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ROCK SOLIDIFY LINEUP

Re-sign core group, including Colin Doyle & Bob Watson

11/17/2006

The Toronto Rock have announced that they have retained a core group of players for the upcoming season, as Colin Doyle, Bob Watson, Patrick Merrill, Ian Rubel, Rusty Kruger, Scott Campbell and JJ Dickie were all recently re-signed to contracts. Doyle signed a two-year agreement while the rest were signed to one-year deals. Toronto kicks off their exhibition schedule in Halifax, Nova Scotia on Saturday, November 25th against Philadelphia.

Bob Watson, the Rock starting goalie, signed a one year contract last week. The nine-year NLL veteran has played with the Rock since the inception of the franchise in 1998 and helped the Rock to all five of their NLL Championships. He was the MVP of the 2003 Championship Game. Last season Watson recorded 575 saves, tallied a saves percentage of .772 and a goals-against average of 11.21.

''There's nobody else I'd want in net in a big game situation,'' said first year Rock Head Coach Glenn Clark

Colin Doyle was re-signed to a two-year contract. The eight-year NLL veteran has played his entire career with Toronto. In the 2006 regular season, Doyle tallied 96 points, scoring 43 goals with 53 assists and is fifth on the NLL Regular Season All Time Points list, with 685 points. Doyle was also named the NLL League MVP in 2005.

"I'm excited to be with the Rock again for another Championship run," said Doyle.

Patrick Merrill returns for a fifth season in the face-off circle for Toronto after winning 179 draws in the 2006 regular season.

"We have a solid group of proven winners in our locker room and we are hungry to get back to Championship form," said Merrill. "We have a lot to prove after an up and down season last year and I'm excited for that challenge."

Defenseman Ian Rubel heads into his sixth season with the Rock. In 2006 he played in 12 games and recorded two assists and collected 21 loose balls.

Also recently signed were Rusty Kruger, Scott Campbell and J.J. Dickie.

Entering his tenth year in the NLL, Rusty Kruger, nicknamed tallied 20 points in the 2006 regular season on seven goals and 13 assists. This coming 2007 season will be Kruger's third with the Toronto Rock.

Scott Campbell was acquired in 2005 by the Toronto Rock in a trade with the Edmonton Rush. With 2007 being his third NLL year, Campbell he will be playing with the Rock for his second season.

Acquired as a free agent in the summer of 2005, J.J. Dickie completed his first year in the NLL last season with the Rock. He played in five games and recorded 29 loose balls.