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Rush Fans: Playoff Report

May 12, 2015 - National Lacrosse League (NLL)
Edmonton Rush News Release


Edmonton Rush vs. Calgary Roughnecks
Edmonton Rush vs. Calgary Roughnecks
(Edmonton Rush)

The Edmonton Rush want to make the most out of hosting Game 1 of the NLL West Division Final against the arch-rival Calgary Roughnecks.

A victory in the opener, taking place at Northlands on Friday night, would put the Rush in firm control of the two-game series and force the Roughnecks to win Game 2 setting up a deciding mini-game. The Rush want a tight grip on the series and to do so they want to take home-turf advantage to a height it has never hit before on Crystal Glass Field.

"We feed off of our dedicated fans," said the Rush's 44-goal man Zack Greer. "Fans create momentum and make it difficult to stop. The more we pack into that building the better."

The Rush finished atop the West Division and earned home-turf advantage for the playoffs which would normally mean they'd host Game 2 and the possible mini-game. But arena availability of the ever-busy Rexall Place meant the Rush would kick off the series instead

However, the sequence of games doesn't matter much to the Rush. Staff and players alike just want a great vibe in the building to make the Roughnecks feel very unwelcome.

"The players show up every game and lay it on the line for the fans and we just really want everyone in Edmonton on board with that feeling," said Rush owner Bruce Urban.

"A packed building really motivates the team. The bigger the crowd, the more the players get pumped. It doesn't matter if it's the NLL, the NHL or the NFL, and it's not about the money. The players play the game because they love it and they love playing for the fans.

While other teams like Colorado and ousted West Semifinalist Colorado may have drawn larger audiences during the regular season, the Rush are hoping that the buzz of playoffs rings loudly and causes a rush to the ticket window in Edmonton.

"We have great fans. I think per capita there aren't any louder than ours," noted Rush GM/head coach Derek Keenan.

"I do think more people would help our guys. We have great and very loyal fans behind us, but for sure the more the merrier."

Memory Lane: The Rush had home-turf advantage against Calgary in last year's West Division Final. The Roughnecks took Game 1 in overtime in Calgary and then the Rush tied things up at home in Game 2 but were done in by the mini-game - the first in league history.

A year later and some faces have changed since then, but the revenge factor isn't lost on the Rush.

"I think all year we have kept that in the back of our minds as motivation," said Rush defender Brett Mydske. "We are excited to get another chance at them.

That said, Game 1 comes first before there's any talk of ending the series and exacting that revenge

"We are focused on the present, one game at a time," said Greer. "We have to win the first one before we can start thinking about the next one."

Rockin' the East: The Toronto Rock host Game 1 of the East Division Final against the three-time defending league champion Rochester Knighthawks.

Toronto was the last team to take the NLL title before the K-Hawks run started in 2012, and only two West Division teams - Calgary in 2009 and Washington in 2010 - have won the Cup since Rochester's first title in 2007.

If the Rush knock off Calgary and Rochester eliminates Toronto, the Rush would get home-turf advantage for a true best-of-three Champion's Cup final series.




Images from this story

Edmonton Rush vs. Calgary Roughnecks
Edmonton Rush vs. Calgary Roughnecks

  

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