Goaltender Bold shines in defeat
Published on February 11, 2012 under National Lacrosse League (NLL)
Edmonton Rush News Release
St. Paul, Minn - In a see-saw battle that featured seven lead changes the Edmonton Rush dropped a 10-9 overtime decision to the Minnesota Swarm in National Lacrosse League action Friday at Xcel Energy Center.
Edmonton, on its third stop of a four-game away stretch, fell to 1-3 on the season as Ryan Benesch fired the game-winner for the Swarm (2-2) with 12:28 gone in the extra frame in the league's second longest-ever game.
Both defenses and goaltenders played prominent roles in the first meeting of two matchups between the West rivals and both clubs ventured into overtime play for the first time in 2012 where the backends were solid again as the goalies combined for 15 stops.
Minnesota held Edmonton to a single digit in scoring for the second game in a row and Rush goaltender Aaron Bold showed why he's tops in the NLL statistically with another remarkable performance in the contest.
Bold (1-3 with his 9.27 goals-against and .807 save-percentage) stopped 41 saves against 51 shots for Edmonton and Minnesota's Tyler Carlson earned the win with 32 saves.
"He's been solid for us all year and when you get goaltending like that you have to win the games," Rush head coach/GM Derek Keenan said of Bold. "We wasted an outstanding goaltending performance and a pretty-good defensive performance because our offense has just gone stagnant.
"It's all about performance and on offense we have players that just aren't performing. Nine goals in almost five quarters of lacrosse is not good enough and I'm tired of it. With the guys we have there is no reason we shouldn't be scoring more."
"This was a big game on the road trip and the guys new it and for some reason we were sloppy from the get-go," he added.
Ryan Ward (2G, 1A), was the top scorer for Edmonton, while Tom Johnson, (1G, 1A), Shawn Williams (1G, 1A), Jarett Toll (1G, 1A), Aaron Wilson (1G, 1A) and Corey Small (1G, 1A) each chipped in two points each. Benesch fired a hat-trick for Minnesota and Callum Crawford (1G, 5A) led all scorers with six points.
Williams started the scoring for Edmonton just 78-seconds into the opening quarter on the power-play and the Swarm answered back one-minute later to tie the score 1-1 at the âHive'.
While on a four-against-three power-play opportunity Ward quick-sticked Small's feed off a pretty passing play to put Edmonton ahead mid-way through the quarter before Small came in alone while short-handed and beat Carlson with the dip and dunk to go ahead 3-1.
Minnesota scored again with under one-minute left to play as Edmonton, on the strength of three special-teams goals, led the Swarm 3-2 after the opening frame, despite getting outshot 8-6.
Edmonton added another special teams' marker in the second quarter as Dilks, while short-handed, found the back of the net at 2:09 and then the Rush continued the run when Johnson tallied to put the visitors up 5-2.
The Swarm fired back with two more goals in a span of 97-seconds to close within one goal before Crawford tied it 5-5 with only 3.6 seconds left in the half with the extra attacker on.
After more than eight-minutes of scoreless play in the third quarter Edmonton's Tinning and Toll played catch in the attack zone before Toll converted from in close to grab a 6-5 lead and then Minnesota answered back 53-seconds later to tie the score and had another before the stanza ended as the Swarm took a 7-6 lead into the fourth quarter.
Ryan Ward ripped his second of the night, in transition, just 38-seconds into the frame and after Minnesota quickly answered back, Lafontaine received a beautiful outlet pass from goaltender Bold and knotted the score 8-8 with his tally.
Edmonton went ahead 9-8 when former Swarm forward Wilson took Johnson's feed down the middle and deposited the ball past Carlson at 5:03 before Minnesota captain Suitor tied it up 9-9 with only 70-seconds left in the quarter to force the extra frame.
Both goalies were tested in overtime and Bold made at least five dynamite stops before Benesch potted the game-winner.
The Rush wraps up the final leg of the four-game road swing next Friday Feb. 10 against the Calgary Roughnecks in the first instalment of the Battle of Alberta (live on Sportsnet West) and the next home action at Crystal Glass Field at Rexall Place for Edmonton is Feb. 24 against Brodie Merrill and the Philadelphia Wings.
National Lacrosse League Stories from February 11, 2012
- Mammoth Stars Take 'Polar Plunge' - Colorado Mammoth
- Washington Stealth Loses 12-11 to the Calgary Roughnecks - Washington Stealth
- Goaltender Bold shines in defeat - Edmonton Rush
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