Di Miller, NLL Correspondent
Lacrosse is Awesome©
Featured Image Photo Credit: S. Hiscock
The Saskatchewan Rush (2-1) played host to the Panther City Lacrosse Club (2-2) at Sasktel Centre on Saturday December 31, 2022, to close out the year. This game had everything the fans could hope for, a full 60 minutes of lacrosse. The Rush in their last contest in San Diego had not played a full 60 and according to Bench Boss Jimmy Quinlan, their goal heading into the game was to make sure they did not make the same mistake in tonight’s contest. They started out with a bang but let the Panther City squad continue to chip away at the score with the fans seeing the game tied twice as well as the game being no farther than three goals apart three times in the entire contest. Nick Damude (.808 Sv%) had some “Sports Center” saves in the contest while his counter part Alex Buque edged him out slightly with an .813 Sv%. The teams battled throughout, but in the end, it was the penalties that were the deciding factor and Saskatchewan would score 5 of their 11 goals off of Panther City penalties including one in the closing seconds for the victory. Final Score: Saskatchewan 11—Panther City 9.
Panther City would win the opening draw but would go man-down shortly thereafter. The Rush were 88% on the power-play so far this season and they would continue the success tonight. At 3:11 into the first, Dan Lintner (1g) would get the rebound on the doorstep and bury the quick stick shot putting Saskatchewan up 1-0. Panther City would go man-up at 3:42 and would turn it over. Matthew Dinsdale (2g) on the run, fired it between two defenders and hit far-side top corner for a short-handed tally at 4:37 and it was 2-0 just like that. After a couple change of possessions, Connor McClelland (1g) would come out of the box and notch his first tally of the season at the 6:09 mark and the Rush went up 3-0. Neither team would hit twine for the next five and Panther City would get their second man-up opportunity. Phil Caputo (1g) used a quick release and fired it on the inside post with 3:51 left in the first and it was 3-1 still in favor of the Rush. With 2:35 to go, Cameron Wengreniuk (1g) would drive through two defenders, dive and dunk it far side on Buque closing the gap to one. The Rush had dominated the first seven minutes of the frame and Panther City had dominated the last eight. Score at the end of one: Saskatchewan 3—Panther City 2.
The second would start out with Panther City scoring early. Mathieu Gautier (1g, 2a) had a man all over him, and was still able to get the bouncer past Buque on the far-side to tie up at three apiece at 1:17. But the tie didn’t last long. Mark Matthews would send the BTB feed to Marshall Powless (2g, 2a) and he’d fire one off his back foot in tight, hit top shelf at 3:08 and it was 4-3. Ryan Keenan (1g, 3a) would circle up top and fired it top corner stick side at 4:25 giving the Rush a two-goal lead 5-3. So far in the frame, Damude had made some stellar saves, ones that would make Sports Center highlight reels for years to come. Nothing would go up on the board for another three and once again, Panther City would get nabbed with another penalty with 7:39 to go in the half. Robert Church (1g, 5a) in tight on the give-and-go went low with the quick stick only 8 seconds into the man up for the three-goal lead 6-3 for the second time. But Panther City wasn’t giving up. With 3:09 left in the half, Patrick Dodds (2g) used the screen and went low to high top corner 6-4. It was getting a bit chippy towards the end of the half. With less than a minute to go and the ball on the Rush side of the floor, the ball went behind the Rush cage. Buque went behind the cage, cross checked a Panther City player with 37.1 seconds on the clock and Mike Mallory would serve the penalty. This would give them the chance to put another one on the board before the buzzer. Dodds in tight got the quick stick shot over the right shoulder of Buque with 21 seconds on the clock for a power-play tally to close out the half. Stats at the end of two: Panther City: SOG 29; Saves 24; FO 7-13 Saskatchewan: SOG 30; Saves 24; FO 6-13. Score at the end of two: Saskatchewan 6—Panther City 5.
The scoring was even in the third with each squad putting up three. Will Malcom (1g, 4a) in transition, used his speed down the floor and went five-hole at 3:04 to tie it up again 6-6. And once again, Panther City would go man-down 25 seconds later. Powless got the cross-floor feed from Church and with a quick stick, went low five-hole at 4:13 for another power-play marker for the Rush 7-6. Church would get in on the next tally as well passing to Austin Madronic (1g) and he quick sticked it near side at with 6:17 to go 8-6 and he’d also draw the penalty giving the Rush yet another man-up opportunity. Mark Matthews (1g, 5a) who had not been able to put one between the pipes in the first half, was out in front, got the rebound and fired it right back at Damude at 5:18 for the Rush’s fourth man-up tally on the night 9-6. With 3:26 in the third, on the over and back, Tony Malcolm passed to Matt Hossack (1g, 1a) on the run, and he found a spot top corner glove side 9-7. Panther City would notch the final goal in the frame. Liam Byrnes (1g) got Buque to drop, and he went over the shoulder glove side with 1:42 on the ticker. Score at the end of three: Saskatchewan 9—Panther City 8.
It was a low scoring fourth that got off to a slow start with a combined three goals. Dinsdale on the run would finally break the scoring drought with 6:41 in the contest notching the 99th goal of his NLL career and it was 10-8. There was still plenty of time for a comeback and Panther City was the team that just wouldn’t go away. With 4:42 in the game, Nathan Grenon (1g, 1a) was left all alone in front of the net and fired it past Buque and it was 10-9. Rush fans thought that they had gone up by two with a Keenan goal with 1:46 remaining. But since all goals under two minutes are reviewed, it was found that he had touched the crease before the ball crossed the plane therefore, it was ruled “No Goal”. The “boos” ensued. But they also were so loud that the fans didn’t hear the penalty call against Panther City who had become their worst enemy. With 1:26 in the game, the Rush would go man up once again. Panther City turned the ball over in the Rush offensive end of the floor, Mike Messenger (1g) grabbed the loosie, headed down the floor and Damude could not get back to the net. With 43.7 seconds on the clock, Messenger would stop in front of the crease to make sure the ball went into the net to seal the deal putting them up by two. Panther City called a time out for the strategy, but with 34.4 seconds on the clock would go man down again and that was the final nail in the coffin. Final Score: Saskatchewan 11—Panther City 9.
Throughout the game, the stats were evenly matched however, the Rush scored 5 of their 11 goals on man up opportunities which was pivotal in the contest. They would have 9 different goal scorers spreading around the wealth all while missing some of their key players. However, Panther City has also proven that they are a force to be reckoned with and shouldn’t be taken lightly.
STATS:
Saskatchewan Rush: SOG 59; FO 13-24; Saves 38; Sv% .813%; PP 5-7; PIM 10
Panther City Lacrosse Club: SOG 47; FO 11-24; Saves 48; Sv% .808%; PP 2-4; PIM 16
NEXT UP:
The Saskatchewan Rush (2-1) have a bye-week and will head to Denver to play the Colorado Mammoth (1-1) at the Loud House on Friday January 13, 2023, game time 9:00 p.m. EST. Fans in the USA can see the game on ESPN+. Fans in Canada can see the action on TSN.ca or the TSN app.
The Panther City Lacrosse Club (2-2) will head to New York to face the Rochester Knighthawks (3-0) at Blue Cross Arena on Saturday January 7, 2023, game time 9:00 p.m. EST. Fans in the USA can see the game on ESPN+. Fans in Canada can see the action on TSN.ca or the TSN app.
Di Miller, NLL Correspondent
Lacrosse is Awesome©