Goalie Kirk Chasing first NLL title
After playing seven years in NLL, goalie now closest he’s been to winning it all
Evan Kirk stopped a lot of balls, won a lot of games, suffered the aches and pains of playing goal in the National Lacrosse League for a lot of years.
But he’s never jumped around, clutching a trophy when the season ends. That could change Saturday, if his Saskatchewan Rush beat the Rochester Knighthawks south of the border.
“I haven’t been in the game, on the floor, when you win the Cup. But I’ve seen people do it,” Kirk said Thursday. “This is the biggest trophy you can win, and it would be a dream come true to win it.”
The NLL revamped and renamed its trophy recently, replacing the old Champion’s Cup with a new prize called the NLL Cup. It will be handed out for the first time either Saturday in Rochester, or the following weekend in Saskatoon, depending on how things play out.
The host Rush won Game 1 of their best-of-three finale 16-9. This Saturday, they’ll be the visitors, and Kirk hopes they ’ll also be the victors.
Kirk, a seven-year veteran and 2016 NLL goaltender of the year, played in Minnesota, Philadelphia and New England before getting traded to Saskatchewan this past off-season in a deal that sent John Lafontaine, goalie Aaron Bold, and two draft picks the other way.
The Rush had already played in three straight league finals, winning two of them, and they sought an upgrade in goal. Kirk says he didn’t spend much time pondering whether the deal would enhance his chances of finally playing in a championship series, because he knows all about variables.
“Every year, people get traded,” he said. “Look at the Vegas Knights right now — it’s how teams come together, how they respond. So many scenarios go into a championship team. Yeah, I thought my chances were increased, but you never know how that’s going to turn out. You trade a big piece of your team for another big piece of your team, and you never know how that’s going to go and how everybody’s going to fit together. Sometimes, that makes a really big difference.
“I wouldn’t have been surprised if we weren’t in it, but I’m not surprised we got this far, after playing with the guys.”
The Rush posted a league-best 14-4 record during the regular season, while Rochester went 108. The Knighthawks beat the Rush in both head-to-head matchups, which enhanced the uncertainty heading into last Saturday ’s series opener.
But Saskatchewan was the better team on the night, and the question now is whether they can stage a repeat on the road.
Kirk said the team’s cohesion has opened his eyes.
“You take everyone on that team, and you put them on separate teams ... minus a Mark Matthews, maybe a Kyle Rubisch-type-guy, they ’re not all all-star-players,” he said. “But when you put everybody together and have such a positive coach, saying ‘you are the best’ ... it’s just such a positive vibe. It’s an expectation that there’s no question we’re going to do this, and no question we’re going to win if we all play together and for the guy beside you. It’s just a good vibe with everybody in there.”
This past Saturday, Saskatchewan outshot Rochester 64-44 and got stronger as the game moved along. Rush head coach Derek Keenan points out that the Knighthawks have plenty of championship experience — Rochester won three straight titles between 2012 and 2014 — and they’ll try to put that past to work this weekend.
Meanwhile, Saskatchewan’s goalie has won championships in other leagues, but his NLL trophy case is bare.
“I’ve been in this league seven years and gone through constant ups and downs,” Kirk said.
“It’s a roller-coaster ride. I’ve played through some injuries, small or big, and it’s such a long season through the winter with so much time dedicated to it. To have something at the end, to say ‘I won that title’ — it’s huge.”
I’m not surprised we got this far, after playing with the guys.