Josh Sanderson and Colin Doyle have been playing exceptional lacrosse for the Toronto Rock, the kind that has you thinking about to 2005 when the duo captured the Champion's Cup. Read more...
ROCK REPORT W hile Garrett Billings has been tearing up the box for the Rock with 79 points, Colin Doyle is not far behind with 69 points. The stellar veteran is quietly putting together one of his best seasons for Toronto in recent memory. He’s had some big games for a team who plays together oensively most of the time and he’s helped lead the Rock to a league-best 8-4 record. To him, he’s just doing what he’s always done: playing the game hard and leading his teammates. However, his stellar stat line has easily helped make the Rock the league’s best team and they’re only getting better. “On a personal note, I feel good. I’m contributing, getting playing time and my job is to contribute to the oence, which I’ve been doing. We’ve all been playing well together and I feel really good about where we’re at as a team.” After a tough loss against the Bandits, the Rock rebounded with a huge 13-8 victory over the Philadelphia Wings. The road victory was huge for the team as they haven’t lost two in a row all year. It also DOYLE AND SANDERSON ENJOYING RENAISSANCE YEAR The Toronto Rock are still one of the most dominant teams oensively and much of that has to do with the veteran explosiveness they have in the locker room. By Jordan Maxwell 18 • TORONTO ROCK 2013
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ROCK REPORT
While Garrett Billings has been tearing up the box for the Rock with 79 points, Colin Doyle is not far behind
with 69 points. The stellar veteran is quietly putting together one of his best seasons for Toronto in recent memory. He’s had some big games for a team who plays together o!ensively most of the time and he’s helped lead the Rock to a league-best 8-4 record. To him, he’s just doing what he’s always done: playing the game hard and leading his teammates. However, his stellar stat line has easily helped make the Rock the league’s best team and they’re only getting better. “On a personal note, I feel good. I’m contributing, getting playing time and my job is to contribute to the o!ence, which I’ve been doing. We’ve all been playing well together and I feel really good about where we’re at as a team.” After a tough loss against the Bandits, the Rock rebounded with a huge 13-8 victory over the Philadelphia Wings. The road victory was huge for the team as they haven’t lost two in a row all year. It also
DOYLE AND SANDERSON ENJOYING RENAISSANCE YEAR
The Toronto Rock are still one of the most dominant teams o!ensively and much of that has to do with the veteran explosiveness they have in the locker room.
By Jordan Maxwell
18 • TORONTO ROCK 2013
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showed their ability and desire to come back when facing adversity. Nick Rose was his usual self in net, but it was Doyle who led with a purpose on o!ence, notching seven points to lead the team. If it wasn’t a stellar pass, it was a rifled shot. And that’s been his mantra all year – to take advantage of the opportunities he’s given to be successful. Recent rookie of the week Kyle Belton was the beneficiary of Doyle’s stellar play as well. The rookie scored three goals, his first hat trick and goals of the season, and his career. But he wasn’t the only one tallying a pile of points either. Josh Sanderson, another key player who adds some punch to the left side of the floor, has been burying goals all season for the Rock as well. “He brings another veteran presence in a veteran locker room. It’s no surprise to anyone how well he’s doing and he’s joined a veteran
group on o!ence,” said Toronto Rock Assistant Coach and General Manager Terry Sanderson of his son. “(But) it’s always good. We’ve been on a number of teams together and he brings a winning attitude to whatever team we’ve been involved with and there’s always a fun aspect to it,” the GM added. Midway through his second year with the team, Josh Sanderson has fully adjusted to the team’s culture of players and his numbers show it on the field. “It’s good to be playing for a great organization for the second time and we’re just starting to play some great lacrosse right now,” said Josh. Garrett Billings said that it’s been great having Josh on the field with him and added that he’s found some solid chemistry with the left-winger this season.
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“Before you play with someone, you never know the kind of chemistry you’re going to have, but I like playing with him and we work well together.” Josh won a title in his first stint with the Toronto Rock back in 2005 when he scored 113 points including the playo!s (36 goals, 77 assists). Most recently, Josh was apart of the 2009 Calgary Roughnecks squad who went all the way with Rock head coach Troy Cordingley at the helm. Josh notched 122 points in that season including the playo!s (34 goals, 93 assists). Now in his second stint with the team, Josh hopes to lockdown the third title of his career with what he describes as a “great organization” in the Rock. “I love to compete and I love the game. I still want to win another championship before I retire and it’ll be hard one day to give it up. The ownership is a lot better. [Jamie Dawick is] first-class and he takes care of everyone involved. Guys just want to play hard for him and I think he’s the best owner in the league,” he said. But at the end of the day, if you’re looking for the best way describe Josh, look no further than Rock head coach Troy Cordingley. “Every team that he’s been on, he’s won. He leads by example and I just love everything about him,” said Cordingley. “He’s a team-first guy and he hates losing more than he likes winning. He’s a competitive, fiery little guy and he’s really good in the dressing room. That stu! is huge. He’s a veteran guy who’s done it all and the guys look up to him and know that he’s a warrior.”
