Photo Credit Featured Image: Josh Schaefer/GetMyPhoto.ca & Calvin So/GetMyPhoto.ca
Justin Ivey, NLL Correspondent
Lacrosse is Awesome
Sasktel Centre in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada was packed Saturday night to watch the second game of the Champion’s Cup Final between the home team Saskatchewan Rush and the visiting Georgia Swarm. Grandma Rush, the Hulk and thousands of fans were loud and ready for their team to defend home turf and take it to Game Three. Last week, the Swarm beat the Rush in Georgia 18-14 to take a 1-0 lead in the three-game series. Up until this game, Saskatchewan had only lost one game at home in this raucous arena. With a win, the Rush would force game three back in Georgia. Despite a late Rush rally, Georgia would have a series of astronomical events to hoist the cup in overtime. Final Score: Georgia 15—Saskatchewan 14.
Jeremy Thompson (1G, 1A), playing against three of his brothers, won the opening face-off for the Rush. They would not score on their first possession and Georgia would get a shot at opening things up. Randy Staats (4G, 3A) would take advantage. Catching a pass from Miles Thompson (2G, 1A), he came down around a screen and fired a bounce shot past Rush goalie Aaron Bold. Jeremy again would win the faceoff but again the Rush would turn the ball over. This time, Johnny Powless (2G, 3A) would score in transition, catching a pass running to the middle of the offensive zone. Two shots; two goals and only 1:13 into the game Georgia would have a two-goal lead. Finally, Saskatchewan would get two shots on goal during their next possession but could not beat the “Poulin Wall”. Georgia took possession and scored again. Staats cut to the middle and got a step on his defender and fired for his second of the game. Now three goals on four shots and Aaron Bold would be replaced in net by Tyler Carlson. After playing near perfect lacrosse, Georgia would make their first mistake at 4:03 into the first quarter. Jason Noble would get called for a hold and head to the box. Ten seconds into the penalty, Adam Jones (3G, 1A) would finally get the Rush on the board. Catching the pass in the middle of the box defense, he whipped an underhand shot to the top shelf. After the ensuing TV timeout, Bold would reenter the game between the pipes. Ben McIntosh (3G) would get a chance with a penalty shot after being harassed illegally on the breakaway, but could not capitalize. Immediately after the next TV timeout, Robert Church (4G, 1A) would come around a high screen and score from outside to make the score 3-2. The Rush would score once more before the quarter ended, but unfortunately it would be between two Lyle Thompson (3G, 4A) goals. Lyle’s first was a laser beam to the top corner after catching a pass above a high screen. McIntosh was able to reach around his defender to beat a screened Poulin, but then Lyle would mirror his first goal with another, this time on the power-play and with only 24 seconds left in the quarter. An exciting first quarter ended with Georgia leading Saskatchewan 5-3.
The second quarter started very physical. Bodies and sticks were flying all over the floor. Both defenses were not letting either offense get any flow. After nearly six minutes of scoreless lacrosse, Ryan Keenan (2G, 3A) would cut the Rush deficit to just one goal. The goal came in an odd man transition rush where Keenan was the man in the middle. He threw a fake pass, and picked his spot on Poulin. Saskatchewan would tie the game with 6:37 remaining in the half on another goal from Jones, who caught the ball in transition high middle, spun and fired. Over the next three minutes, Georgia answered the two-goal run with a two-goal run of their own to regain the lead. Both goals coming from Staats. His first, completing his hat-trick, was a sidearm rocket from up top. His second came on the power-play after a too many men penalty on the Rush. On the ensuing faceoff won by Jeremy Thompson for the Rush, McIntosh would isolate to the side, slither around his defender and get to the net for the last goal of the half. At halftime, Georgia would still have the lead over Saskatchewan 7-6.
