Pumped Rush and NLL avoid stoppage, will play in 2018-19

The Rush celebrate an NLL title win last June.

    If the Saskatchewan Rush didn’t play in 2018-19, it would have felt like something was missing.

    For a large chunk of November, the National Lacrosse Association and the Professional Lacrosse Players Association were trying to negotiate a new collective bargaining agreement. At times, there was loud talk that the negotiations were going so bad the 2018-19 NLL season could be lost.

    I am sure some fans were starting to decide where else they would spend their free time and disposable income. The may have included going to other sporting events, nice dinners at fancy restaurants, movies and concerts.

    In my own individual life, I knew I wouldn’t be deeply impacted, if the Rush didn’t play.

Captain Chris Corbeil lifts the Champion’s Cup in June of 2016.

    Fears of losing the season were erased on Nov. 24, when the NLL and PLPA reached a new collective bargaining agreement that is five years in length.

    The Rush, who are the defending NLL champions, will play a full 18-game regular season. They open the regular season on the road on Dec. 28 traveling to Uncasville, Connecticut, to play the New England Black Wolves.

    The Rush open the regular season on Saturday, Jan. 5, 2019 at 7:30 p.m. at the SaskTel Centre against the expansion San Diego Seals.

    Saskatchewan hosts an exhibition game on Saturday, Dec. 8 at 7:30 p.m. at the SaskTel Centre against their archrivals the Calgary Roughnecks.

    I admit I am not enough of a hard core lacrosse follower to know all the ends and outs of the struggles of what went into the negotiations that resulted in the new collective bargaining agreement between the NLL and PLPA.

Captain Chris Corbeil lifts the NLL Cup last June.

    Now that the NLL season will go on, there was a sense of being pumped up that there will be Rush games to go to. For myself, I was happy to have Rush games to look forward to.

    It hit me that it would have felt like something was lost, if the Rush didn’t play.

    During the three complete seasons the Rush have played in Saskatoon taking on a provincial tag as the Saskatchewan Rush, they have become a team the whole province supports. The nights the Rush clinched the NLL title at the SaskTel Centre in 2016 and 2018 are two of the top moments in that building’s history, and I was fortunate enough to be present for both of those games.

    When Rush defender Jeff Cornwall went coast-to-coast to score the NLL championship winning goal with 12 seconds to play to break a 10-10 tie with the Buffalo Bandits and give the Rush an 11-10 victory on June 4, 2016, the sellout crowd of 15,182 spectators at the SaskTel Centre erupted like they have never erupted before.

The scene after Jeff Cornwall scored the NLL title winning goal in 2016.

    For myself, that was the loudest I have ever seen the fans cheer in that building.

    Many fans go for the party, and why not. The Rush put on an enjoyable show around the game.

    For the game itself, it is easy to get addicted to the non-stop action of an NLL lacrosse game.

    Rush owner Bruce Urban and his front office staff are a stellar group. They help set the tone for what you see on game day.

    Head coach and general manager Derek Keenan is an outstanding man. He is a kind and understanding forward-thinking coach, and it will take you spending less than five minutes with his to realize why the Rush have won three of the last four NLL titles including their final campaign based in Edmonton, Alta.

Rush forward Matthew Dinsdale is set to score on this circus shot.

    The Rush have been strong in getting their players out in the community across Saskatchewan, and they are a terrific group of young men. Knowing that individuals like captain Chris Corbeil, fan favourite Jeremy Thompson, Mark Matthews, Ryan Keenan, Robert Church, Cornwall, Ben McIntosh and Evan Kirk will be back in the community makes the cold winter feel that much warmer.

    It will be cool to see the new ways star forward Jeff Shattler holds court in the humour department in the upcoming campaign.

    Rush fans will also get to see mascot Bruiser the Bulldog, Rush Hulk and the Original 16 Crush Dance Team making appearances all over the place too. They all add their significant parts to Rush Nation.

Grandma Rush’s sign says it all.

    Of course, Rush games wouldn’t be complete without the passionate support of the club’s top fan in Grandma Rush.

    There is so much to look forward to now that the Rush season will go ahead. Let the games and the defence of the NLL title begin.

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

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Shattler key in delivering NLL championship back to Rush

Forward scores four in series deciding Game 3, named MVP

Jeff Shattler (#77) meets Chris Corbeil with the NLL Cup.

    A major off-season addition paid off big in bringing the NLL title back to the Saskatchewan Rush.

    On August 3, 2017, the Rush signed free agent Jeff Shattler to a two-year contract. Shattler, who stands 6-feet and weighs 198 pounds, had starred at forward and at transition with the Calgary Roughnecks for the previous 11 seasons.

    He helped the Roughnecks, who are the Rush’s biggest rival, win an NLL title in 2009 and was named the NLL’s MVP and top transition player in 2011.

    The 33-year-old proved he still has a lot of gas in the tank as far as the sport of lacrosse is concerned piling up 24 goals, 36 assists and 76 loose ball pickups in 17 regular season games with the Rush in the 2018 campaign.

    In a winner take all Game 3 of the National Lacrosse League championship series on Saturday night at the SaskTel Centre, Shattler came through with one of his biggest performances of his professional career. He fired home four goals and picked up an assist as the Rush downed the Rochester Knighthawks 15-10 before 13,645 spectators.

Jeff Shattler was signed by the Rush as a free agent.

    The win allowed the Rush to win the best-of-three series 2-1 and capture their third NLL title in the last four years. They raised the brand new National Lacrosse League Cup, which replaced the Champion’s Cup as the circuit’s title trophy.

    The Rush were swept in last year’s NLL title series 2-0 by the Georgia Swarm.
    Shattler joined the Rush to help them win the NLL title.

