Player Spotlight

Player Spotlight highlights the finer details and elements while supplying insight to the fans on what a player's thought process may be pertaining to a certain play, game or situation. It brings the intensity, passion, and inner most thoughts of the individual player that otherwise may not be felt or heard.



The Toronto Rock got all they could handle from the Philadelphia Wings in their NLL semi-final playoff game. But they blew the game open in the fourth quarter, and ran out 14-10 winners, in no small part thanks to a tremendous two-goal, three-assist from veteran plugger Glenn Clarke. Clarke discussed the big win with roaming lacrosse journalist Ben Knight immediately after the game.




Question Well that was one heck of an outing for the team this afternoon, and you had a great game. What was it like?
Answer It was fantastic! It was nice to spread the offence around. It took some pressure off some guys. We knew we were in tough, and everybody chipped in and did what they had to do. It was just a good team win.


Question You were up 4-0 after the first quarter, and then they almost tied it in the second. What were you guys taking about at halftime?
Answer Well, they'd got a couple of goals, but we were still in the lead. We knew we were in the position we wanted to be in. We didn't want to change anything. We just wanted to keep going after them, sticking with our plan, getting them on trasition. We just wanted to keep rolling.


Question It seemed that when the fourth quarter started, everything completely changed. You scored three goals in 1:23, and took a 10-7 lead. Philadelphia had really been in it for three quarters, and then you guys just blew them away.
Answer Yeah, we got some really timely goals there. We really created some separation, and that was key.


Question What were you thinking when Jim Veltman went in on that breakaway to give you guys a four-goal lead?
Answer I was thinking "thank goodness!" We needed to score, score, score to take some pressure off. And Jimmy did it, and it's a nice feeling when you can be in the fourth quarter with the defence we have, and with Bobby Watson in goal. If we get up four goals, it's a tough chore for any team to come back.


Question Give us a bit of your background in this game. You've been playing for quite a while now.
Answer I'm from the Pickering area, east of Toronto. I played my minor lacrosse out there in Ajax, and then junior in Scarborough and Whitby. And I've been playing Major lacrosse for the Brooklin Redmen for the last ten years now, including a Mann Cup championship in 1990.


Question This is really turning into a carbon-copy of last season for the Toronto Rock. Obviously this game was a whole lot tighter than last year-s 13-2 win over Philadelphia. The Rochester Knighthawks are just playing great lately. What do you think's going to happen when they come in here for the final in two weeks?
Answer I think it's going to be a one-goal game. I think we're very similar teams, and we play nearly identical styles. They have good defensive guys and good transition guys just like us, and they've got some dangerous offensive players. It's going to be a battle. I mean, I like our advantage having home floor, but it's going to be a tough one.


Question Given the make-up of the Rock and Rochester, this is going to be a pure box lacrosse game, isn't it?
Answer Yeah, there's not too many mysteries here. We've pretty familiar with all their players, and we know they're dangerous. I think both teams respect each other. There's no givens. I'ts going to be a battle the whole way through.


Question So one last question. Where'd this "The Professor" nickname they've hung on you come from?
Answer Steve Toll! I don't know where it came from. Steve Toll got into the team office, and he put it down on my sheet, and I don't have a clue where he got it!



PLPA Correspondent

Ben Knight is lacrosse columunist for CTVSportsnet.com, and contributing feature writer for LacrosseTalk. He puts 20,000 kilometres a year on his banged-up old Honda travelling to lacrosse games, and cheers passionately for the Jr. A Six Nations Arrows.