The first pro indoor lacrosse championship on Canadian soil -- or in this case turf -- in the last 13 years will be contested tomorrow night at a 68-year old building which hosted over a dozen National Hockey League finals over the century as the Rochester Knighthawks battle the Toronto Rock in Maple Leaf Gardens for a new owner of the National Lacrosse League’s Champion’s Cup.

The current era of pro indoor lacrosse got its start in 1987 as the Eagle Pro Box Lacrosse League, changing its name to the Major Indoor Lacrosse League after two seasons. By the summer of 1997, those eleven seasons had provided the foundation for what is now the National Lacrosse League. Its birth coincided with that of the first Canadian team in that 10-plus years, the Hamilton-based Ontario Raiders. After one season, they were moved to Toronto where this season has been storybook-type.

Not only did the Rock post an impressive average regular season home attendance figure of over 11,000, but they gave their fans plenty to cheer about. On the floor the team went from a 6-6 record in 1998 which left them on the outside looking in at the post-season thanks to tiebreakers which gave berths to the other 6-6 clubs, to a 9-3 mark this year which was good for first place. And their record in front of their hometown supporters was a perfect 6-0. Their team captain, Jim Veltman, who just two years ago took 18 months away from pro indoor lacrosse after the first six years of his career to do missionary work in Uganda, was second in the voting for league MVP and a 1999 NLL First Team All-Pro. Goalie Bob Watson led the league in goals-against average and was a Second Team All-Pro.

The Rock last week eliminated last year’s champions, the Philadelphia Wings, while tomorrow’s opponent, Rochester, was victorious this past Saturday night in Baltimore, last season’s other finalist.

The Knighthawks are somewhat of a Cinderella story themselves, taking part tomorrow in their third championship game already in just their fifth season. The team has now won five of seven times in 1999 in road games, and is on a three-game winning streak. They have also overcome a season-ending injury to their number one goalie in just their third game this season.

Rochester also has the league’s next superstar, Casey Powell, who led all NLL rookies in scoring this year with 30 points in just nine games. His team is 9-1 with him in the lineup in 1999. Powell, who a year ago graduated from Syracuse University as the Orangemen’s all-time leading scorer, was the first pick overall in the September, 1998 NLL Draft.

A capsule look at the championship game: