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BUF at SD - Sat. 10pm ET on ESPNews Schedule

×
WK
1
Fri, Dec 2
FINAL
Philadelphia
8
Halifax
18
Sat, Dec 3
FINAL
Vancouver
8
Toronto
19
Sat, Dec 3
FINAL
San Diego
15
New York
14
Sat, Dec 3
FINAL
Albany
11
Buffalo
10
Sat, Dec 3
FINAL
Rochester
16
Georgia
11
Sat, Dec 3
FINAL
Colorado
6
Saskatchewan
18
WK
2
Fri, Dec 9
FINAL
Las Vegas
11
Panther City
13
Fri, Dec 9
FINAL/OT
Saskatchewan
12
San Diego
13
Sat, Dec 10
FINAL
Toronto
7
Rochester
11
Sat, Dec 10
FINAL
Vancouver
9
Calgary
11
WK
3
Fri, Dec 16
FINAL
Calgary
14
Vancouver
5
Fri, Dec 16
FINAL
Panther City
9
Las Vegas
3
Sat, Dec 17
FINAL
Buffalo
11
Toronto
8
Sat, Dec 17
FINAL
Rochester
14
Albany
13
Sat, Dec 17
FINAL
Philadelphia
13
Georgia
12
Sat, Dec 17
FINAL
Halifax
20
New York
11
Sat, Dec 17
FINAL
Colorado
12
Panther City
9
WK
5
Fri, Dec 30
FINAL
Halifax
13
Buffalo
18
Fri, Dec 30
FINAL
San Diego
17
Calgary
14
Sat, Dec 31
FINAL
Panther City
9
Saskatchewan
11
WK
6
Fri, Jan 6
FINAL
Philadelphia
14
Las Vegas
9
Sat, Jan 7
FINAL
Panther City
9
Rochester
17
Sat, Jan 7
FINAL
Halifax
14
Albany
11
Sat, Jan 7
FINAL
Buffalo
18
Georgia
9
Sat, Jan 7
FINAL
Toronto
15
New York
7
Sat, Jan 7
FINAL
Calgary
8
Colorado
9
Sat, Jan 7
FINAL
Vancouver
11
San Diego
16
WK
7
Fri, Jan 13
FINAL/OT
Albany
11
Halifax
10
Fri, Jan 13
FINAL/OT
Saskatchewan
10
Colorado
11
Sat, Jan 14
FINAL
Halifax
8
Toronto
17
Sat, Jan 14
FINAL
Panther City
12
Philadelphia
10
Sat, Jan 14
FINAL
Georgia
9
Buffalo
11
Sat, Jan 14
FINAL
San Diego
10
Calgary
14
Sat, Jan 14
FINAL
Las Vegas
16
Vancouver
19
Sun, Jan 15
FINAL
Rochester
11
New York
8
WK
8
Fri, Jan 20
FINAL
Buffalo
12
Rochester
15
Fri, Jan 20
FINAL
Vancouver
14
Las Vegas
15
Sat, Jan 21
FINAL
Toronto
14
Philadelphia
5
Sat, Jan 21
FINAL
New York
16
Albany
10
WK
9
Fri, Jan 27
FINAL
Rochester
7
Halifax
17
Fri, Jan 27
FINAL
Buffalo
13
Philadelphia
9
Sat, Jan 28
FINAL
Buffalo
16
New York
10
Sat, Jan 28
FINAL
Las Vegas
10
Saskatchewan
15
Sat, Jan 28
FINAL/OT
Toronto
11
Calgary
10
Sat, Jan 28
FINAL
San Diego
13
Colorado
9
Sat, Jan 28
FINAL
Panther City
20
Vancouver
7
WK
10
Fri, Feb 3
FINAL
Georgia
10
Colorado
13
Sat, Feb 4
FINAL/OT
Calgary
12
Halifax
11
Sat, Feb 4
FINAL
New York
14
Toronto
22
Sat, Feb 4
FINAL
Albany
5
Philadelphia
13
Sat, Feb 4
FINAL
Rochester
10
Buffalo
13
Sat, Feb 4
FINAL
Panther City
10
San Diego
12
Sat, Feb 4
FINAL
Saskatchewan
14
Vancouver
8
Sat, Feb 4
FINAL
Colorado
8
Las Vegas
13
WK
11
Fri, Feb 10
FINAL
Toronto
11
Georgia
10
Fri, Feb 10
FINAL
Saskatchewan
6
Calgary
13
Sat, Feb 11
FINAL
Halifax
14
Rochester
16
Sat, Feb 11
FINAL
Albany
12
New York
14
Sat, Feb 11
FINAL
Vancouver
13
Panther City
14
Sat, Feb 11
FINAL
Colorado
9
Calgary
13
WK
12
Fri, Feb 17
FINAL
Calgary
14
Vancouver
9
Fri, Feb 17
FINAL
Saskatchewan
16
San Diego
11
Sat, Feb 18
FINAL
Georgia
7
Toronto
16
Sat, Feb 18
FINAL
Las Vegas
12
Albany
10
Sat, Feb 18
FINAL/OT
Philadelphia
12
Buffalo
13
Sat, Feb 18
FINAL
Colorado
7
Panther City
13
Sun, Feb 19
FINAL
New York
12
Halifax
13
WK
13
Fri, Feb 24
FINAL
Panther City
12
Colorado
14
Fri, Feb 24
FINAL
Calgary
9
Las Vegas
11
