Edmonton Rush Face Colorado Mammoth
Published on April 7, 2011 under National Lacrosse League (NLL)
Edmonton Rush News Release
Edmonton, AB---The Edmonton Rush will be fighting for their playoff lives as they take on the team they are challenging for the final post-season spot in the National Lacrosse League ¬â¢s West Division.
This will be the third straight game between the Rush and the Colorado Mammoth, with the winner having a clear-cut chance to lock up the final playoff berth.
The teams split last weekend ¬â¢s home-and-home series with the Rush taking last Friday ¬â¢s tilt at Rexall Place by a 14-13 score, and the Mammoth returning the favor the next night in Denver with a 7-6 decision.
Edmonton is currently fourth in the West Division, but just percentage points ahead of fifth-place Colorado. The Mammoth hold two games in-hand over the Rush, though one game will be burned off this Friday when Colorado visits Calgary. Both Edmonton and Colorado are 2ý games back of third-place Minnesota and three games behind second-place Washington.
Entering the three-game head-to-head set, the team that came away with the edge certainly gained the inside track to the playoff spot. Not much was settled last weekend as the teams split, with each taking one-goal victories on their home turf.
On Friday, the Rush had second-year pro Corey Small turn in his best NLL performance as he racked up three goals, including a shorthanded marker, along with five assists for an eight-point night as Edmonton held on for a 14-13 win.
Scott Evans continued to be the Rush ¬â¢s dominant forward since his arrival in a trade earlier this season from Rochester as he connected for four goals, including one power-play tally, to go with two assists. Ryan Ward and Brodie Merrill both helped pace the Rush attack with a goal and three assists each, while Mike McLellan, playing in his first game against his former club following a deadline-day trade, picked up four helpers.
Andy Secore, with a pair, rookie John Lafontaine, Zack Greer, and Dean Hill rounded out the Rush scoring, while veteran stopper Matt Disher returned to form with a 47-save effort.
But on Saturday night, the Mammoth froze out the Rush snipers, holding them to one goal in each of the first three quarters on their way to a 7-6 win back in Denver. Ryan Ward, with two, and singles by Brett Mydske, Scott Stewart, Corey Small, and Bill Greer was all the offense the Rush could muster.
The win was Colorado ¬â¢s second in a row at home after the Mammoth snapped a dreadful 13-game home losing streak a week earlier against Boston.
After losing the first seven meetings against Colorado upon joining the NLL, the Rush have since won five of the last seven encounters including three of the last five in Denver. The Mammoth still hold a 10-5 overall edge over Edmonton in franchise history.
Ryan Ward, last year ¬â¢s leading scorer for the Rush, led Edmonton in the two wins over Colorado during the 2010 campaign as he notched seven points in both victories.
The Rush did not earn their first franchise wins over the Mammoth until the 2009 season, when they won back-to-back outings in Denver and Edmonton. Over the course of the Rush ¬â¢s first three years in the NLL, the Mammoth had come away with a perfect 7-0 record including a 15-4 win on their home floor in the 2008 season.
Thanks to his eight-point game against the Mammoth last Friday, Corey Small assumed the top spot on the Rush ¬â¢s scoring list with 52 points, just one ahead of last year ¬â¢s leading scorer Ryan Ward.
Scott Evans leads the Rush and stands 16th in the NLL with 23 goals. Corey Small and Ryan Ward are next in goals, both with 19, and Zack has moved into third spot with 14 goals. Small and Brodie Merrill lead the Rush and are tied for 19th in the NLL with 33 assists. Ward is just one helper behind at 32.
Despite their troubles on special teams, the Rush have two players who are standing out on an individual basis. Scott Evans is sixth in the NLL with eight power-play goals, while Ryan Ward is the league-leader with shorthanded assists at four. Ward is also tied for eighth in the league with three shorthanded goals.
Brodie Merrill is on pace for another dominant season as one of the NLL ¬â¢s top transition players. On top of his points, Merrill leads the NLL with 155 loose balls, one up on Calgary ¬â¢s Geoff Snider. Merrill is also fifth in the league with 21 forced turnovers.
Brett Mydske, who joined Brodie Merrill in representing the Rush at the 2011 NLL All-Star Game, continues to have a breakout season. The second-year pro is second among all defenders with eight goals, and is ranked sixth in points by a defender with 11. Mydske also holds down third spot in shooting percentage for the entire league at 53.3% (eight goals on 15 shots).
John Grant, one of the NLL ¬â¢s all-time greats, is proving to be a top force again this season ¬" his first as a member of the Mammoth. Grant is 11th in league scoring with 61 points, and is ranked in the NLL ¬â¢s top-15 in several offensive categories including goals (26), assists (35), power-play goals (six), and power-play assists (12).
