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Global News
16-05-2025
- Sport
- Global News
‘It's our time': Saskatchewan Rush look to extend playoff magic in 2025 NLL Finals
The time for talk is over for the Saskatchewan Rush, embarking on a series they've spent years envisioning. They'll sprint onto the floor in New York State on Friday night to kick off the 2025 National Lacrosse League Cup Finals against the Buffalo Bandits. '(Buffalo's) been there, this is their fifth year in a row,' said Rush defenceman Jerrett Smith. 'But I think we 100 per cent have the group to do what it takes here and I think it's our time.' The Rush have made the NLL Finals for the fourth time since the franchise relocated from Edmonton to Saskatoon in 2015, but will be making their first appearance in the series since winning it all back in 2018. Four members of the Rush were on that team including Robert Church, Ryan Keenan, Mike Messenger and Matt Hossack, but now this new iteration of the Rush will get the chance to write a new championship chapter in the franchise's history. Story continues below advertisement 'We have guys on our team that have been there before and I think we all just really want it,' said Smith. 'We've been building this team for a couple years now and like I said, it's our time. We all play for each other and our time is right now.' Saskatchewan is coming off a win for the ages last Saturday at home over the Halifax Thunderbirds, capturing Game 2 of NLL semifinals in one of the most remarkable comebacks in league history. Trailing by two goals with less than a minute remaining, the Rush would get a key goal from Zach Manns to cut the deficit to one before a diving defensive play by Messenger would cause a turnover with around 10 seconds left. Ryan Barnable was able to feed Hossack for the tying goal with under six seconds left in regulation, before former Thunderbirds sniper Austin Shanks would bury his former team with the overtime winner on the power play — sweeping the series for the Rush and setting up this weekend's NLL Finals against Buffalo. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy 'It's the lacrosse gods looking down on us,' said Rush rookie forward Brock Haley. 'It's probably one of the greatest playoff games ever seen in the history of the NLL. I mean the last minute and 30 (seconds), we come back and end up winning in OT.' The league has taken notice of Saskatchewan's breakthrough season, with the Rush sweeping the five year-end award categories they were nominated for. Story continues below advertisement Earlier in the week it was Rush defender Keegan Bell being named NLL teammate of the year after suiting up as an emergency back-up goaltender in a January victory over the Albany FireWolves, among other stories of support for his teammates. Rush co-head coaches Jimmy Quinlan and Derek Keenan were recognized as NLL coach of the year and general manager of the year, respectively. 2:06 Saskatchewan Rush complete improbable comeback to advance to NLL Finals Making his return to Saskatchewan this season after being selected in the Panther City Lacrosse Club dispersal draft in September, Hossack earned NLL defensive player of the year on Thursday for the first time his his career after leading the NLL in caused turnovers. 'It's definitely a really cool feeling to be put in that category with all of those other guys,' said Hossack last Friday following his award nomination. Story continues below advertisement 'Having played with a lot of the guys who have won that award in the past, guys I've looked up to for a long time and for most of my career is a really cool feeling. I've worked towards getting better every year and it's a really good feeling being in that conversation.' Also hearing his name called Thursday was Rush goaltender Frank Scigliano, taking home NLL goaltender of the year honours for the first time in his career after posting a league-leading 9.40 goals against average and a .795 save percentage. 'It's nice, obviously, but I don't think too much about it though,' said Scigliano last Friday about his nomination. 'The main focus is trying to take the next step here, but it's obviously nice. 'I thank a lot of my teammates. You look at (our quarter-final over Georgia), I think I counted about 20 blocked shots. So it's by committee right now.' Saskatchewan will not have home floor advantage to begin the best-of-three series for the first time these playoffs, with Buffalo earning the NLL's top seed following a 13-5 regular season which included a 9-7 victory over the Rush on March 1. Reaching the finals for a fifth consecutive season and playing for a third-straight title, the Bandits will be Saskatchewan's biggest test of the season yet according to Quinlan as they begin the series on the road for Game 1 on Friday. Story continues below advertisement 'It will be loud and noisy,' said Quinlan. 'Our first five minutes will be crucial; for us to kind of take the crowd out of it will be big. We feel like we've played real well on the road this season and what a better place to get started than in Buffalo?' The Bandits will be the more rested team entering the series, dispatching the Vancouver Warriors on May 4 to sweep their second round series. That isn't fazing the Rush according to forward Zach Manns, who said they're ready to chase a title they've devoted their entire lacrosse careers towards. 'We have quite a short turnaround to get into this championship series, but it's what we've prepared for all year,' said Manns. 'I don't think the scheduling or anything is going to mess with anyone's (mental performance). I think everyone is going to be dialed in and ready to go.' Game 1 for the NLL Cup will be played on Friday at 5:30 p.m. in Buffalo, before the series shifts to SaskTel Centre for Game 2 on Sunday night at 6:00 p.m. If necessary, a winner-take-all Game 3 would be played back in Buffalo on May 24 at 2:30 p.m.
