Rochester Knighthawks (4-4) At Edmonton Rush (1-6)
Published on March 13, 2008 under National Lacrosse League (NLL)
Edmonton Rush News Release
Edmonton,AB---This is the first ever meeting between the Rochester Knighthawks and Edmonton Rush. Rochester is just the fourth East Division team to play in Edmonton since the Rush joined the National Lacrosse League in 2006.
The Rush have a 2-3 record in home games against rivals from the East with wins coming against Philadelphia and Toronto. They have lost twice to Toronto at home and once to Minnesota.
The Rush are coming off a bye week which came on the heels of the club earning its first victory of the season with a 9-7 road win in Portland on March 1. The win was also the first for new Rush GM/Head Coach Bob Hamley who took over the team following the dismissal of Paul Day after the Rush's fifth game of the season.
Rush goaltender Curtis Palidwor was named the NLL's Defensive Player of the Week for his 47-save effort against the LumberJax while Steve Hutchins picked up the Rookie of the Week award as he notched one goal and five assists in the game.
Following the game, the Rush were involved in what was the biggest trade of the 2008 NLL season so far. Four teams made significant roster changes in the combined transactions which ultimately saw the Rush give up conditional draft picks and forward A.J. Shannon who was the club's leading goal-scorer at the time of the deal. In return, the Rush acquired forward Lindsay Plunkett from the Chicago Shamrox along with a first-round pick in the 2008 NLL Entry Draft and forward Mike Hominuck from the Minnesota Swarm.
Plunkett had 22 points in six games with the Shamrox this season and helped the Arizona Sting reach the NLL Champion's Cup final last season. Hominuck had 21 points in seven games with the Swarm.
The Rush have made three other recent roster moves: forward Brenden Thenhaus was acquired from the Philadelphia Wings in exchange for a third-round pick in the 2008 NLL Entry Draft; forward Ben Prepchuk, who had registered three goals and 11 assists in five games, was placed on Injured Reserve; and forward Kevin Olson, who managed one goal in two games, was released.
With the Knighthawks in town, it is the first opportunity for the Rush's Mike Accursi to face his old teammates. Accursi led the Knighthawks and the entire NLL in playoff scoring last spring as Rochester went on to win the Champion's Cup. Accursi was then traded in the off-season to Edmonton and has since become the Rush's leading scorer with 27 points (10 goals, 17 assists) in seven games.
Just behind Accursi in the Rush scoring derby is forward Jimmy Quinlan who has picked up nine goals and 14 assists for 23 points so far this season. Dan Stroup has also reached the 20-point plateau as he continues to be one the club's hottest shooters. Stroup has seven goals in his last three games giving him nine on the season and he is coming off a four-assist effort against Portland which gives the veteran forward 21 points on the year.
Chris Gill leads the Rush with four power-play goals while Accursi, Quinlan and Plunkett all have six assists on the man-advantage. Captain Chris McElroy leads the Rush with 51 loose balls, only two ahead of Ian Hawksbee. McElroy is also tied for 12th in the league in shooting percentage at 40.0% (four goals on 10 shots).
Goaltender Curtis Palidwor is now sixth in the NLL with a .768 save-percentage.
The Rush have scored the fewest power-play goals in the NLL and are ninth on the power play at 15-for-38 (39.5%). The Rush's penalty-killing is last in the NLL having surrendered 15 goals in 26 shorthanded situations (42.3%). Edmonton has not scored or given up a shorthanded goal this season.
Rochester, which has won three of its last four games, comes into Edmonton sporting some of the league's most-prolific offensive talents. John Grant, one of the NLL's all-time greats, leads the Knighthawks and is tied for fourth in the league with 25 goals and his 53 points also put him fourth in the NLL. Scott Evans is sixth in the NLL with 23 goals while Shawn Evans is tied for 15th with 17 goals. Shawn Williams has moved into a tie for 11th in points with 45 and Steve Toll sits second in the NLL with 95 loose balls.
The Knighthawks' power play is tied for sixth in the league, having gone 24-for-58 (41.2%), but Rochester's penalty-killing is tops in the NLL having surrendered 24 goals in 66 shorthanded opportunities (63.6%). The Knighthawks have a league-leading 12 shorthanded goals and they have given up six shorthanded goals.
The clash between the Knighthawks and Rush will be followed on Sunday by the NLL All-Star Game at Rexall Place. Both clubs will be well-represented in the matchup between the East and West Divisions.
Suiting up for the West from the Rush and making his second straight All-Star Game appearance will be Jimmy Quinlan. He'll be joined by Mike Accursi, who is making his first appearance in a West uniform, and Chris McElroy, who is making his first appearance. The West will also be coached by Rush GM/Head Coach Bob Hamley thanks to his role behind the bench with Arizona last season guiding the Sting to the West Division title.
Rochester's John Grant will be in the East's starting lineup and he'll be joined by Steve Toll and Scott Evans. The East will be coached by the Knighthawks' Ed Comeau.
National Lacrosse League Stories from March 13, 2008
- Knighthawks To Air NLL All-Star Pregame Show On March 16 - Rochester Knighthawks
- Rochester Knighthawks (4-4) At Edmonton Rush (1-6) - Edmonton Rush
- Last Chance To Be A Part Of The Blackout - Colorado Mammoth
- Portland Boasts Three All-Stars - Portland Lumberjax
- Toronto Rock Host New York Titans for a Second Time this Season - Toronto Rock
- NLL Skills Competition Preview - Edmonton Rush
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