As Rock Open Playoffs, Doyle Shows No Sign of Slowing Down

The Toronto Rock’s 10-6 regular season record earned them their tenth division championship in franchise history and a first place finish in the NLL standings. Toronto’s successful 2013 year can be largely attributed to the continuing contribution of their veteran offensive weapons as well the emergence of some of the team’s young players.

Colin Doyle

  • In his sixteenth year in the NLL, the Rock captain produced his best offensive totals since 2010. Doyle finished the regular season with 84 points in fifteen games, a significant improvement from his 59 points in thirteen games played last year. After registering over fifty assists in every season from 2003-2011, Doyle’s assist total had decreased in the past two years finishing with 43 and 34 helpers, respectively. This season Doyle was able to re-cement himself as one of the league’s top set-up men with 58 assists, good for fifth best league wide.

Garrett Billings

  • After a monstrous 2012 season that saw Billings break the Rock single season scoring record with 114 points, in addition to setting the NLL single season assist record with 82, Billings faced heavy expectations heading into this season. Billings followed his record breaking year by cracking the 100 point barrier for the second consecutive year, finishing with 30 goals and 70 assists. Billings led the league in power play goals with 15. The four year Rock veteran was also second league wide in both points and assists, trailing Shawn Evans of the Calgary Roughnecks in both categories.

Jesse Gamble

  • Gamble followed a quietly successful rookie season with a breakout sophomore campaign. The Cornell alum finished the season 9 goals and 6 assists for 15 points, including a hat-trick performance in a win over the Colorado Mammoth that earned him NLL Transition Player of the Week honours. Gamble was a force in transition for the Rock leading the team in loose balls with 108, good for eighth best in the league.

Nick Rose

  • In his first full season as a member of the Rock, Rose faced questions regarding whether or not he could prove himself as legitimate starting NLL goaltender. The Orangeville native answered these questions and then some, finishing in the top three league wide all major statistical goaltending categories. Rose led all goalies in wins (10), while ranking second in saves (607) and third in goals against average (10.61). After facing issues finding a starting goaltender to replace the legendary Bob Watson in the 2012 season, Rose’s performance this year has ensured that he will be the man between the pipes for Toronto for the future.

 

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