Rush vs. Mammoth - Season-by-Season Glance
2011
14-13 Rush win at Edmonton (Scott Evans leads the way with four goals and two assists)
7-6 Mammoth win at Colorado (John Grant notches two goals and two assists)
2010
14-13 Rush win at Colorado (Ryan Ward scores four goals and adds three assists)
13-9 Rush win at Colorado (Ryan Ward notches hat trick plus four assists)
14-10 Mammoth win at Edmonton (Jamie Shewchuk collects nine points including four goals)
2009
11-9 Rush win at Colorado (Ryan Benesch has eight-point night featuring five assists)
10-9 Rush win at Edmonton (Callum Crawford nets four goals and adds two assists)
10-9 Mammoth win at Colorado (Jamie Shewchuk scores twice and adds two assists)
2008
14-11 Mammoth win at Colorado (Dan Carey pots hat trick plus three assists)
15-4 Mammoth win at Colorado (Jamie Shewchuk scores four goals and adds three assists)
13-8 Mammoth win at Edmonton (Jamie Shewchuk has second straight seven-point game)
2007
16-9 Mammoth win at Edmonton (Jamie Shewchuk notches hat trick plus two assists)
16-7 Mammoth win at Colorado (Dan Carey leads with two goals and three assists)
2006
15-10 Mammoth win at Colorado (Dan Stroup collects six points including hat trick)
13-7 Mammoth win at Edmonton (Ben Prepchuk racks up six points including four helpers)
Statistically Speaking: The Rush have scored 151 goals on the year, which is the second-best total in the West Division and fourth overall in the league. They have given up a league-high 177 goals ¬Â¦ The Mammoth are last in goals scored with just 106 but have given up the second-fewest in the West Division with only 133 ¬Â¦ Special teams roll on as a problem for the Rush. Edmonton is last in the league on the power play at just 30.4% (21-for-69) and last in penalty killing at 51.6% (31 goals against in 64 shorthanded situations ¬Â¦ The Rush have, however, scored nine shorthanded goals on the year, third-best in the NLL ¬Â¦ Colorado is ranked sixth on the power play at 39.7% (27-for-68) and third on the penalty kill at 63.8% (17 goals surrendered in 47 shorthanded situations ¬Â¦ Rush power forward Scott Evans is fifth in the league with 43 penalty minutes. Mac Allen, a former Rush now with the Mammoth, leads the NLL with 53 penalty minutes ¬Â¦ Kedoh Hill is fifth in rookie scoring as the freshman Rush has earned 11 points ¬Â¦ Despite some rough outings of late, Rush netminder Matt Disher is ranked third in the league with 472 saves. His counterpart from Colorado, Chris Levis, is ranked fourth in goals-against average at 10.05, and sits fifth in save-percentage at .783 ¬Â¦ Mammoth shooter Alex Gajic is fifth in the NLL with eight power-play goals. His teammate Matt Leveque is ranked fifth with 123 faceoff wins.
By The Numbers: Saturday ¬â¢s game in Colorado was the Rush ¬â¢s final road game of the regular season, and Edmonton wrapped up that part of the schedule with a 1-7 record. The Rush ¬â¢s lone road win came in Washington as part of a home-and-home weekend sweep of the Stealth in mid-February ¬Â¦ The Rush round out the regular season at home against Toronto next Saturday ¬Â¦ The Rush are 3-3 at home so far this season. The Mammoth are 1-4 on the road ¬Â¦ With last weekend ¬â¢s split against the Mammoth, the Rush are 4-7 vs. the West Division this season ¬Â¦ Colorado has the second-highest penalty minute average per game this season at 25.2 minutes. The Mammoth are fourth in total penalty minutes at 302 ¬Â¦ The Rush are 2-5 when leading after the first quarter and 3-1 when leading at halftime. Edmonton is a dismal 0-8 when trailing at halftime ¬Â¦ The Rush are tied for third with 42 first-quarter goals on the season and are fourth with 38 fourth-quarter goals. However, the Rush have given up the most second-quarter (54) and fourth-quarter goals (52), and the second-most first-quarter goals (40).
National Lacrosse League Stories from April 7, 2011
- Minnesota Swarm Looking to Sweep Season Series Against Stealth - Minnesota Swarm
- Washington Stealth All-Access Continues Tonight at 5:30pm on Fox Sports 1380 - Washington Stealth
- Edmonton Rush Face Colorado Mammoth - Edmonton Rush
- A 'Mammoth' Weekend Doubleheader for Colorado - Colorado Mammoth
- Knighthawks Fighting for Second Place as Bandits Come to Town - Rochester Knighthawks
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