Rush captain Chris Corbeil lifts the National Lacrosse League Cup on Saturday. |
When the Saskatchewan Rush began their journey through the
2018 National Lacrosse League campaign, they were seeking redemption after
being swept 2-0 by the Georgia Swarm in the best-of-three National National
Lacrosse League championship series in 2017. Corbeil, who has been the Rush
captain since the start of the 2014 campaign, struggled with the sting of that
loss worse than anyone else on the team.
Jeremy Thompson (#74) and Chris Corbeil react to Corbeil’s second goal. |
That tactic is often used in lacrosse.
Corbeil mishandled a pass from teammate Jeremy Thompson
while running in the open near midfield. The Swarm picked the loose ball
and scored into the empty Rush net to tie things up at 14-14 and proceeded to
win 15-14 after a goal in sudden death overtime.
Due to that botched play in the final seconds of the fourth
quarter, the Rush weren’t able to force a series deciding Game 3 back in
Duluth, Georgia, and watched the Swarm celebrate a championship in Saskatoon.
On Saturday in a series deciding Game 3 of the 2018 NLL
championship series before 13,645 spectators at the SaskTel Centre, Corbeil had
a hat trick to help the Rush down the Rochester Knighthawks 15-10 and take the
series 2-1.
The crowd at the SaskTel Centre celebrates a Rush goal on Saturday. |
The Rush held a slim 11-10 lead with 12 minutes to play in
the fourth quarter and proceeded to seal victory with a four-goal surge.
Corbeil capped the surge scoring into an empty net with 2:34 remaining in the
fourth quarter.
“It is that much sweeter,” said
Corbeil. “I really took a lot of ownership for what happened last year.
“It was a tough time for me. After
the season ended, I apologized to all the guys, because I really thought we
should have been playing for a Game 3 and the championship back in Georgia. I
dropped the ball and didn’t give my brothers a chance to do that.
Jeremy Thompson (#74) and Adrian Sorchetti defend Eric Fannell (#66). |
The 30-year-old defender from
Oakville, Ont., is one of the most personable players on the Rush. While what
happened in Game 2 in the NLL final against the Swarm was in the back of his
mind, he never visibly let it affect him as the Rush proceeded to finish first
overall in the league’s regular season standings at 14-4 in the 2018 campaign.
Corbeil has a reputation for
saying the right things at the right time. He also had a good sense of humour,
and he knows when to crack a joke to break up a sombre mood during rough times.
After he scored his empty-net goal
on Saturday against the Knighthawks, Corbeil was focused on closing out the
game having put the Rush ahead by five goals.
Nik Bilic brings the ball upfield for the Rush. |
“When that buzzer went, it does
feel like there is a weight off my shoulders. It is incredible.”
The Rush won the NLL title in 2015
in their final season in Edmonton. They captured the title again in 2016 in
their first season in Saskatchewan.
Hopes were high inside the team
about winning a third straight championship in 2017.
The disappointment intensified that much more in the Rush organization after falling in the NLL title series to the Swarm.
The disappointment intensified that much more in the Rush organization after falling in the NLL title series to the Swarm.
Rush head coach and general manager
Derek Keenan said Corbeil didn’t need to shoulder the blame for what happened
in that Game 2 loss to the Swarm. Keenan and Corbeil have always had a good
relationship, and the bench boss loves how his captain leads by example.
The fans at the SaskTel Centre celebrate a third quarter Rush goal. |
“He (Corbeil) is our leader
clearly in the room and on the floor,” said Keenan. “I like the fact that he
kind of followed our shooting plan on Vinc.”
Keenan said his club took a team
approach to addressing what happened in last year’s NLL final going into the
2018 campaign. He said that helped make Saturday’s NLL championship victory that
much more special.
“It feels great, because it was
disappointment last year for all our guys,” said Keenan. “We talked about it
from the very first day of training camp.
The Rush celebrate winning the National Lacrosse League Cup. |
“They’ve been focused on that all
year.”
No matter what anyone told him,
Corbeil still felt like the Rush loss in the 2017 NLL final was his fault, and
Saturday’s win really helped him put to rest what happened against the Swarm in
2017.
Captain Chris Corbeil meets a couple of Rush fans from Edmonton. |
“I am using ‘I’ a lot here, and I
don’t like talking about myself,” said Corbeil. “This is such a team effort.
“Really, I just feel good so I can
do this my brothers. That is all this is about.
“I felt horrible. I didn’t care
that I lost it for myself. It was that I lost it for these guys. I was able to
play a part and make amends of that this season.”
The Rush pose for the team picture after winning the NLL Cup. |
“I got it a little in front of me,
and I think I dropped it almost on Churchy’s (teammate Robert Church’s) head.
It looks kind of smaller than the last one. I wouldn’t be like Ovechkin
carrying it around for the next four days.
“I’m not strong enough. I haven’t
done enough shoulder presses lately, so I will be passing it off.”
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