Global News
26-04-2025
- Sport
- Global News
Saskatchewan Rush make return to NLL playoffs in quarterfinal tilt hosting Swarm
Robert Church vividly remembers the winning feeling he experienced in the early days of the Saskatchewan Rush, after they moved to Saskatoon in the fall of 2015. The team won two NLL championships on the floor of SaskTel Centre and enjoyed years of playoff success. Church has waited six years to enjoy such moments again. 'You can't take it for granted,' Church said. 'I got there a lot when I was young, and it's been six years… All I've wanted is to get back there and take advantage of the moment you've got.' The Rush and their fans have waited 2,185 days for playoff lacrosse to return to the province. They'll get to experience it again for the first time since 2019 on Saturday as Saskatchewan hosts the Georgia Swarm in NLL quarter-finals. 'It's been a tough grind to get back,' said Rush captain Ryan Keenan. 'When you start your career and have success right out of the gate for a number of years, it's tough to go through that playoff drought. I think it just pushes you that much more to get back to this point.' Story continues below advertisement For three straight seasons, the Rush have finished with identical 8-10 regular season records and have been unable to generate consistently at both ends of the floor. That changed in the 2024-25 season. The Rush never lost back-to-back games and wound up in second place in the NLL standings with a 13-5 record. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy Jimmy Quinlan, Saskatchewan co-head coach, said the team's talent shone on the floor this season and the players belief in each other has gotten them to this point. 'The last few years, we had to learn how to win,' Quinlan said. 'Now we're kind of understanding what it takes. It doesn't really matter too much what goes on in a game, we right now have that mentality of staying the course. It's got us to where we are and we're going to continue that this weekend.' 2:46 Saskatchewan Rush begin single elimination quarter final at home Wrapping up the regular season with back-to-back wins over the Colorado Mammoth and Ottawa Black Bears, the Rush say they're treating Saturday's quarter-final game at SaskTel Centre the same as any game they've suited up for this season. Story continues below advertisement However, the stakes will be higher considering the single-game elimination format of the NLL's first round of playoffs. 'It's one game,' Rush forward Austin Shanks said. 'We've said it all year… We have to play 60 minutes and there's no better test than [Saturday] night.' In their lone meeting this season on March 8, the Rush rode a 45-save performance by goaltender Frank Scigliano to defeat the Swarm by a 8-7 score in Duluth, Ga. While Saskatchewan enters playoffs with the second-best record in the NLL, Church said there's not much separating the team and the seventh-seeded Swarm. 'I think you can throw the seeds out the window when you get into playoffs,' Church said. 'All eight teams are capable of winning it, but I think the biggest thing is clinching that home game because that's really the only one-up you got on them right now.' Saskatchewan's home floor advantage will be key on Saturday, as the Rush aims to ride a wave of playoff support. Keenan hopes the team's return to the post-season will lead to a lengthy championship run, which he got to experience as a young player in 2018. 'When we're winning, there's not many better atmospheres in the sport to be around,' Keenan said. 'We expect it to be loud and [the fans] to be there for us.' Story continues below advertisement The Rush and Swarm face off at 7:30 p.m. The winner advances to NLL semi-finals.
