Toronto Rock General Manager Terry Sanderson has announced the signing of a pair of transition players. Recently acquired Brock Sorensen has agreed to a 2-year deal and the very versatile Nick Diachenko has signed a 1-year agreement. The signings are pending league approval.
Sorensen was picked up in a trade with the Minnesota Swarm recently that saw the Rock part with 2013 1st round pick Ethan O’Connor and Toronto’s 2017 1st round pick. The 6’6” Peterborough, ON native is one of the Rock’s “Big 3” additions recently. Jeff Gilbert (signed as a free agent) and Brodie Merrill (acquired via trade), both check-in at 6’4” and give the Rock an injection of size on the back end.
Nick Diachenko, who was signed as a free agent last season, has re-signed with the Rock for 2015. Diachenko was originally selected in the 2nd round of the 2013 NLL Draft by the Buffalo Bandits. After battling through injuries, Diachenko got his shot with the Rock when Rock forward Garrett Billings suffered a season ending knee injury.
Projected to be a defender, Diachenko’s stick skills and finish in practice impressed the Rock coaching staff enough to put him into an offensive role when he was moved to the teams’ active roster. The 24-year old native of Courtice, ON didn’t disappoint, scoring a goal in his first NLL game.
In 3 regular season games, Diachenko scored 2 goals and added 2 assists for 4 points. He also collected 13 loose balls and forced a pair of turnovers. However, it was in the Rock’s playoff loss to Buffalo where he stepped up with 3 goals and an assist. He’s a dynamic player that can contribute at either end of the floor and has proven to be a valuable asset.
