Saskatchewan Rush drop home-opener to Stealth
The Saskatchewan Rush seemed to be in no rush to crush the visiting Vancouver Stealth.
After all the pre-game hoopla and hype, the reigning NLL champion Rush found itself trailing 3-zip early and then playing catch-up for nearly the entire first half of its homeopener Friday at SaskTel Centre.
The Rush couldn’t keep up to Corey Small, however.
Small scored six times and added an assist as the Stealth spoiled the home-opening party with a 13-11 victory before a boisterous crowd announced at 9,147 paying fans.
Saskatchewan improves to 2-0. Vancouver slips to 0-2.
The Rush didn’t take its first lead until late in the second quarter, with 4:58 remaining in the first half, on goal by Robert Church.
Church and team captain Chris Corbeil each notched a hat-trick for the home team. Curtis Knight and Zack Greer both added a pair.
Mark Matthews had a big night on the scoresheet with a goal and five assists.
Small tallied six goals and an assist for the Stealth, which got two goals and two helpers from Rhys Duch and two goals from Jordan Durston.
THREE STARS
The three stars were 1) Small, 2) Corbeil and 3) Matthews.
FIRST GOAL
Curtis Knight gets credit first the first Saskatchewan Rush goal at SaskTel Centre when he scored with 4:05 remaining in the first quarter.
Knight, who missed all of the 2015 season due to a knee injury, was an NLL all-rookie team member in 2013 and team MVP in 2014.
FIGHT CARD
The crowd erupted when a scrum along the boards resulted in a fight between Saskatchewan’s Nik Bilic and Vancouver’s Cliff Smith.
That battle was won by Bilic, much to the delight of the Rush faithful.
In the second quarter, Mark Matthews quickly took down Stealth defender Chris O’Dougherty.
HIT PARADE
Saskatchewan fans didn’t have much to cheer for early in the game but they absolutely loved it when Rush’s Mark Matthews flattened Stealth defender Matt Beers in the offensive zone.
LEAKY VANCOUVER
Vancouver finished last in the NLL’s West Division in 2015, largely due to a league-high 265 goals-against.
The Rush won all three of its regular-season matchups against the Stealth on its way to the Champions Cup in 2015.
The Vancouver-based Stealth is now 1-7 against the Rush.
PRETTIEST GOAL
Perhaps the prettiest goal of the night was scored by Rush captain Chris Corbeil who took the ball from behind the net and stretched out to stuff it from over the top like a basketball player dunking the ball.
That cut Vancouver’s lead to 7-6.
FAN FRIENDLY
Dressed in a green Rush jersey, Kirk Barber was one of the first fans to get into SaskTel Centre for Friday’s Rush home-opener.
Barber was one of the many curious faithful.
“I don’t play (lacrosse); I’m just excited to see some professional sports here,” he said. “I don’t even follow lacrosse but I feel like it’s going to be a fun thing to watch.
“I feel like it’s going to bring a lot more reputation to Saskatoon. Nobody cares about Saskatchewan out of Saskatchewan — that’s how I feel.
“Hoping to see it really rockin’ in here.”