Rush Face Mammoth in Must Win

Published on April 16, 2009 under National Lacrosse League (NLL)
Edmonton Rush News Release


Edmonton, AB--The Edmonton Rush can qualify for the National Lacrosse League playoffs for the first time in franchise history if they pull off the biggest win in franchise history and get a little help along the way.

Already holding two wins this season over the Colorado Mammoth, the Rush need to make it a clean sweep of the season series to have any shot at the playoffs. If the Rush win, they will also need some help from the New York Titans. If the Titans beat the Minnesota Swarm, combined with the Rush victory over the Mammoth, Edmonton will claim the fourth and final playoff berth in the NLL's West Division.

If Edmonton, Minnesota and Colorado all finish the season with 6-10 records, the Rush would claim fourth place based on the tiebreaker of records between the tied teams. A Rush win over the Mammoth and a Swarm loss to the Titans would give Edmonton the edge based on three wins against Colorado and one loss to Minnesota - a tiebreaker total of +2. Colorado's tiebreaker total would be -1 (three losses vs. Edmonton and two wins vs. Minnesota) and Minnesota's tiebreaker total would be -1 (two losses vs. Colorado and one win vs. Edmonton).

The Rush, Swarm and Mammoth will fight it out for fourth place with the winner moving on to a first-round encounter with the Calgary Roughnecks. San Jose and Portland have already claimed the other two West Division playoff spots.

After seven straight losses to the Mammoth since entering the league in 2006, the Rush have rebounded to take both games during the 2009 season. The Rush captured their first-ever victory over the Mammoth on Jan. 24 with an 11-9 decision in Denver. Ryan Benesch led the way for the Rush in the win over Colorado as he sparked the offence with three goals and five assists. Dan Teat also was a key contributor with three goals and four assists while Andy Secore and Jason Wulder chipped in four points apiece. Chris Levis, playing against his former club, made 43 saves between the pipes for Edmonton.

The teams met again on Feb. 22 in a rare Sunday matchup and the Rush took a 10-9 verdict at Rexall Place behind four goals from Callum Crawford. Andy Secore also was a key contributor as he provided a goal and five assists while Chris Levis turned aside 40 shots.

Prior to that win in Denver, the Rush had stumbled through seven games against the Mammoth. In fact, the Rush have suffered some of their worst setbacks when facing the perennial NLL powerhouse including the most-lopsided loss in team history. Goaltenders Curtis Palidwor and Matt King were bombarded with 54 shots as the Rush were pounded 15-4 last season in Denver.

The Rush lost all three meetings with the Mammoth in 2008, beginning with a 14-11 loss in the season-opener in Denver. Ben Prepchuk, Mike Accursi and A.J. Shannon each had five points for the Rush in that game. Edmonton was also beaten at home by the Mammoth 13-8 on the tail-end of a home-and-home weekend series with Colorado. Jimmy Quinlan led the Rush attack with five assists while Mike Hominuck chipped in two goals and two assists.

In the Rush's inaugural season of 2006, they were topped 15-10 at Colorado and 13-7 at Rexall Place. A year later, the Mammoth swept both games from the Rush by scores of 16-9 in Edmonton and 16-7 in Denver.

The Rush are coming off a narrow 14-13 home-floor loss to the Calgary Roughnecks last weekend. Dan Teat chipped in five points for the Rush while Jimmy Quinlan and Ryan Benesch each notched hat tricks.

Dan Teat further completed a record-setting season with the Rush as he eclipsed Chris Gill's team mark for points in a season last week. Teat enters this weekend with 64 points - two better than Gill's record set in 2007. Teat, who has 28 goals and 36 assists on the year so far, joined Andy Secore as they both moved ahead of Jason Wulder for the Rush's team record for assists in a season. Secore, who had 19 goals and 38 assists, moved past Wulder who set the record at 35 in 2007. Secore and Mike Hominuck are close to moving past another team mark. They enter the season finale with 13 power-play assists, two shy of Jimmy Quinlan's record set in '07. Two other team records are also in reach during the final game. Teat needs to notch the game-winner to move past the club mark of two held by Randy Daly and Jason Wulder, while Callum Crawford needs one shorthanded marker to equal the mark of three set by Daly in 2007.

Teat's 10 power-play goals put him in tied for 12th in the NLL and Secore's 38 assists are tied for 23rd in the league. Ian Hawksbee and Chris McKay sit fourth and fifth, respectively, in the NLL with 137 and 134 loose balls on the year.

Brian Langtry leads the Mammoth with 76 points and Gavin Prout is next at 70 points. Edmonton product has 18 goals and 31 points

Statistically Speaking: Rush goaltender Chris Levis stands ninth in the league with an 11.10 goals-against average and he is tied for fifth with a .774 save-percentage ... The Rush and Mammoth are nearly even in power-play production this season. Edmonton's power play sits sixth at 46.0% (34 goals in 74 opportunities) and Colorado sits fifth at 47.3% (43 goals in 91 opportunities. There is a wide margin in penalty-killing however as Colorado is second in the league at 60.0% and Edmonton is last at 38.1% ... The Mammoth have given up a league-high 12 shorthanded goals and scored the fewest shorthanded goals with just three.

By The Numbers: Edmonton finished the year with an average home attendance of 8,347 - good enough for seventh in the NLL ... A victory over Colorado could not only put the Rush in the playoffs, it will equal their franchise mark for wins in a season.

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