first in 90 at-bats, in the first inning for the Cincinnati Reds on Tuesday
night against the San Diego Padres. http://www.nikepittsburghsteelersjerseyssale.com/antonio-brown-jersey?women=18
. Evgeni Malkins dominance of the hockey world reached historical proportions
Saturday with a signature performance in the semifinals of the IIHF World Hockey
Championship. Lawrence Timmons Jersey . The nominees were
presented at the Clock Tower Quay in the Old Port of Montreal and bring the
total tally of nominated athletes to 50 with just under two months until the
Opening Ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games. Maurkice Pouncey Womens Jersey .C. —Two
years after suffering a major knee injury, Jeremy Geathers is back with the
B.WASHINGTON—Year after year, the Nationals finished way behind the Phillies
in the NL East standings—and adding insult to general ineptitude, Washingtons
home games against Philadelphia sounded like road games, what with all the loud
hecklers usually making the trip down I-95. So now that the Nationals fancy
their chances on the field, and undertook a massive effort known as “Take Back
the Park” to keep Phillies fans out of the stands, the hosts ascribed a lot more
meaning to the teams first series of 2012 than the visitors. When Friday nights
opener ended with the last Nationals player on the bench, pinch-hitter
Wilson Ramos, delivering an RBI single with two outs in the bottom of the 11th
inning to give Washington a 4-3 comeback victory over the Phillies, plenty of
spectators stuck around to cheer and enjoy the moment. Yes, this time, a
minority of the crowd streamed to the exits while wearing Phillies jerseys and
hats. “It was very refreshing,” Nationals shortstop Ian Desmond said. “It was
nice, obviously, to have the crowd behind us tonight. Id give it 70-30 (per cent
rooting for Washington), probably. But better than 20-80 the other way.” As part
of a marketing campaign, the hosts put a makeshift banner reading “NATITUDE
PARK” over where the stadiums real name is atop the scoreboard. They also made
tickets available online only to season ticketholders and local fans from
Washington, Maryland or Virginia. It added up to an announced attendance of
34,377—more than 10,000 above Washingtons average, which ranks 14th in the
16-team NL —for a game filled with quirks. Phillies manager Charlie Manuel was
ejected in the bottom of the first for arguing about a checked swing, one that
his catcher tried to appeal but couldnt because there was no umpire at third
base (one member of the crew, Joe West, sat out the game with an illness). The
Phillies had other complaints, too, saying a ball hit by Carlos Ruiz in the
seventh that was called foul should have been ruled fair (“I saw the replays,”
Ruiz said), and that Shane Victorino should have been called safe instead of out
on an attempted steal of third later in that inning. The Phillies are without
Ryan Howard and Chase Utley; in their places Friday were Laynce Nix (a backup
for Washington last season) and Pete Orr (once cut by the Nationals). Because of
injuries, the Nationals are missing their preferred No. 3 hitter and
slick-fielding third baseman (Ryan Zimmerman), their cleanup hitter
(Michael Morse), their fill-in cleanup hitter (Adam LaRoche), their closer
(Drew Storen) and their fill-in closer (Brad Lidge). “Weve been playing a man
short for, it seems like, half the year,” manager Davey Johnson said. And yet
this was Washingtons fifth walk-off victory of the season, the most in the
majors, according to STATS LLC. The Nationals improved to 4-2 inn extra innings;
the Phillies fell to 0-4. James Harrison Jersey. “They kind of have a
bigger feeling when youre playing the Phillies. I felt they were the best team
in baseball last year. To come in and beat them the first time in our house …
it was a big game for us, and Im sure the Phillies felt the same way, because
were sitting on top,” Johnson said. Well, maybe not. Asked whether this series
is a chance for the Phillies to put the Nationals in their place, Victorino
said: “Nah. This is just one game in the series. Just one of 162.” Still, since
moving to Washington from Montreal, the Nationals never had even finished so
much as third in the NL East until last season. Now theyre atop the division at
17-9, while the Phillies are 13-14 and havent been above .500 since starting the
season 1-0. Steve Lombardozzi started the winning rally against Michael Schwimer
(0-1) by singling with two outs, and 19-year-old Bryce Harper drew his third
walk of the game before Jayson Werth walked to load the bases. That brought up
Ramos, who hit a 1-2 slider to bring home Lombardozzi and set off a celebration,
with his teammates streaming out of the dugout to greet him at first base.
Someone smeared Ramos with shaving cream. “Early in the game, I was sitting on
the bench, eating sunflower seeds and talking to my teammates,” Ramos said,
describing life as a catcher given a day off. When he was told to go bat, Ramos
recalled, “I just take my batting gloves and (thought), OK, Im the man. Go out
and hit the ball hard.” And he did. “I was freaking out,” Lombardozzi said.
Ryan Perry (1-0), Washingtons sixth pitcher, earned the win with a perfect 11th,
getting the No. 3-4-5 hitters—Placido Polanco, Hunter Pence and Victorino—
on groundouts. The Nationals trailed 3-1, but tied it with two RBIs from
Jesus Flores, one on a sacrifice fly in the sixth, the other a double in the
eighth. Much earlier, Pence and Ruiz homered off Stephen Strasburg, who had gone
66 innings without letting a ball leave the yard. Phillies starter Kyle Kendrick
gave up one run in five innings—on Chad Tracys solo shot—to outdo
Strasburg, who allowed three runs and three hits in six innings. Strasburg
entered the game having allowed only one homer to a right-handed batter in his
career. Now hes allowed three. Just one of the oddities on this night, when
there actually were more Washington fans than Philadelphia fans at Nationals
Park. Or Natitude Park. “Thats a crazy game. We only had three umpires. That was
a wild game, but a good win,” said Werth, who helped the Phillies win the World
Series in 2008, a year the last-place Nationals lost more than 100 games. “Its a
big series for us, no doubt.” NOTES: Strasburgs ERA rose from 1.13 to 1.66. ...
Washington LHP Gio Gonzalez faces Philadelphia RHP Vance Worley on Saturday. ’ ’
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