Edmonton Rush Sign 4 Key Players
November 9, 2010 - National Lacrosse League (NLL)
Edmonton Rush News Release
Edmonton, AB---Edmonton Rush General Manager/Head Coach Derek Keenan announced the signing of four players today including goaltender Matt Disher who is coming off one of the best seasons of his 12-year National Lacrosse League career.
Disher, along with defender Ian Crashley, signed new one-year contracts, while forward Dean Hill and defender Derek Suddons were inked to two-year deals.
The 34-year-old netminder had a strong 2010 campaign between the pipes, finishing second among NLL goaltenders with eight wins. Disher also placed fourth in the league and set career-highs with 807 minutes-played and 527 saves. The Arthur, Ont., product ended the regular season with a 12.92 goals-against average and a .752 save-percentage.
While Disher had several strong outings during the regular season, it was his performance in the West Division semifinal that stands as his game of the year. Having already helped the Rush qualify for the playoffs for the first time in franchise history, Disher turned in a 60-save effort, including 17 stops in the fourth quarter, as the Rush ousted the defending league-champion Calgary Roughnecks 11-7 in the opening round of the quest for the Champion's Cup .
Disher enters his 13th NLL season with 156 regular-season games under his belt, a career 13.46 goals-against average and a .747 save-percentage. He is currently in his second tour of duty with the Rush, who re-acquired him in the 2009 Dispersal Draft of the Portland Lumber Jax.
Hill revived his career during his first season with the Rush, scoring 18 goals, including three on the power play, to go with 11 assists for 29 points. The five-year pro from Six Nations, Ont., notched four hat tricks during the regular season, and had a pair of five-point nights in key Rush victories over Minnesota and Washington.
The 24-year-old was among the Rush's top forwards during the playoffs, as he collected five goals, including a hat trick against Calgary in the West semifinal, plus two assists for seven points. Hill was acquired alongside Gavin Prout in a trade with Rochester prior to the start of the 2010 season.
Crashley stepped to the forefront on the Rush's back end this past season, establishing himself as a physical presence after missing all of the 2009 campaign due to a severe knee injury. The six-foot-four, 220-pounder played in 15 games for the Rush last season, picking up one goal and five assists for six points to go along with 50 loose balls and a team-high 50 penalty minutes.
The third-year pro, who hails from Orono, Ont., also secured 26 faceoff wins. Crashley was a second-round pick in the 2006 NLL Entry Draft and came to Edmonton in a trade with Portland during the '08 season.
Suddons, a nine-year veteran, was one of the Rush's unsung heroes last season, playing in all 16 games and proving to a valuable asset on defense and in transition.
The six-foot-one, 215-pound native of Whitby, Ont., collected one goal and four assists for five points plus 47 loose balls. Suddons, who was the fourth overall pick in the 2001 NLL Entry Draft, joined the Rush in 2009 after spending the previous five seasons with Toronto.
The Rush open the 2011 National Lacrosse League season on January 8 against cross-Canada rival and five-time league-champion Toronto Rock. The Rush will make their Rexall Place debut for the 2011 season on January 28 when they play the first of four games against the arch-rival Calgary Roughnecks. Training camp opens November 20 and ends December 19 in Edmonton.
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