Di Miller, NLL Correspondent
Lacrosse is Awesome©
Photo Credit: Victoria Adkins
On Saturday March 8, 2025, it was the battle of #2 and #3 in the league. The Saskatchewan Rush (10-3) headed down to Gas South Arena to face the Georgia Swarm (7-5). With every game pivotal in the standings at this point in the season, both teams were hoping for the “W”. The Rush were 6-0 when their opponent opened up the scoring and tonight would be no different. In a game of minimal goals but maximum defense, fans would be treated to a netminder battle with each goal tender standing tall between the pipes for the full 60. This would also be the seventh one-goal game of the season for Georgia. Final Score: Rush 8—Swarm 7.
Georgia would get things going just 1:52 in on a fast break with the feed from Jeff Hendrick to Jeremy Thompson (1g) and his shot went five-hole giving him his first goal of the season and it was 1-0. The netminders would battle for almost seven minutes before the Rush would tie it up. While in transition, Matt Hossack (1g, 1a) from the outside, stepped down and bounced it in with 6:34 left in the frame to tie it at 1’s. The Swarm would control the remaining minutes of the first on a three-goal run. Georgia rookie Richie Connell (1g, 1a) drives over the top, fired around his defender and hit the top corner for his first career NLL goal and it was 2-1. A little over a minute later, Bryan Cole (2g, 2a_ got out in front, brought his stick across his body and buried it far side 3-1 Georgia. The final tally came with 20.3 on the ticker. Jordan MacIntosh (1g, 1a) set up behind the net, got the feed from Cole, he jumped, extended to his left which pulled Frank Scigliano over and he went up and over the shoulder for the dunk giving them a three-goal lead. Score at the end of one: Swarm 4—Rush 1.
Saskatchewan would win the opening draw in the second and would also be the first to score. Clark Walter (1g, 2a) had possession, would shoot on the run and sniped the top corner 1:10 in and it was 4-2. They’d get to within one four minutes later. Zach Manns (1g, 1a) tucked the ball, jumped across the crease, went underneath and it was a one-goal game 4-3. Georgia’s lone goal in the frame came less than 50 seconds later. MacIntosh was heading down the floor as Shayne Jackson (2g) was coming off the bench and he fired one on the run bouncing it five-hole with 5:51 left in the half. This would turn out to be the last goal that Georgia would score for almost 21 minutes. The Swarm would go man up with 4:06 left in the frame, but with the Rush having a 62% PK and second in the league, they failed to capitalize. Once again, a track meet would ensue and the netminders on each end standing on their heads. It wasn’t until there was 43.4 seconds left in the half that Saskatchewan would break through. The Rush got a good pick in the middle, which allowed Brock Haley (2g, 1a) to set up in the middle, he got the feed and quick sticked a low-to-low shot into the back of the net. Score at the end of two: Swarm 5—Rush 4.
HALFTIME STATS:
Rush—SOG 19; Saves 20; Sv% .800; FO 6-11; PP 0-0; PIM 2; LB 38; TO 15
Swarm—SOG 25; Saves 15; Sv% .789; FO 5-11; PP 0-1; PIM 0; LB 38; TO 11
The Rush opened up the scoring in the third 2:38 and Haley would notch his second with a low-to-low bounce shot that went over Brett Dobson’s knee for the equalizer 5-5. They’d put up another at the 4:55 mark. Saskatchewan attempted a shot on goal which went wide, the rebound off the wall went straight to Ryan Keenan (2g, 1a) who was out in front, he immediately fired back on the cage as Dobson was looking over his shoulder for the rebound and put it glove side for their first lead on the night 6-5. For the next seven minutes fans would watch multiple possession changes but nothing tickling the twine. Finally, with 3:16 left in the third, off an errant pass, Cole scooped the loose ball and fired a bounce shot that went up and underneath the crossbar to tie it 6-6. This was the first goal for Georgia since the 9:11 mark in the second. Shortly before the end of the frame, Scigliano made an impressive save. The shot went off the crossbar, hit him in the back, he dropped to stop the shot, and a Rush defender threw his body across the goal line to keep the ball from crossing the plane to save the tally and the go-ahead marker for Georgia. The Rush attempted the extra attacker with 29.6 left in the quarter but could not capitalize. Score at the end of three: Rush 6—Swarm 6.
With 15 to go, the energy on the floor was electric with yet another defensive battle on both ends. Georgia would notch their final tally with another marker in transition. This time Lyle Thompson (4a) was coming down the floor, saw Jackson coming off the bench, sent a cross-field pass to Jackson on the run and he bounced the shot five-hole for the go-ahead goal 7-6. The last two tallies would come from the Rush. The first, at the 3:24 mark, when Keenan would fight his way to the net, went underneath and bounced it five-hole. The goal would go under review as the men in stripes had different calls on the floor. After review, there was inconclusive evidence to overturn the “good goal” call so the marker would stand, and we were tied 7-7 with plenty of time on the ticker. Once again, the teams would run the floor, taking shot after shot with neither Scigliano nor Dobson giving way. Finally, the scoring drought came to an end. The Rush had some spectacular ball movement, Josh Zawada (1g) got the pass, brought his stick back across his body and went down low far side for what would turn out to be the GWG. However, Swarm Captain Jordan MacIntosh saw something that told him to let Georgia Bench Boss Ed Comeau to throw the challenge flag. As Scigliano was at the Rush bench, he said to the floor announcer “I see green” and turned away. After review, it turned out he was right as Zawada’s foot was not on the crease and the goal stood. The Swarm would get another opportunity, however, when they’d go man up with 2:35 to go, but Scigliano made some amazing saves keeping them out the net and with 19.6 seconds left, the Rush would call time out and for the last seconds held control of the ball to end the game. Final Score: Rush 8—Swarm 7.
STARS OF THE GAME:
Frank Scigliano—Saskatchewan Rush: Saves 44; Shots Against 51; Sv% .863
Bryan Cole—Georgia Swarm: 2G, 2A
GAME STATS:
Saskatchewan Rush—SOG 42; Saves 44; Sv% .863; FO 11-19; PP 0-1; PIM 4
Georgia Swarm—SOG 34; Saves 51; Sv% .809; FO 8-10; PP 0-2; PIM 2
NEXT UP:
The Saskatchewan Rush (10-3) will head to Nova Scotia to face the Halifax Thunderbirds (7-5) on Friday March 14, 2025, game time 6:00 p.m. EST. Fans in the USA can see the game on ESPN+, while fans in Canada get to catch the action on TSN+. The game will also be televised on NLL+.
The Georgia Swarm (7-5) will also be out on the road and will travel to MVP in Albany, NY to face the Albany FireWolves (4-9) on Saturday March 15, 2025, game time 7:00 p.m. EST. Fans in the USA can see the game on ESPN+, while fans in Canada get to catch the action on TSN+. The game will also be televised on NLL+.
Di Miller, NLL Correspondent
Lacrosse is Awesome©