Sat, Feb 25
FINAL/OT
New York
10
Rochester
11
Sat, Feb 25
FINAL
Albany
4
Georgia
20
Sat, Feb 25
FINAL
Vancouver
16
Saskatchewan
12
WK
14
Fri, Mar 3
FINAL
Buffalo
10
Halifax
9
Sat, Mar 4
FINAL
New York
12
Philadelphia
19
Sat, Mar 4
FINAL
Las Vegas
12
San Diego
15
Sat, Mar 4
FINAL
Rochester
8
Toronto
9
Sat, Mar 4
FINAL/OT
Georgia
9
Albany
8
Sat, Mar 4
FINAL
Saskatchewan
10
Panther City
16
Mon, Mar 6
FINAL
Toronto
10
Philadelphia
11
WK
15
Fri, Mar 10
FINAL/OT
Halifax
9
Buffalo
10
Fri, Mar 10
FINAL
Calgary
16
Colorado
10
Sat, Mar 11
FINAL
Albany
6
Toronto
12
Sat, Mar 11
FINAL
Philadelphia
10
New York
13
Sat, Mar 11
FINAL
San Diego
12
Saskatchewan
11
Sat, Mar 11
FINAL
Vancouver
14
Las Vegas
5
Sun, Mar 12
FINAL
Rochester
19
Georgia
18
WK
16
Fri, Mar 17
FINAL
Saskatchewan
6
Calgary
11
Fri, Mar 17
FINAL
San Diego
16
Vancouver
9
Sat, Mar 18
FINAL
Georgia
13
Philadelphia
12
Sat, Mar 18
FINAL
Toronto
12
Halifax
14
Sat, Mar 18
FINAL
Albany
10
New York
13
Sat, Mar 18
FINAL
Colorado
13
Buffalo
8
Sat, Mar 18
FINAL
Las Vegas
8
Panther City
11
Sun, Mar 19
FINAL/OT
Philadelphia
9
Rochester
8
WK
17
Fri, Mar 24
20:30:00
San Diego
Panther City
Sat, Mar 25
19:00:00
Toronto
Albany
Sat, Mar 25
19:00:00
Halifax
Philadelphia
Sat, Mar 25
19:30:00
Georgia
New York
Sat, Mar 25
21:30:00
Calgary
Saskatchewan
Sat, Mar 25
22:00:00
Buffalo
San Diego
Sat, Mar 25
22:00:00
Colorado
Vancouver
Sat, Mar 25
22:30:00
Rochester
Las Vegas
WK
18
Fri, Mar 31
19:00:00
New York
Georgia
Fri, Mar 31
21:00:00
Las Vegas
Colorado
Fri, Mar 31
22:00:00
Calgary
San Diego
Sat, Apr 1
19:00:00
Buffalo
Toronto
Sat, Apr 1
20:00:00
Albany
Panther City
Sat, Apr 1
21:30:00
Vancouver
Saskatchewan
Sun, Apr 2
13:00:00
Georgia
Halifax
Sun, Apr 2
18:00:00
Rochester
Philadelphia
WK
19
Sat, Apr 8
19:00:00
Albany
Rochester
Sat, Apr 8
19:00:00
Saskatchewan
Georgia
Sat, Apr 8
21:00:00
Panther City
Calgary
Sat, Apr 8
21:00:00
Vancouver
Colorado
Sat, Apr 8
22:30:00
San Diego
Las Vegas
WK
20
Fri, Apr 14
21:00:00
Las Vegas
Calgary
Fri, Apr 14
21:00:00
San Diego
Colorado
Sat, Apr 15
19:00:00
Philadelphia
Toronto
Sat, Apr 15
19:00:00
Georgia
Albany
Sat, Apr 15
19:30:00
New York
Buffalo
Sat, Apr 15
21:30:00
Halifax
Saskatchewan
Sat, Apr 15
22:00:00
Panther City
Vancouver
WK
21
Fri, Apr 21
20:30:00
Calgary
Panther City
Sat, Apr 22
18:00:00
New York
Halifax
Sat, Apr 22
19:00:00
Georgia
Rochester
Sat, Apr 22
20:00:00
Toronto
Buffalo
Sat, Apr 22
21:30:00
Colorado
Saskatchewan
Sat, Apr 22
22:00:00
Las Vegas
San Diego
Sun, Apr 23
15:00:00
Philadelphia
Albany
WK
22
Sat, Apr 29
19:00:00
Philadelphia
Rochester
Sat, Apr 29
19:00:00
Buffalo
Albany
Sat, Apr 29
19:00:00
Halifax
Georgia
Sat, Apr 29
22:00:00
Colorado
San Diego
Sat, Apr 29
22:00:00
New York
Vancouver
Sat, Apr 29
22:30:00
Saskatchewan
Las Vegas
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Stories/Op-Ed

#Tbt: Looking Back On Toth’S Championship Winning Goal

By Stephen Stamp | NLL.com Staff Writer
Photo by Perry Nelson

Kaleb Toth scoring with one second left on the clock to win the 2000 Champions Cup for the Toronto Rock is one of the National Lacrosse League’s iconic moments.

