WINGS ROCKED BY TORONTO, 15-13
March 25, 2000
The Toronto Rock capitalized on the absence of NLL save
percentage leader Dallas Eliuk to beat the Philadelphia Wings
tonight 15-13 and leapfrog into a first place tie.
The defending champion Rock came into the game a half-game behind
the Wings, but got a seven-point night from Game MVP Colin Doyle
to go to 6-3 and a share of the top spot with Buffalo.
Philadelphia, who plays in Buffalo one week from tonight, fell to
5-3.
Eliuk was serving the second game of a two-game suspension for a
stick incident in his team’s last home game (February 26
versus Pittsburgh). Backup Andy Piazza, who won in Eliuk’s
place a week ago in Syracuse, made 35 saves but couldn’t
outduel Toronto’s Bob Watson, who stopped 41 shots by the
Wings.
The Rock entered the fourth quarter clinging to an 11-10 lead.
Dan Stroup and Ryan O’Connor gave them some breathing room
with the first two goals of the final 15 minutes. Chris Panos
then cut the score to 13-11, but Toronto scored two more that, by
the time Philadelphia’s Jake Bergey and Kevin Finneran
closed out the scoring, made the difference in the only meeting
between these two teams this regular season.
Tom Marechek led the Wings with eight points (four goals, four
assists). A crowd of 16,544 was on hand at the First Union
Center.