Can Stealth handle Rock’s pressure defense in tonight’s Champion’s Cup?

Published 11:50 pm Friday, May 14, 2010

If the The Washington Stealth are going to hoist the Champion’s Cup over their heads tonight at Comcast Arena, they’re going to have to play a near-perfect game.

So says their coach, Chris Hall.

The East Division champion Toronto Rock come to town for tonight’s 7:30 p.m. faceoff with a roster loaded with championship experience, talented rookies and a high-pressure defense that head coach Troy Cordingley and assistant coach and general manager Terry Sanderson utilized in winning the 2009 Champion’s Cup with the Calgary Roughnecks last season.

“They (Toronto) present a formidable opposition with a great leader and a great coaching staff,” Hall said. “All facets of your game have to really be pretty much close to perfection.”

Toronto, a winner of five Champion’s Cups — with the last coming in 2005 — relied on its veteran experience to get through a rough five-game losing streak in the middle of the season. The Rock have since won five of six, including two playoff games.

“I think experience is real important,” Sanderson said. “Having said that, we’ve had a couple of playoff games that our rookie guys have already been put to the test on. It is very important, but at the same time, there are a lot of guys on the Washington team that have played in big games too.”

Jeff Zywicki, a veteran forward for Washington, said the Stealth’s offense can’t allow Toronto to set up its high-pressure defense.

“The biggest matchup will be our offense against their defense because with their new coaches this year, Cordingley and Sanderson, they implement that pressure defense,” Zywicki said. “If we can break that, then I think we will be very successful and we should come out on top. But if we have some problems with it, and if they run it properly, it’s a real tough defense to break.”

The leader of the Toronto defense is veteran defenseman Sandy Chapman, who this week was named the NLL’s Defensive Player of the Year.

While the Stealth are wary of Toronto’s pressure, Cordingley is concerned about the Rock’s penchant for slow starts in the postseason. The Rock fell into a 6-1 hole in the East Division semifinals before rallying for a 13-11 victory over Buffalo.

“That’s the biggest concern for me is that we come out and we’re ready to play and we’re not behind the eight-ball like we were against Buffalo,” Cordingley said.

The Stealth offense has been performing at a high level this postseason, with forwards Zywicki and Rhys Duch leading all scorers with eight playoff goals. Lewis Ratcliff, who led the NLL in goals during the regular season with 46, has pitched in with seven assists for the West Division champions.

Goaltender Tyler Richards has been solid in two playoff wins for Washington, recording 84 saves and an .800 save percentage.

Hall said his defense needs to pay particular attention to former Stealth captain and three-time Champion’s Cup MVP Colin Doyle. Doyle has scored 11 points (five goals, six assists) for Toronto this postseason, just a point behind team leader Stephan Leblanc’s (seven goals, five assists).

“Clearly we have to know where Colin Doyle is on the floor at all times,” Hall said.