But there are some things you may not know about that moment. For instance, the play that led to the winning goal wasn’t even set up for Toth. Let’s take a look back at the goal that produced the last championship ever won in Maple Leaf Gardens.

The venerable old building on Carlton Street was finishing its career as a home for professional sports. The Maple Leafs had already moved to the Air Canada Centre. In fact, on the night of the 2000 NLL title game, May 6, the Leafs were playing host to the New Jersey Devils at the ACC in the Stanley Cup semifinals.

For the 14,211 fans in the Gardens, though, that night was all about lacrosse. The game was a rematch of the 1999 championship, in which Toronto had beaten the Rochester Knighthawks 13-10. Colin Doyle was the MVP of the ’99 game after scoring 4 goals and 2 assists.

The 2000 title tilt swung back and forth largely on the sticks of Toronto’s Dan Stroup and Rochester’s John Grant Jr. Grant was the league’s rookie of the year and produced a few of the type of goals that would create his legendary status in lacrosse.

“One goal I remember in particular where he carried I think it was Terry Bullen, Glenn Clark and Pat Coyle all at once and threw a backhand over Whipper’s shoulder. Something ridiculous,” recalls Jim Veltman, the Hall of Famer and captain of that Rock team.

Grant’s often unstoppability put a lot of pressure on Toronto when they got the final possession of the game with a handful of seconds remaining. “It was one of those things where, if we get the ball let’s try to end it now and avoid overtime because if he gets the ball in his stick you never know what’s going to happen,” Toth told NLL.com. “He not only scores but he can create a lot of stuff and he can find those guys that are open.”

So when Toronto offensive coach Ed Comeau drew his troops in around him during the Rock’s timeout before the final play to try to finish things off before going to overtime. It wasn’t Toth, however, who was intended to get the final shot. Stroup had five goals and was clearly the hot stick.

“The pick was for Stroup. The ball was going to come either from me down to Stroup or from [Colin] Doyle straight to Stroup, but they locked him off right away,” says Toth, who started with the ball in Toronto’s end, ran it up the floor then passed it across to Doyle at the top of the formation.

“Dean Harrison went and set a down pick for Stroupy to free him up, get him coming off the crease and it didn’t happen. They crashed down pretty hard on him,” Doyle remembers. “I know I wasn’t thinking shot because I don’t think I was shooting the ball extremely well that game. I think I probably could have myself but I was in look mode and Kaleb just came into my vision and the rest is history.”

As Toth took a return pass from Doyle, one effect of the Knighthawks’ determination to keep Stroup from getting the ball was that Toth had room to walk in and really step in to his shot. But if Doyle didn’t feel he was shooting the ball well, neither did Toth. He relied on what he had prepared for and hoped it would go better than his earlier efforts in the game.

“A buddy of mine in Calgary called me right after,” Toth says. “The scouting report that week was short side high so we went over to the box almost every day and he kept feeding me the ball and I kept shooting top corner, top corner, top corner, shot after shot for probably two or three days just trying to get that shot. Sure enough, the first couple of shots I do it, I hit Paddy right in the stomach so I was like, what was all that practice for?”

The practice counted when it mattered most, in the situation that has played out in many an outdoor rink, driveway and courtyard in the imaginations of young players everywhere. Says Toth: “It’s one of those things that every kid dreams of or announces. Any sport he’s playing. Playing basketball, hockey, lacrosse: 3, 2, 1, he shoots, he scores.”

“I don’t watch too much from the past but any time someone throws that one on I’ll sit in and watch it,” Doyle says. “I’ve seen that replay many times. It never gets old. It was just one of those moments in lacrosse that you remember everything about it. Everything slowed down. It literally felt like the roof was going to come off that place. It was something. That’s one of those things I’ll continue to watch forever. I’ll never get sick of that. And what a shot. What. A. Shot. There wasn’t more than three square inches to put that ball and he put it there.”

When Toth put it there, bedlam erupted in Maple Leaf Gardens. It wasn’t the end of the story, though, There is more to remember about that magical shot and what it engendered. Enough that we’ll delve into further memories in Part 2, coming next week on NLL.com.

Watch the goal in this video.
To see Pat Coyle reminiscing about the game, go to this video.
And if you’d like to see more of the television coverage, right through the presentation of the Champions Cup and MVP award, here’s the video you want.

NLL