Shawn Palmer, NLL Correspondent
Lacrosse is Awesome©
Featured Image Photo Credit: J. Bennett
The Saskatchewan Rush (0-1) visited the Halifax Thunderbirds (1-0) for the inaugural game of the 2023/24 season. The Rush came into the season missing a lot of veterans from their roster of last year with Mark Matthews, Kyle Rubisch and Ryan Dilks having all moved onto other teams this year. Halifax was also missing some main players from last year as Eric Fannel and Randy Staats did not play. For the first time since the NLL instituted the new standings format where every team plays all others at least once the wins and losses are more prominent than ever before. Previously if an Eastern team lost to a Western team, it didn’t hurt as much but now with no divisions a win or loss can move a team up and down the standings each week. For the first game it sure looked like the offense for Halifax was ready to play as they opened up a 7 – 1 lead in the first quarter and continued to pour on the goals enroute to the victory. Final Score: Halifax 17—Saskatchewan 12.
Just over three minutes into the opening quarter, Austin Shanks (1G, 6A) made a cross floor pass to Ryan Benesch (3G, 2A) whose bounce shot from the outside beat Frank Scigliano (24 saves) to the far bottom corner for the Halifax 1 – 0 lead. Two minutes later Benesch got his second in a row as another low- to-low bounce shot went to the bottom corner for a 2 – 0 lead. Thirty seconds later Clarke Petterson’s (5G, 3A) side arm shot from the outside around a screen found its way under the arm of Scigliano and just over the line increasing the Thunderbirds lead to three. Twenty seconds later Dawson Theede (2G, 3A) would fire a low side arm through the five hole, and it was 4- 0 for Halifax and closed out the run for the Thunderbirds. The Rush, while on the power play finally beat Warren Hill as newcomer Zach Manns (3G, 3A) fired a high-to-high shot to the top corner to make and it was 4 – 1. With four minutes left in the first, Petterson would get his second of the night when Shanks picked up a rebound and fired a pass to Petterson all alone in front between the legs to make it 5 – 1 for Halifax. Ten seconds later Jake Withers (3G, 1A) would win the faceoff, went in on Scigliano and beat him with a shot over the shoulder to make it 6 – 1. In transition Hill would pass to Petterson and he took a shot around his defender over the shoulder and the Thunderbirds lead was now six at 7 – 1. The Rush would stop the run and got one back while on the power play. Robert Church (3G, 2A) got a pass from Manns, took a couple of steps towards the net and his bounce shot beat Hill to the far side to make it 7 – 2. On the ensuing face–off, Withers won it himself and went right into the net and shot between the legs for this second of the night, increasing their lead to 8 – 2. Less than 30 seconds later Bo Bohunter (1G, 1A) would receive a pass from Petterson off the bench and his high-to-low shot from the outside went between the legs again and it was 9 – 2 for the Thunderbirds. The Rush Bench Boss Jimmy Quinlan had seen enough, pulled Scigliano and put Lane Hrushka (22 saves) in net. In the last minute of the quarter Patrick Dodds (1G) would take a low-to-low sidearm shot around his defender and beat Hill inside the post and it was 9 – 3 for the Thunderbirds. With only 30 seconds in the frame, while on another power play, the Rush would score an odd one when Church tried to take a pass from Manns, it went off his helmet and bounced by Hill to cut the Halifax lead to 9 – 4 to end the scoring in the first.
After an explosion of scoring in the first, the second quarter started slow as there was no scoring until halfway through the frame when Halifax would extend their lead to make it 10 – 4 on a goal by Austin Shanks. Jerret Smith (1G,1A) would come right back on transition for the Rush and beat Hill over the shoulder to make it 10 – 5. Right off the ensuing face-off Withers would put in his hat trick goal when he scooped the loose ball and beat Hrushka over the shoulder to make it 11 – 5 for the Thunderbirds. The last 5:47 would see a back-and-forth battle with neither netminder allowing any scoring opportunities. At the end of the half the shots were Halifax 31—Saskatchewan 26.
After killing off a five-minute major, Halifax opened up the scoring in the third quarter less than five minutes in. Theede with one hand tossed a pass to Benesch who went far side for his hat trick goal, and it was 12 – 5 Halifax. The Rush would get one back while shorthanded as Isaac Ngyou (2G) beat Hill to the stick side for his first career NLL goal and it was 12 – 6. Withers would come right back off the faceoff, fed to Theede and he went between the legs with a bounce shot and the lead was now seven 13 – 6. Thirty seconds later Petterson would take a side arm shot around his defender and it went five hole to end the scoring, 14 – 6 Halifax. Once again, the fans sat patiently for the last four minutes hoping for another score but neither netminder would give in. After the third quarter the shots on net were Halifax 44—Saskatchewan 34.
The fourth quarter would see more scoring than the second and third combined with the two teams scoring a total of nine goals. In transition the Rush started the scoring when Ngyou went in all alone and beat Hill stick side to cut the Thunderbirds lead to seven at 14 – 7. Halifax would respond 18 seconds later with Petterson firing a sidearm from the top through the legs restoring the eight-goal lead. A minute later Jamieson came around the top and his high to low twister shot beat Hrushka to the bottom corner to make it 16 – 7 for the Thunderbirds. Another goal for Halifax with Cole Kirst (1G, 2A) notching his first NLL goal when he came around his pick and his bounce shot beat Hruska to increase the lead to 17 – 7 for Halifax. That was it for the Thunderbirds as the Rush would control the remaining 10 minutes scoring five goals in the process. Scigliano was put back into net after that goal. Less than five minutes into the fourth, Church received a pass all alone in front of Hill, he made three fakes and beat him short side to cut the lead to nine at 17 – 8 for Rush. While shorthanded, Manns got a pass from Adam Jay (1A), he went in all alone and went between the legs to make it 17 – 9. The Rush would get another one in transition when Ryan Keenan (1G, 2A) was left all alone in front, got the pass from Mike Messenger (1A), spun, put a shot through the legs and it was 17 – 10 Halifax. Once again, the Rush found themselves shorthanded and Holden Garlent (1A) sent a long pass to Manns off the bench, he caught the ball one handed and went over the shoulder for his hat trick goal closing the gap to six, 17 – 11 for Halifax. The Rush would notch one final goal with 56 seconds left in the contest. Ryan Barnable (1A) went in one-on-one, was grabbed and as he was falling with his back to the net, he threw a shot over his head and the shot beat Hill to the short side. The shots at the end of the game were Halifax 65 and Saskatchewan 45. Final Score: Halifax 17—Saskatchewan 12.
The three stars of the game are:
Clarke Petterson, Halifax Thunderbirds– 5G, 3A
Austin Shanks, Halifax Thunderbirds– 1G, 6A
Zach Manns, Saskatchewan Rush– 3G, 3A
NEXT UP:
The Saskatchewan Rush (0-1) will host the Rochester Knighthawks (0-0) on Saturday December 9, 2023 at Sasktel Center. Game time: 8:00 p.m. EST. In the USA, fans can catch the action on ESPN+. Fans in Canada can see the action on TSN+.
The Halifax Thunderbirds (1-0) have a bye week and will return to action on Saturday December 16, 2023, when they head to Nassau Coliseum to face the New York Riptide (0-0). Game time: 7:30 p.m. EST. In the USA, fans can catch the action on ESPN+. Fans in Canada can see the action on TSN+.
Shawn Palmer, NLL Correspondent
Lacrosse is Awesome©