Matthews named NLL MVP, Rush players get all-star nods

Rush F Mark Matthews was named NLL MVP.

    The fourth time was a charm for Mark Matthews when it came to winning National Lacrosse League MVP honours.

    On Tuesday, the star forward with the Saskatchewan Rush was named the MVP for the NLL this past season. This was the first time Matthews claimed league MVP honours after being a finalist for the award in 2015, 2016 and 2017.

    In claiming MVP honours for this past season, the 28-year-old from Oshawa, Ont., beat out Rush teammate in forward Robert Church and New England Black Wolves forward Kevin Crowley.

    The individual honours didn’t stop there for Matthews. On Wednesday, the grad of the University of Denver Pioneers men’s lacrosse team was named a first team NLL All-Pro on Wednesday marking the fourth team he claimed those honours.

    Matthews, who stands 6-foot-5 and weighs 235 pounds, topped the NLL in scoring this past season for the first time in his six-year career piling up 32 goals and 84 assists for a team record 116 points appearing in all 18 of the Rush’s regular season games. 

    His 84 assists were a league record for most assists in one regular season beating the old mark of 83 held by Josh Sanderson from the 2015 campaign with the Toronto Rock, Shawn Evans from the 2015 season with the Calgary Roughnecks and Callum Crawford from the 2016 campaign with the Colorado Mammoth.

Mark Matthews set a new NLL regular season record for assists at 84.

    Matthews had the previous Rush record for most points in one regular season piling up 115 points in the 2015 campaign.

    The Rush topped the entire NLL regular season standings with a 14-4 mark this past season, and they claimed their third league title in the past four years. The Rush won their first NLL championship in 2015 in the franchise’s final season in Edmonton and their second title in 2016 in their inaugural campaign in Saskatchewan.

    Matthews joined the Rush franchise as the first overall selection in the 2012 NLL Draft. He turned heads right away being named the NLL’s rookie of the year for the 2013 campaign piling up 38 goals and 31 assists in 16 regular season games.

    During his time with the Rush, Matthews has appeared in 106 career regular season games, and he is the franchise’s all-time regular season leader in goals (234), assists (366) and points (600).

    Church joined Matthews on the NLL’s All-Pro first team at forward for this past season. Church finished second in NLL regular season scoring with 47 goals and 60 assists appearing in all of the Rush’s 18 regular season games.

Mark Matthews helped the Rush win their third NLL championship.

    Rush defender Kyle Rubisch was named the NLL’s All-Pro second team. Rubisch appeared in 17 regular season games for the Rush recording one goal, eight assists, 25 caused turnovers and 130 loose ball pickups.

    Back on Aug. 2, Rush head coach and general manager Derek Keenan was named the winner of the NLL’s Les Bartley Head Coach of the Year award. That marked the fourth time in his overall career Keenan was named the NLL’s coach of the year.

    Also on Wednesday, the Rush announced their home opener for the upcoming regular season is slated for Saturday, Dec. 8 at 7:30 at the SaskTel Centre against an opponent that is still to be determined.

Blades push Canada to Hlinka Gretzky Cup semi, other notes

Nolan Maier has two wins for Canada at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup.

    The Saskatoon Blades contingent has helped Canada’s under-18 start 3-0 at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup and earn a berth in one of Friday’s two semifinal games.

    On Wednesday night, Blades netminder Nolan Maier made 21 saves to backstop Canada to a 4-3 victory over Sweden (2-1) at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alta. Josh Williams, Alexis Lafreniere, Matthew Robertson and Bowen Byram all had singles for Canada.

    Lucas Raymond, Alexander Holtz and Elmer Soderblom all had singles for Sweden, while Jesper Wallstedt turned away 31 shots to take the setback in the Swedish net.

    Maier has won both his starts for Canada turning away 33-of-36 shots fired his way for a .917 save percentage to go with his 1.50 goals against average and one shutout.

    Blades centre Kirby Dach has dressed in all three of Canada’s games collecting one goal and two assists.

    Blades first year head coach Mitch Love is an assistant coach for Canada.

    Sweden will face Russia (3-0) in a semifinal on Friday at 3 p.m. local time at Rogers Place in Edmonton. Canada face the United States (2-1) in Friday’s other semifinal set for 7 p.m. local time at Rogers Place in Edmonton.  The tournament final is slated for Saturday at 7 p.m. local time at Rogers Place in Edmonton.

• Saskatoon Stars alumnae Sophie Shirley has an assist in two games for Team Heaney in a series of exhibition contests that are going on as part of the selection camp for Canada’s National Women’s Development Team being held in Calgary, Alta. Jaycee Gebhard, who is another Stars alumnae, has the only goal Team James has scored in the two games they have played at the selection camp. Team Heaney is 2-0, while Team James is 0-2. Shirley will play her first season for the University of Wisconsin Badgers women’s hockey team in Madison, Wisconsin, this coming season, while, Gebhard will join the Robert Morris University Colonials women’s hockey team in Moon, Pennsylvania, for her third season.
• Kaitlin Willoughby, who is an alumnae of the University of Saskatchewan Huskies women’s team, is suiting up for the U Sports all-star team at the selection camp for Canada’s National Women’s Development Team. She has an assist in two games as the U Sport all-stars are 1-1.
• Japan’s national women’s team rounds out the teams taking part in a series of exhibition games at the selection camp for Canada’s National Women’s Development Team. Japan is 1-1 after two games.
• The selection camp for Canada’s under-18 women’s national team featured its first intrasquad game on Wednesday in Calgary. Grace Shirley, who is a centre for the Saskatoon Stars and Sophie’s younger sister, had a goal for Canada Red in a 3-1 victory over Canada White. Former Regina Rebels forward Kennedy Bobyck, who now plays for the Calgary based Edge School Mountaineers female prep team, is playing for Canada Red. Stars forward Joelle Fiala and Melville Prairie Fire defender Allison Hayhurst are playing for Canada White.
• On Wednesday, the junior B Delisle Chiefs of the Prairie Junior Hockey League announced Ryan Marushak will be returning to serve a fourth season as the club’s general manager. Last season, Marushak won the PJHL’s Terry Rak Memorial Builder of the Year award. Marushak was the Chiefs assistant general manager in 2014-15 before becoming the general manager. He was also with Chiefs for two other season from 2008 to 2010 serving as an assistant coach and director of player personnel.

Back in the Express with Berglof

    I was back in the pages of the Saskatoon Express this week with a feature story on two-sport athlete Colin Berglof.

    Berglof is one of seven players from the Saskatchewan SWAT junior A lacrosse team that is playing for Canada at the three-team indoor World Junior Lacrosse Championship that started Wednesday night at the SaskTel Centre. Canada opened the event on Wednesday with a 26-9 victory over the Iroquois team. Berglof, who is playing transition for Canada, had a pair of goals and an assist in that contest.

    Canada finishes opening round play facing the United States on Friday at 7:30 p.m. at the SaskTel Centre. The tournament’s championship game is slated for Sunday at 7:30 p.m.

    The six other members of the SWAT that are part of the Canadian team include Tanner Deck, Quinn Ingalls, Keagan White, Wyatt Haux, Mitch Linklater and Laine Hruska.

    Berglof plays forward for the SWAT and defence for the Delisle Chiefs junior B hockey team. The Express story on him can be found by clicking right here.

    If you have any comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com.

-------

    If you like what you see here, you might want to donate to the cause to keep independent media like this blog going. Should you choose to help out, feel free to click on the DONATE button in the upper right corner. Thank you for stopping in.