Rush Face Champs in Bid to Stay Undefeated
January 28, 2014 - National Lacrosse League (NLL)
Edmonton Rush News Release
Edmonton, AB---The Edmonton Rush are the National Lacrosse League's only unbeaten team and they will look to keep their perfect start intact on Saturday night when they host the Rochester Knighthawks.
This is the best start to a season in Rush history as they are also undefeated in two home games. The Rush remained unbeaten last Saturday, storming back in the second half to beat the Vancouver Stealth 9-8 for their second road win of the year. Rochester also entered last weekend's action at 3-0 but they were upended 11-10 by Buffalo.
The Rush will look to continue their undefeated start against a team they have had great, albeit limited, regular-season success against. Edmonton is 4-1 in regular-season action against Rochester including a pair of wins last season and overtime victories in the first two meetings between the teams.
Zack Greer and Jarrett Davis each scored four goals with Greer adding four assists for an eight-point game when the Rush whipped Rochester 14-10 late in the 2013 season. Alex Turner added a pair of goals, with singles for the Rush going to Curtis Knight, Corey Small, Mark Matthews, and Cory Conway. That victory completed the season sweep for the Rush who had topped the K-Hawks 11-9 in Rochester during a five-game road winning streak. Zack Greer led the Rush with four goals, Mark Matthews added a hat trick, and singles went to Curtis Knight and Corey Small.
Both of Edmonton's previous regular-season wins over Rochester had come in overtime. The Rush played host to the Knighthawks in 2008 for their first-ever meeting and came away with a 10-9 as Jimmy Quinlan led his team with two goals and three assists. The Rush picked up their second straight OT win over the Knighthawks with a 12-11 victory during the 2010 campaign. Edmonton, which potted the game-winner just 20 seconds into overtime, got two-goal games from both Corey Small and Jimmy Quinlan.
Rochester finally topped Edmonton during the 2011 NLL season, picking up a 13-9 home-floor victory behind a four-goal game from ex-Rush sniper Mike Accursi. Corey Small and Brett Mydske each scored twice for Edmonton in the losing cause.
The Knighthawks do hold the edge in playoff meetings with the Rush, and it is a big edge. The K-Hawks roared back from a 6-1 deficit to beat the Rush 9-6 and claim the 2012 NLL Champion's Cup title - the third championship win in Knighthawks' history. Zack Greer led Edmonton in scoring with two goals.
The Rush remained unbeaten on the year thanks to a big comeback against the Stealth last Saturday in Langley, B.C. Trailing 7-2 at halftime, the Rush outscored the Stealth 7-1 over the second half to take the come-from-behind victory. Goaltender Brodie Macdonald came off the bench for his first appearance of the season and managed 23 saves in over 44 minutes of action to pick up the victory.
Curtis Knight and Mark Matthews each had two goals and three assists for the Rush. Zack Greer added a pair of goals, Jarrett Davis and Cory Conway each had a goal and three assists, and Robert Church notched a goal to round out the Rush scoring.
Mark Matthews, the reigning NLL Rookie of the Year, leads the Rush in points (26) and goals (11) through five games. Curtis Knight and Zack Greer are one back of Matthews in goals with 10 each, and Jarrett Davis is second on the team with 13 assists. Knight and Davis are tied for second on the Rush with 19 points apiece.
Rush vs. Knighthawks -Season-by-Season Glance
2013
14-10 Rush win at Edmonton (Zack Greer racks up four goals and four assists)
11-9 Rush win at Rochester (Zack Greer paces Rush attack with four goals)
2012
*9-6 Knighthawks win at Rochester (Cody Jamieson racks up eight points including four goals)
*denotes playoff game - Champion's Cup Final
2011
13-9 Knighthawks win at Rochester (Mike Accursi scores four goals against former club)
2010
12-11 Rush overtime win at Rochester (Andy Secore completes hat trick with game-winner)
2008
10-9 Rush overtime win at Edmonton (Jimmy Quinlan scores twice and adds three assists)
Statistically Speaking: Edmonton's power play, which went 1-for-2 against Vancouver, is at 50.0% on the year (13-for-26). The Rush's penalty killing is now up to 70.6% (12-for-17 in kills) ... Curtis Knight leads the Rush and is tied for first in the NLL with five power-play goals ... The Rush's 54 goals-for on the year is the highest among NLL teams with only four games played, and their 32 goals-against is the best in the entire league ... It should be an interesting clash between the pipes when the Knighthawks take on the Rush. Rochester's Matt Vinc and Edmonton's Aaron Bold are currently tied for second in the league with three wins. Bold also sports the NLL's best goals-against average at 8.60, but Vinc is right behind in second with a 8.80 GAA.
By The Numbers: Jarrett Davis and Curtis Knight scored eight seconds apart in the fourth quarter against Vancouver - just one second off the team record for fastest two goals by two different players. The record of seven seconds was set by Chris Gill and Jamie Roy against New York in 2007 ... Zack Greer's back-to-back goals against the Stealth came just 2:30 apart, but that's well off the team record of 44 seconds also set by Gill in 2007 against Philadelphia ... The Rush have outscored their opposition 27-14 in second-half action so far this season ... Saturday's game is Edmonton's first of the season against an East Division opponent. In fact, it is the first of four in a row against East teams - the following two on the road at Philadelphia and Minnesota before returning home to face Toronto. The Rush went 4-1 against the East in 2013 ... Chris Corbeil leads the Rush with 30 loose balls, two up on Jeremy Thompson ... Brett Mydske is tops on the Rush with eight forced turnovers, one better than both Kyle Rubisch and Jeremy Thompson ... On the dot so far this season, Jeremy Thompson is at 45.8% (44-for-96).
Tickets are available by calling the Rush office at 780 732-RUSH.
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National Lacrosse League Stories from January 28, 2014
- Knighthawks 'Taking the Plunge' for Special Olympics - Rochester Knighthawks
- Rush Face Champs in Bid to Stay Undefeated - Edmonton Rush
- Powell Returns to Mammoth - Colorado Mammoth
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