JJ Seaward, Beat Writer Saskatchewan Rush
Lacrosse is Awesome
The defending NLL champions would continue to build momentum at home on Friday January 27, 2017 in front of 14,502 screaming Rush fans, as they would cool down the Vancouver Stealth (2-2) with a final score of 16-12. In the victory, Robert Church scored four goals, Jeff Cornwall posted a hat trick, and Mark Matthews would record eight assists to contribute to the 16-12 victory over the Vancouver Stealth.
The Rush would use special teams to their advantage, as they would go 5-for-7 on the power-play, which includes the hat-trick from Church. With the four goal performance, Church now finds himself on top of the league with 10 goals on the man advantage.
Both teams would begin the first-quarter on fire, as Church would register two power-play tallies, where the second one he would collect a loose ball in front of the Stealth net, and tuck it home behind Tyler Richards. The Rush would close out the first quarter with three goals all contributing to quick transitions up the turf. The Rush would get up to a 6-4 lead, as Cornwall would collect a duo of tallies. The first coming off of a breakout, where Jeremy Thompson would put a shot through Richards’ legs on a breakaway; and Cornwall would count his second of the night, as he would run past the Vancouver defense and slip a shot past Tyler Richards, and inside the post.
Things would begin to slow down at the start of the second quarter, but would quickly pick up as emotions would run high for both teams. Adam Jones would post his second goal of the night with a quick sidearm shot to put the Rush up 9-6. Things would quickly get worse for the Stealth, as 28 seconds later Curtis Knight would make a fancy move to free himself in the slot, and tuck the ball past Richards. 
Just before halftime, Adrian Sorichetti would increase the Rush lead to 11-7 when he would receive a pass from Thompson, and stuff a lunging shot past Richards. Mark Matthews would reach the 400-point milestone of his career in only 74 regular-season games, as he would set up Knight’s goal to put the Rush up 12-8 midway through the second quarter.
In the last frame of the game, the Stealth would rally for a comeback that would ultimately fall short. Marty Dinsdale and Ben McIntosh would also score for the Rush, while goaltender Aaron Bold would make 34 saves in the contest.
The Rush will be back next Saturday February 4, 2017, when they travel to Calgary for the next chapter of the Battle of the Prairies to take on the Roughnecks (2-1).
JJ Seaward, Beat Writer Saskatchewan Rush
Lacrosse is Awesome