The physical play continued into the third. Keenan tied the game on a long off-speed bounce shot 1:08 into the second half. This was the second time Saskatchewan was able to tie the game, but again Georgia would answer to stay in front. 1:10 later, Miles Thompson, before he even came around goal line extended fired a side arm shot past Bold. Less than a minute later, Church tied the game again with a perfect one timer from the high middle slot with two defenders closing in. This time, the game would stay knotted at eight for just over nine minutes. Lyle Thompson would ride the Rush clear hard and force an over and back. Kiel Matisz (5A) passed to Powless on the restart who let loose a side arm cannon around his defender to regain the lead. Just over a minute later, Lyle came off a screen, drawing in the defender covering Jordan Hall (2G). Hall caught the perfect pass from Lyle and let go a low to high rising shot to get the Georgia lead back to two goals. At the end of three, Georgia would lead Saskatchewan 10-8.
Twice Saskatchewan had been able to tie the game, but heading into the fourth they still hadn’t found a way to take the lead. That all changed early in the fourth quarter as they grinded to score four unanswered goals spanning the first five minutes of the final quarter. Church got the first to make the deficit just one with a beautiful spin move to get under his defender. Rookie Matt Hossack (1G, 1A) got his first play-off goal to tie the game two minutes later with a coast to coast finish in transition. Poulin made some amazing acrobatic saves on the next Rush possession, but eventually McIntosh beat him after catching a cross turf pass that got him moving. 3:12 into the fourth and the Rush finally had their first lead of the game at 11-10. Church, the man who started the run, would score the fourth. Off the face-off, the Georgia defense was caught napping as Church caught the ball at the restraining line and sped towards the net for the easy one-on-one finish. In an amazing turn of events, Saskatchewan now looked in control and had momentum in front of their wild home crowd. They would hold the same score for the next four and a half minutes until Georgia would find their style again. Hall faked spinning towards the top of the zone, spun back towards the net and barreled in from the side. He left his feet, diving away from his defender and under another at the crease, beating Bold with his shot. Just over a minute later Lyle Thompson would tie the game at 12. He cut by three defenders, dodging from the top of the zone getting all the way to the net. Again, the game would remain tied for a tense few minutes. Shayne Jackson (1G, 6A) broke the tie and gave Georgia the lead back with 2:44 left to play firing from above a high screen. Jeremy Thompson would answer this time with one of the most suave goals of the year. Motoring all the way down the floor from the defensive zone, he stopped on a dime to let the ensuing defender run by him, giving him enough time to throw a stick fake and beat Poulin. On the next possession with 1:12 remaining, Jones scored his third (hat-trick) to put Saskatchewan in front 14-13. He caught the ball over his shoulder on the crease from the pinpoint feed given by Mark Matthews (5A). He jumped and shot over Poulin to hit the net. Then things got crazy. Georgia got possession with 42 seconds remaining, called timeout and pulled Poulin for the extra attacker. Their shot would go wide, but Staats picked up the rebound and passed up top to Lyle. Lyle had the ball poked away from him and the Rush picked it up with ten seconds to play, and called timeout. They pulled Bold in favor of the extra player. Georgia doubled the ball, leaving a man open on the restart. The whistle blew, the bounce pass was thrown, and the Rush couldn’t handle it. Lyle got the ball and shot at the net with no goalie, but his brother Jeremy Thompson stepped in the crease, using his body to make the save. In the fracas, Joel White (1G) got the ball and hit the net to tie the game with three seconds left. THREE. SECONDS. LEFT. Game tied at 14, and heading into overtime.
Jeremy Thompson won the face-off to give the Rush the first opportunity in overtime. Poulin made a save and Georgia came back down the other way. Jackson got a shot off that was saved and while scrambling for the rebound, Staats got pushed into the boards and left the field. A loose ball push was called and Georgia retained possession. From here it was the Thompson show. Miles, who drew two defenders on the stick side of Bold, passed to Lyle up top. Both defenders ran to Lyle as he stepped towards cutting. Lyle, one handed flipped the ball to Miles, who was running with him towards the net, with his left hand. Miles caught the pass and side armed the game winner past Bold. Final Score: Georgia 15—Saskachewan 14.
GAME NOTES:
Lyle Thompson was named Champion’s Cup MVP. In the championship series, he had 4 goals and 8 assists.
Until next year…..
Justin Ivey, NLL Correspondent
Lacrosse is Awesome