They are going to have to put up a new championship banner in Maple Leaf Gardens.

Thirty-two years after the Leafs won their eleventh and most recent Stanley Cup, the Toronto Rock added to the history of the ancient building, winning the National Lacrosse League championship tonight.

The Rock, which moved from Hamilton after last season, capped off an unbelievable year by winning the final 13-10 over the Rochester Knighthawks.

The Rock became the first Canadian franchise to win the title, helped by a raucous crowd of 15,691.

"It's like a fairy tale," captain Jim Veltman said. "You dream about these kinds of things and now the dream comes true and everybody just sits back and enjoys the moment. That's what it's all about -- a championship."

Rock head coach Les Bartley celebrated his fourth championship in six finals, but the 44-year-old St. Catharines native said this one had added meaning because it happened in Canada.

"It's just outstanding for this organization in its first year," Bartley said. "Any time you go to the show and come up victorious it's a wonderful, wonderful feeling because there's so much hard work that goes into it for everybody."

Bartley said the championship had added meaning following the death in March of his father, Bill, who succumbed to lung cancer at age 69, only a month after the disease was diagnosed.

"I was hoping to maybe put a ring on my finger this year for my dad," Bartley said. "I thought about him a lot this week."

Colin (Popeye) Doyle, who scored the Rock's first-ever goal at the Gardens, scored its first of the final and added three more to earn game MVP honors.

"I'm overwhelmed," Doyle said. "I haven't won a championship of this stature in my life and it's been a while since I've won one at all.

"I'm going to soak it in and enjoy it."

Veltman, Glenn Clark, Rory Graham, Russ Heard, Dan Stroup, Shawn Williams, Chris Langdale, Rodd Squire and Steve Toll also scored for the Rock.

The Knighthawks had three goals from Duane Jacobs, two from Darris Kilgour and Curt Malawsky and singles by Ted Dowling, Cory Bomberry and Tim Soudan.

The Rock was deserving of the win, wearing down the Knighthawks with a run-and-gun attack and staving off a furious comeback by Rochester, which scored four consecutive goals to trim the Rock lead to 10-9 early in the fourth.

"Yeah, we were getting a little antsy at that time, but we scored a couple of key goals to put it out of reach," Bartley said. "We've been able to do that all year long. We've been able to find a way to pull ourselves to the top."

The Rock led 5-2 after one quarter and 7-5 at the half, peppering Rochester goalie Pat O'Toole early and often. The Rock was assessed the first six penalties of the game, keeping goalkeeper Bob Watson busy.

BOX SUMMARY
                                  1  2  3  4     TOT
Rochester Knighthawks (9-5, 1-1)  2  3  2  3  --  10
Toronto Rock (11-3, 2-0)          5  2  3  3  --  13

ROCHESTER KNIGHTHAWKS         TORONTO ROCK
               G - A   PTS                   G - A   PTS
Jacobs         3 - 3     6    Doyle          4 - 2     6
Kilgour        2 - 1     3    Veltman        1 - 4     5
Bomberry       1 - 2     3    R Squire       1 - 2     3
Mearns         0 - 3     3    Clark          1 - 1     2
Malawsky       2 - 0     2    Toll           1 - 1     2
Soudan         1 - 1     2    Gill           0 - 2     2
Dowling        1 - 0     1    K Squire       0 - 2     2
Teat           0 - 1     1    Graham         1 - 0     1
                              Heard          1 - 0     1
                              Langdale       1 - 0     1
                              Stroup         1 - 0     1
                              Williams       1 - 0     1
                              Coyle          0 - 1     1

Shots on goal           43    Shots on goal           45
Saves made by           32    Saves made by           33
   O'Toole           32          Watson            33
Faceoffs Won            16    Faceoffs Won            11
   Bomberry          10          Graham            11
Loose Balls             90    Loose Balls             85
   Mearns            12          Veltman           15
   Bomberry          12          R Squire          11

*** STATS OFFICIAL BY VERIFY WITH NLL ***

Thanks to Jim in Rochester for providing the shots, saves, faceoff, and loose ball statistics.