Riptide vs. Rock – Game Notes

Hear from Head Coach Dan Ladouceur, Tyler Digby and Callum Crawford ahead of tonight’s game against the Rock pic.twitter.com/xmJsRV4Irz

— New York Riptide (@newyorkriptide) January 7, 2023

The Opponent

This week, the Riptide square off against the Toronto Rock, who are currently 1-2 and coming off an 11-8 defeat to the Buffalo Bandits on December 17. Both the Rock and Riptide last played on that date. The two teams split the season series last year, with the Riptide earning a 14-13 win at the Coliseum thanks to a late winner by Jeff Teat, and the Rock winning the reverse fixture 12-9 in Hamilton.

Toronto’s strength comes from their back end, with goaltender Nick Rose stopping 81% of the shots he has faced this season with a 9.67 goals against average. Brad Kri and Mitch de Snoo have also been very strong for the Rock defense, having caused 6 and 5 turnovers and scooping 36 and 21 loose balls respectively. TD Ierlan has been dominant at the faceoff dot so far, winning 81% of his draws and leading the team with 43 loose balls.

After exploding for 19 goals in week one, Toronto has struggled to find the back of the net over their last two games, with just 15 combined goals in their back-to-back losses. Long Island native Tom Schreiber leads the team with 16 points, and his 7 goals are tied for the team lead with Corey Small. 

On special teams, Toronto’s penalty kill is second in the league, having allowed just four power play goals on 14 attempts, while their power play sits at 11th, with 6 goals on 15 attempts.

The Riptide

The Riptide are seeking their first win of the season, coming off a 20-11 loss at home to the Halifax Thunderbirds on December 17. Jeff Teat and Reilly O’Connor led the Riptide offense in that game, recording 7 and 6 points respectively. The Riptide have struggled defensively this season, having conceded 35 goals in their opening two games, with goalies Gowah Abrams and Steven Orleman, both of whom have seen action this season, have combined to stop just 69% of the 113 shots they’ve faced.

On special teams, the Riptide power play is tied for 4th in the league at 50%, having converted on 6 of 12 opportunities, while the penalty kill is also at 50%, having killed 5 of 10 penalties, which ties them for 8th in the league.

Milestones

New York defenseman Damon Edwards needs one point to reach 100 for his career

New York forward Reilly O’Connor needs two games played to reach 100 for his career

Where to watch/listen

Tickets are available for Saturday’s game at the Nassau Coliseum starting at just $24. You can catch the action on ESPN+ & MSG Networks, and listen at FM 88.7 WRHU.