Rush 10th Anniversary Celebration Saturday Night
January 9, 2015 - National Lacrosse League (NLL)
Edmonton Rush News Release
Edmonton, AB---It wasn't the perfect start to the 2015 season, but the Edmonton Rush's first outing wasn't entirely bad.
The Rush opened the National Lacrosse League last weekend by dropping a 9-8 verdict in Buffalo to the Bandits. A sluggish scoreless second quarter was the Rush's downfall. Outscoring the Bandits 5-3 in the second half was a significant boost that the Rush hope will carry them into this Saturday's home-opener on Crystal Glass Field at Rexall Place when they host the Minnesota Swarm.
"We started out well with a lot energy and then we just flat-lined," said Rush assistant coach Jimmy Quinlan. "We regrouped at halftime and played better in the second half. The big thing for us is to play a full 60 minutes. We have to be harder and more determined."
The Rush actually held a slim 3-2 advantage after the opening quarter against Buffalo but were derailed in the second stanza as former Rush Ryan Benesch who scored three straight goals including a shorthanded marker.
Edmonton climbed back into the game and nearly forced overtime in the dying second but ultimately fell short, losing for just the third time in its last 16 regular-season road games.
"I think we showed that we don't back down and that we're relentless," noted Rush forward Jarrett Davis.
Another bright spot for the Rush came in the form of Ben McIntosh, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2014 NLL Entry Draft, who racked up a natural hat trick featuring two goals coming only 1:04 apart.
"He was very good, and I think with a couple of bounces and shooting a little differently, he could have had five," said Quinlan. "He gets the ball around the net and he finishes, and he did a lot of positive things without the ball. I think we can continue to look to him to contribute every week."
One benefit of the loss - the Rush won't have to worry about the kind of additional weight on their shoulders that came with last season's record-setting 14-0 start.
"That pressure is off," said Davis. "Our focus can just be on getting better every week and we don't have to live up to all that hype."
The Rush will see somewhat of a mirror image of themselves when they clash with the Swarm. Both teams boast young legs with plenty of energy and enough offensive talent to match goals with the speedy breakouts. And like the Rush, the Swarm lost their season-opener, letting a 6-5 halftime cushion get sunk by giving up 11 goals in the fourth quarter and falling 20-13 to Colorado.
"We know they like to run and we like to run," added Quinlan. "We have to focus on us and take care of what we need to do. We don't have to make any major changes (from the Buffalo game) except for maybe running a little harder at times."
DECADE OF LACROSSE: Saturday's home-opener marks the launch of the Rush's 10th anniversary season in the NLL. Quinlan, who grew up in Sherwood Park, was in the starting lineup of the 2006 crew and was the last remaining original member of the Rush upon retiring after the 2013 season.
"We were a group of misfits trying to find our way in the league," recalled Quinlan, who missed only one regular-season game over his nine-year career and had his #81 jersey retired by the club last season.
2015 Edmonton Rush Season Tickets are now on sale and single game tickets are now on sale. The Rush open the 2015 Season, Saturday, January 10, 2015 against the Minnesota Swarm. For more information, please visit www.edmontonrush.com or phone 780 732-RUSH to speak with a ticket representative and get your tickets to the 10th year of Edmonton Rush lacrosse.
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National Lacrosse League Stories from January 9, 2015
- Rush 10th Anniversary Celebration Saturday Night - Edmonton Rush
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