Future bright despite loss to Swarm
For the first time in three years, the Saskatchewan Rush won’t be spending the off-season as reigning National Lacrosse League champions.
While the Rush can now be referred to as the NLL Champion’s Cup runner-up, the Saskatoonbased squad is in no hurry to make drastic changes to its roster after being swept by the Georgia Swarm in heartbreaking suddendeath overtime fashion on Saturday night.
“I still think we’re a real good team,” says Rush head coach and general manager Derek Keenan, whose team also finished second overall behind Georgia during the NLL’s regular season with a 12-6 record. “We’re still really young. We still have a few (extra) draft picks in the bank.”
Saskatchewan began the 2017 season with losses to the Swarm and Toronto Rock, then won six in a row before being upset by the Vancouver Stealth. The Rush also dropped games to the Colorado Mammoth, New England Black Wolves and Calgary Roughnecks down the stretch.
“We had a little bit of an up-anddown season compared to our last couple,” admitted Keenan, whose squad ushered in rookies Mike Messenger and Ryan Keenan while promoting others, like Matthew Dinsdale, Matt Hossack, Tor Reinholdt and Matt MacGrotty into more prominent roles.
“We were a little more inconsistent compared to our past couple of years. We’ll look to fix that. Again, we’ve got a great group. They’re great young men and great players. They’re fun to be around, too. I still think we have a very great future.”
Saskatchewan, which swept the Buffalo Bandits a year ago in the final, ran into a hot Georgia Swarm squad in the Champion’s Cup. In both games, a victory seemed to be well within grasp for the Rush but, both times, the Saskatchewan squad went on to be denied.
In Game 1, the Rush gave up seven unanswered goals and blew what was a healthy lead in the second half.
In Game 2, the Rush trailed for much of the game but appeared to take control in the second half thanks to a four-goal explosion to start the third quarter.
The game finished in controversial fashion after the Rush pulled goalie Aaron Bold on a Saskatchewan throw-in from the defensive zone with 11 seconds remaining in regulation. That move was designed to get another Rush runner on the floor to match what the Swarm had with its goalie pulled and to prevent a double-team scenario.
Executing the play would run out the clock and secure the win. That plan backfired, however, much to the shock and dismay of the 14,000-plus fans at SaskTel Centre.
After the Rush failed to score on its first possession of extra time, Georgia went on to win in overtime and spoil a Saskatchewan comeback.
“We played really well in the second half and took it to them at times,” noted Keenan.
Overall, NLL fans were the true winners.
“The game was phenomenal,” chimed Keenan. “If that doesn’t sell the game, I don’t know what will. The skill level out there was ridiculous. They (Swarm) were tough. They were worthy of the victory, that’s for sure.
“Winning in this league isn’t easy. There’s a lot of parity. The team that defeated us is a great team, built similar to us. They’re young and skilled. We have to figure out how to get better than them.”
The Rush will have seven months before another season begins and another Champion’s Cup beckons.