Saskatchewan Rush
We knew the Rush would be good this year, but did anyone see 9-3 coming? The boys in black and green have been packing out their home barn with over 13k fans in attendance at one point. It’s pretty insane to have the 3rd best attendance figures as a completely newly relocated franchise. It doesn’t hurt that the team just keeps winning either. They’re rocking a ridiculous +31 goal ratio, a league best, from 162 total goals. The charge is led by Mark Matthews with 25 goals and 47 assists, but it seems like everyone on the very youthful roster fits the run and gun mold. Defensemen Ryan Dilks and Chris Corbeil are doing their part to put up points. Dilks leads NLL defensemen with 15 points, while Corbeil leads the same group with 6 total goals. Along with Matthews, the Rush have 5 other forwards averaging anywhere from 2 to 6 points per game, so it’s really hard to find flaw in the offensive group.
We’ve seen Aaron Bold pulled more recently than I can ever remember. Although his numbers aren’t last year’s MVP-deserving run, his team is really backing him up with the 10.55 GAA. His .744 save percentage puts him near the bottom of the pack, but Saskatchewan is totally getting away with it. Confident in what they’re working with, the Rush didn’t make any moves as we hit the trade deadline. Can you blame them? You tell me what their problem is and how a trade could fix it! …Exactly! They’ve got 6 games left, all against opponents that are playing championship-caliber lacrosse right now, well maybe with the exception of Vancouver. The playoffs are already a done deal, now it’s all about fine tuning the details and punching Colorado in the mouth twice to capture the #1 seed and the bye in Round 1.
If it weren’t for Matthews, Robert Church, Zack Greer or Ben McIntosh could be the all-star of the team, and have consistently created offense for the group at times when the game is dragging, and when they really need it. Church is a hair off of 5 points per game, McIntosh has 40 total points so far and 1 game behind the group, Greer has chipped in at least a couple goals per game, with a huge 11 point night coming against the Stealth a few weeks back. Now throw Curtis Knight and Riley Loewen in the mix and it’s points galore for Saskatchewan. All 6 forwards can feed and score almost equally as well and fantastic movement on offense has led to consistent production, winning them 9 out of their 12 games. If you squint in just the right light, you can see another Champion’s Cup on the horizon. Hopefully for Rush fans, it’s not a mirage.
