The Saskatchewan Rush had two chances to advance to the NLL final on home field this weekend, but it only took one. “The way we just won that game is pretty surreal, to be honest,” said Rush coach Jimmy Quinlan. A last minute game tying goal from Defensive Player of the Year nominee, Matt Hossack and an overtime goal from Austin Shanks completed the unlikely comeback on Saturday night 10-9 over the Halifax Thunderbirds. “Lacrosse, it’s a pretty crazy game,” said Holden Garlent, who finished with a goal, four loose balls, a blocked shot and a forced turnover for the Rush. “You’re down but you’re never out in this game.” The Rush capitalized on an early five-minute penalty to Thunderbirds forward Mike Robinson for an illegal cross check, finishing the half with a 5-4 lead. The Thunderbirds doubled up on the Rush in the third quarter, tying the game at 6. After trading goals early in the fourth, the Thunderbirds seemed to be pulling away in the dying minutes of the game. Two goals from Thomas Hoggarth put the Thunderbirds up 9-7 with just 1:36 remaining. “The message to the guys was just execute, really,” said Quinlan. Zach Manns scored to bring the game within one goal with less than a minute to go. And a thrilling battle for the ensuing loose ball off the faceoff saw the Rush win possession with 34 seconds. But the shot attempt was stopped, and the Thunderbirds called timeout, needing to hold the ball for 15 seconds to win. “When [Boudreau] and [Hossack] go up and pressure the ball when we had our goalie pulled, two of the most athletic guys, best defenders in the league,” said Garlent. “So we knew we had a good chance of causing a turnover.” Starting from their crease with the Rush net empty, the Thunderbirds only got to centre before Mike Messenger made a spectacular dive to knock the stick and ball free. “The play Mike Messenger made to track down that loose ball and dive in and hit Terefenko’s stick was a game saver for us,” Garlent told CTV News. Ryan Barnable scooped up the loose ball with 10 seconds on the clock and passed to Hossack who slipped the ball past Thunderbirds goaltender Warren Hill. “Obviously there’s some big celebrating when we got that ninth goal to tie it,” said Quinlan. “But really, at the end of the day, I think our composure when we talk about doing things that move us forward, we were really good at it when we needed to be.” Just 90 seconds into overtime, Robinson took his second five-minute penalty when he sent Bobby Kidd III head first into the boards from behind. With his second major penalty, Robinson was ejected and on the ensuing power play, Austin Shanks fired a low shot that beat Hill on the right side. Shanks, a former Halifax Thunderbird for three seasons, says there was extra motivation to beat his old team. “For sure,” he said. “I wanted to knock them out tonight. I brought one suit and I wanted them gone tonight, and move on to Buffalo.” Shanks says that game is an example that this Rush team doesn’t give up. “A lot of people say we’re young, maybe we’re young and dumb,” said Shanks, who finished with two goals Saturday. “We just don’t give up, we have so much heart. Guys want it so bad, and that was a wild ending.” The only other team remaining in the NLL playoffs, the Buffalo Bandits are a tough opponent, says Garlent. “Buffalo is going to be a tall task,” he said. “They’re a veteran group who’ve been there obviously for the last five years. I’m confident in whoever we play. Our group is some of the best guys I’ve ever been around, and no matter how the score goes, we’re going to put our best foot forward and give it our all.” The Bandits have won the last two NLL championships and share the record for most championships at six with the Toronto Rock and the original Philadelphia Wings. The Rush and Bandits last met in the NLL championship final in 2016. Game one goes Friday in Buffalo at 5:30. Game two is Sunday at 6:00 at SaskTel Centre, and if necessary, game three in Buffalo is Saturday, May 24 at 2:30.
