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JJ Seaward, Beat Writer Saskatchewan Rush
Lacrosse is Awesome
After losing a close game to the New England Black Wolves, the Saskatchewan Rush (11-5) would come back home and defeat the Toronto Rock (8-9) in front of 15,045 Rush fans at the Sasktel Centre. Final Score: Rush 15—Rock 10.
The victory has two implications that make it extremely gratifying, as with this victory over the Rock the Rush have now clinched first place in the Western Conference, and the victory marks Coach Keenan’s 122nd career victory with the Rush.
With the victory, the Rush have earned a bye directly into the best-of-three West Final, and they have also rounded out their home schedule with an almost perfect 8-1 record. With Toronto dropping this game, they have failed in securing a playoff spot in the East division.
The Rush would start off the game well, notching the first two goals of the game, as Ben McIntosh would get the Rush on the board only 47 seconds into the game. At the three minute mark, Mark Matthews would get his first goal of the night on a power-play to put the Rush up 2-0 over the Rock. However, the Rock would get things going as they would score four unanswered goals to get out of the opening frame with the 4-2 lead over the Rush. The first goal for the Rock would come from Brett Hickey, with Tom Schreiber following him. Only 20 seconds after the Schreiber goal, Dan Lintner would find the back of the net. To close the opening frame out, Brett Hickey would get his second of the quarter with a power-play tally. Score at the end of the first: Toronto 4—Saskatchewan 2.
The Rush would wake up a little bit in the second quarter, as Robert Church would take advantage of a power-play opportunity to pull the Rush back to a one goal deficit. Dan Taylor would follow suit, equalizing the game at four for the Rush. However, Hickey would get complete the hat trick bid two minutes after the Taylor equalizing goal to put the Rock back on top. Following the goal from Hickey, the Rush would come back with two goals from Matt Hossack; and Matthews to put the Rush back in the lead with a 6-5 score. Following the two goals from the Rush, the two teams would go back and forth as Jesse Gamble and Tom Schreiber would score for the Rock, and Robert Church would convert on the power-play to send the game into halftime with a 7-7 draw.
After battling to a 7-7 draw with the Rock at halftime, the Rush would explode with five unanswered goals in the third quarter. Adam Jones would break the tie on a Rush power-play as he would cut through the slot, and fire a shot past Toronto goalie Nick Rose. Ryan Keenan would then increase the Rush lead, as he would wire a long-range shot past Rose to put the Rush up 9-7. The Rush would then jump up by a three goal advantage, as Ben McIntosh would fire a sidearm shot past Rose for his second goal of the night. Jones would score his second of the game, firing a shot past Rose on a transition down the field, putting the Rush up by a score of 11-7. Only 10 seconds later, rookie Matt Hossack would also score his second goal of the game, as he would find himself one on one with Rose, to slip it past the Toronto goalie to make the game a 12-7 Rush lead at the end of three.
The Rock finally snapped the Rush hot streak, as Reid Reinholdt would score only 18 seconds into the final frame, with Brett Hickey following shortly after with his fourth goal of the game. However, the Rush would respond quickly, as Curtis Knight would dangle his way past a Toronto defender, and wire a shot past Rose. Matthews would get his seventh point of the night with his third (hat-trick) and fourth of the game, as he would grab a rebound in front of the net, and flick it into the top corner past Rose. Matthews would then get a power-play tally, as he would find himself on a breakaway where he would easily get it past Rose to increase the Rush lead. Following Matthews power-play goal, the Rock would convert with the extra attacker, as Dan Lintner would find the back of the net. However, Church would close the game out for the Rush, as they would go on to defeat the Rock in their final regular season home game of the season. Final Score: Saskatchewan 15—Toronto 10.
The Rush will complete their regular season next weekend, as they will have two road games against the Colorado Mammoth and the Calgary Roughnecks.
JJ Seaward, Beat Writer Saskatchewan Rush
Lacrosse is Awesome