    “We proved that we were the best team this year,” said Shattler. “We worked our bags off (and) sacrificed every weekend away from our families traveling.

    “I was away from my kids. It was all worth it, when that buzzer went. We got to raise that cup.”

    For his efforts, Shattler was named the MVP of the NLL playoffs. He piled up eight goals and seven assists in the Rush’s four post-season contests.

    In Saskatchewan 13-8 loss in Game 2 to the Knighthawks in Rochester on June 2, Shattler had a hat trick and four assists to pace the Rush offence.

Jeff Shattler spent 11 seasons with the Calgary Roughnecks.

    He came into Game 3 on Saturday motivated to have a big performance.

    “I love playoffs,” said Shattler. “I’ve always been a playoff player.

    “I love the intensity of it. I love that it is a do or die situation. That is why I play lacrosse.

    “I can’t tell you how happy I am right now.”

    Rush head coach Derek Keenan joked that the team’s general manager was a smart guy, when it came to signing Shattler. Of course, Keenan fills the role of general manager with the Rush too.

    With Rush having played against Shattler for such an extended time, Keenan thought it would be wise to have the high-intensity forward on the Rush’s side for once.

    “We targeted Jeff Shattler,” said Keenan. “August 1^st at midnight, I was on the phone to him, and he was all in from the beginning.

    “It took us 24 hours to get a deal done. He was great all year. He fit in all year.

    “His offence took over in the playoffs.” 

Jeff Shattler celebrates one of his four goals on Saturday.

    Keenan said Shattler’s power-play goal at the 11:05 mark of the third quarter was a key play for his club. The Knighthawks had just scored three straight goals to go ahead 8-7, and Shattler’s power-play tally, which was his fourth goal of the night, drew the Rush even at 8-8.

    In the process, Keenan was impressed with how Shattler fooled Knighthawks goalie Matt Vinc, who has won the NLL’s goaltender of the year award five times, on the equalizer that came with the man advantage.

    “He (Shattler) made big plays at big times when we needed a goal,” said Keenan. “The power-play goal he got, that was a special shot.

Grandma Rush celebrates a Rush goal on Saturday.

    “Not everyone has that shot in their repertoire. He was kind of fading away from the net. I think Vinc thought he was going far short side and he rolled it far side.”

    Rush captain Chris Corbeil said the biggest reinforcement that showed Shattler was accepted as part of the team, where the Rush players cared for him like family, came during the club’s sixth regular season game on Jan. 27 on the road against the Roughnecks. That contest, which the Rush won 13-12, marked the first time Shattler played in Calgary since leaving the Roughnecks.

    Shattler received the silent treatment from the Roughnecks, which didn’t sit well with the Rush.

Mark Matthews had eight assists for the Rush on Saturday.

    “We went into Calgary his first game back, and he put in a tonne great years for Calgary, and they didn’t do anything special for him there,” said Corbeil. “That rubbed me the wrong way.

    “I know it rubbed his family the wrong way, and he is able to come out here and get an MVP. I don’t think he is thinking about that anymore. I couldn’t be happier for the guy.”

    On the lacrosse turf, Corbeil was impressed with Shattler’s smarts for the game.

    “This is a detailed tough offence to work your way into,” said Corbeil. “He got in there and had an impact immediately and found a way to contribute and found a way to fit right in.”

    Shattler’s power-play goal started a four goal run for the Rush, which allowed them to take an 11-8 lead at the 2:08 mark of the fourth quarter. In the back-and-fourth affair, the Knighthawks responded with a pair of goals to cut the Rush edge to 11-10.

    Saskatchewan closed the contest scoring four straight goals to seal victory.

Rush forward Matthew Dinsdale is set to score on this circus shot.

    Corbeil had a hat trick for the Rush, while Ben McIntosh, Ryan Keenan, Curtis Knight and Matthew Dinsdale each scored twice. Mark Matthews recorded eight assists for the Rush.

    Josh Currier powered the Knighthawks attack with four goals, while Cody Jamieson had a hat trick.

    Joe Resetarits, Austin Shanks and Eric Fannell scored singles for Rochester.

    Evan Kirk made 37 saves to pick up the win in goal for the Rush. Vinc turned away 37-of-51 shots to take the setback in goal for the Knighthawks.

    The Rush claimed their first league title back in 2015 in the franchise’s final season in Edmonton. They won their second title in 2016 in their first season in Saskatchewan.

The Rush celebrate winning the NLL championship.

    The Rush left Edmonton following the 2015 campaign after the club was unable to secure a long-term lease deal.

    Reflecting on Saturday’s outing along with his long career, Shattler said that one ranks with his best performances.

    “I would have to say it would be one up there,” said Shattler. “It was one of the biggest ones.

    “It was amazing. I’ll never forget this night. Absolutely amazing I got to share it with my wife and this family of mine behind me.

    “We’re the champs this year, and we will be back harder next year.”

“Mission accomplished” Rush gamer for The Canadian Press

A number of veteran Rush players pose with the NLL Cup.

    On Saturday, I had the opportunity to cover Game 3 of the NLL championship series for The Canadian Press.

    The Canadian Press game story focused on the fact the Rush accomplished a mission to once again win the NLL title after being swept 2-0 in the 2017 NLL championship series by the Georgia Swarm.      That story talked about how the first quarter in Game 3 on Saturday between the Rush and Knighthawks was a defensive struggle.

    The Knighthawks scored the game’s first goal with 44.9 seconds remaining in the first quarter.

    From there, the offences on both sides exploded in a back-and-forth battle. The Rush weren’t able to seal victory until scoring the final four goals in the fourth quarter.

    My story for The Canadian Press laid out on the website of 680 News can be found 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.

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