When the shooting gallery was over, and Canadian team goalie Bob Watson was finally able to take a breath, he walked over to where United States goalie Derek General was standing.

"I saw Watson at the end there, we kind of crossed paths, and he said 'Man, I hope this isn't an annual thing,' " General said.

Sorry guys, but the National Lacrosse League plans on holding an All-Star Game every year, and that's good news for everyone who loves lacrosse.

Everyone, that is, except goaltenders.

"I feel bad for all the goalies," said Rochester's Randy Mearns after his Knighthawk teammate, Ted Dowling, scored 2:21 into overtime, giving the Canadians a wildly exciting 25-24 victory last night over a team of United States and Native American-born players in the inaugural NLL All-Star Game before 9,070 fans at the Blue Cross Arena.

"Man, that was a lot of fun," Dowling said. "All-Star games are just the best."

Yeah, as long as you aren't standing between the pipes being used for target practice.

"I wouldn't wish that on anyone," said Buffalo's Rich Kilgour of playing goalie in this type of scoring fest.

Kilgour, who scored four straight goals for the Americans in the final seven minutes to force the overtime, added, "I think they're (goalies) all a little half-crazy to begin with, and then they have to go out there with 18 shooters, the world's best. That's a tough night for them."

General, who was bombarded for 13 goals during the first half, gladly accepted the sympathy.

"You just try to say 'I'm gonna stop the next one, I'm gonna stop the next one,' " he said. "You can't get down on yourself, you just know it's a fun game and I think a lot of guys had fun. But it's a litle rough."

Dowling's goal -- his fourth of the game -- capped off a splendid night for Knighthawks players.

Mearns earned Canadian team MVP honors by scoring three goals and four assists, and he and fellow Knighthawks Dowling, Chris Driscoll and Curt Malawsky combined for 12 goals and 10 assists for the Canadians.

On the American side, Knighthawks Regy Thorpe, Duane Jacobs, Cory Bomberry and Casey Powell produced a total of five goals and 12 assists.

"It was really nice for our guys to have done so well," said Knighthawks coach Paul Day, who guided the Canadian team.

During the first half, the Canadians proved their alleged superiority in the indoor game as they continually burned the Americans with picks inside that freed up shooters for open looks at the helpless goalies.

They also used the transition game to perfection by sneaking a man off the end of the bench on possession changes, catching the Americans sleeping on a number of occasions.

General pitched a shutout for the first half of the first period, and thanks to Irondequoit native Paul Cantabene's goal, the Americans held a 1-0 lead. But then John Tavares, Dowling, Chris Gill, Matt Shearer and Malawsky all beat General within a five-minute stretch.

The quarter ended with Canada ahead 6-2, and it quickly became 9-2 in the first six minutes of the second quarter before the Americans put together their first flurry as Chris Panos, Jacobs, Thorpe and Ed Fay all whipped shots past Canadian goalie Dallas Eliuk to cut the gap to 9-6.

Canada regained control by scoring four in a row including one by Driscoll, before Bomberry scored just before the halftime horn sounded for the Americans.

The third quarter was simply frenetic as the teams combined for 17 goals, and it was the Americans -- utilizing their team speed -- pumping in 11 to get back into the game at 19-18.

Two quick goals by Tom Marechek allowed Canada to take the lead into the final quarter, and goals by Mearns and John Tavares made it 21-18 Canada with 14 minutes left.

Canada eventually took a 24-20 lead, but Kilgour exploded for four straight goals, the last with 2:34 left to force the overtime.

Both teams had great chances to win the game, and finally, Dowling got the ball 20 feet in front of the net and fired a laser through Andy Piazza's legs.

For the first half of the first period, and thanks to Irondequoit native Paul Cantabene (2 goals, 8 assists for American MVP honors) scoring, the Americans held a 1-0 lead.

But then John Tavares, Dowling, Chris Gill, Matt Shearer and Malawsky all beat General within a five-minute stretch. The quarter ended with Canada ahead 6-2, and it quickly became 9-2 in the first six minutes of the second quarter before the Americans put together their first flurry as Chris Panos, Jacobs, Thorpe and Ed Fay all whipped shots past Canadian goalie Dallas Eliuk to cut the gap to 9-6.

Canada regained control by scoring four in a row including one by Driscoll, before Bomberry scored just before the halftime horn sounded for the Americans.

The third quarter was simply frenetic as the teams combined for 17 goals, and it was the Americans -- utilizing their team speed -- pumping in 11 to get back into the game at 19-18.

Two quick goals by Tom Marechek allowed Canada to take the lead into the final quarter, and goals by Mearns and John Tavares made it 21-18 Canada with 14 minutes left.

Canada eventually took a 24-20 lead, but Kilgour exploded for four straight goals, the last with 2:34 left to force the overtime.

Both teams had great chances to win the game, and finally, Dowling got the ball 20 feet in front of the net and fired a laser through Andy Piazza's legs.

"It was all set up anyway. We talked about it at halftime that the game would go to overtime and I'd score the winning goal," Dowling joked.

"It happened so fast, it was in transition, and all I know is that Matt Shearer of Baltimore saw me open and I just shot it.

"I called it earlier," Dowling said. "I said the over-under would be 50 in this game, so I was pretty close."

BOX SUMMARY
                                  1  2  3  4 OT     TOT
Team Canada                       6  7  6  5  1  --  25
Team USA                          2  5 11  6  0  --  24

CANADA                        UNITED STATES
               G - A   PTS                   G - A   PTS
Mearns         3 - 4     7    Cantabene      2 - 8    10
Shearer        3 - 4     7    Fay            4 - 4     8
Marechek       3 - 3     6    Thorpe         1 - 6     7
Tavares        4 - 1     5    R Kilgour      4 - 1     5
Driscoll       2 - 4     5    Jacobs         2 - 3     5
P Gait         3 - 2     5    D Kilgour      1 - 4     5
Dowling        3 - 1     4    Purdie         0 - 4     4
Tapp           0 - 4     4    Finneran       2 - 1     3
Veltman        0 - 4     4    Klodzen        2 - 1     3
Doyle          1 - 2     3    Powell         1 - 2     3
Malawsky       1 - 2     3    Millon         2 - 0     2
Cordingley     0 - 2     2    Bomberry       1 - 1     2
Gill           1 - 0     1    McEvoy         1 - 1     2
Stroup         1 - 0     1    Panos          1 - 0     1
Hiltz          0 - 1     1    Bergey         0 - 1     1
Watson         0 - 1     1    General        0 - 1     1
                              Piazza         0 - 1     1

Shots on goal           63    Shots on goal           67
Saves made by           43    Saves made by           38
   Watson            28          Piazza            20
   Eliuk             15          General           18
Faceoffs won            24    Faceoffs won            27
Loose balls            108    Loose balls            120

*** STATS OFFICIAL BY VERIFY WITH BALTIMORE SUN ***