The Bandits Are Here
Published on January 22, 2010 under National Lacrosse League (NLL)
Edmonton Rush News Release
Edmonton, AB--The Edmonton Rush open up the home-turf portion of their 2010 National Lacrosse League schedule when they take on the Buffalo Bandits.
Edmonton currently sits third in the NLL's West Division while Buffalo, which has struggled out of the gate, is fifth in the East.
The Rush officially began the new campaign last weekend with a doubleheader road trip taking them to Washington and Colorado. A difficult trend continued for the Rush as they dropped a 15-7 decision to the Stealth in Everett, leaving Edmonton with a 1-10 franchise record against the Stealth who were located in San Jose until the start of the 2010 season. The Rush, who never recovered from a seven-goal second quarter by Washington, were led by newcomers Ryan Ward and Dean Hill who each scored a pair of goals.
But things turned around for the Rush one night later when they traveled to Denver to meet the Mammoth. The Rush won for the first time in Colorado last season and kept up their suddenly proficient work at the Pepsi Center as they downed the Mammoth 14-13 for a second road win in Colorado. Many of the Rush's big-name acquisitions from the off-season found their groove and dominated the Edmonton attack.
Former Mammoth star Gavin Prout, who became Colorado's all-time leading scorer last season, played a huge role as playmaker against his former club. Prout tied a Rush team record for assists in a game with seven helpers with his main targets being Ryan Ward, Andy Secore, and Dean Hill. All three shooters were on the mark throughout the game - Ward connecting for four goals and three assists, while Secore and Hill each potted three goals. Ryan Powell hit the scoresheet in a big way with one goal and four assists, Jimmy Quinlan found the back of the net twice, and Brodie Merrill - the Rush's biggest off-season acquisition - scored once and collected five assists. Merrill also scooped up 23 loose balls, which set a Rush single-game record.
The win improved the Rush's all-time record versus the Mammoth to 3-8, with all three victories coming in the teams' past four meetings.
The visit by the Bandits is just the second encounter between the teams since the Rush joined the NLL in 2006. Buffalo trekked to Edmonton two seasons ago for a rare mid-week game and departed Rexall Place with a 13-8 win behind seven-point games from both Mark Steenhuis and former Rush forward Mike Accursi.
It has been a rough start to the 2010 season for the Bandits, who captured the NLL Champion's Cup two years ago. Buffalo dropped back-to-back games against East Division rival Rochester with a 10-5 setback on the road and a 13-11 loss at home. Along with Mike Accursi and Mark Steenhuis, the Bandits' lineup features former Rush sniper A.J. Shannon and Sherwood Park product Jon Harasym.
Welcome Party: A pair of rookies had an impact for the Rush over the past weekend. First-round pick Corey Small picked up his first NLL goal and added one assist against Washington, while defenceman Brett Mydske, the club's 2009 third-rounder, notched two assists in the win over Colorado.
Statistically Speaking: Edmonton's offensive outburst against the Mammoth pushed a pair of Rush players into the NLL's leaderboard. Ryan Ward is currently 10th in league scoring with 10 points (six goals, four assists) and Gavin Prout sits 18th with nine points (one goal, eight assists). Right behind Ward's six goals is Dean Hill who is second on the team with five goals. Brodie Merrill's 23 loose balls has him just four ahead of teammate Ian Hawksbee, who was the Rush team leader for the past two seasons. Merrill's total puts him third in the NLL while Hawksbee sits eighth.
By The Numbers: The Rush scored a pair of shorthanded goals (Andy Secore and Ryan Ward) against Colorado but the Mammoth still managed to go 4-for-8 on the power play. Penalty-killing was a sore spot for the Rush last season as the unit finished last in the league. Edmonton finished the 2009 campaign with an average home attendance of 8,347 -seventh in the NLL.
The team will practice Friday, January 22nd at the Leduc Recreation Centre 5 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. Shoot around on Saturday, January 23rd at Rexall Place is 10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
Tickets for Saturday's game are available by calling the Rush office at 780 732-RUSH or Ticketmaster at 780 451-8000 or on-line at www.ticketmaster.ca.
National Lacrosse League Stories from January 22, 2010
- Mammoth Notches First Victory Of 2010 In Minnesota - Colorado Mammoth
- Minnesota Swarm Fall To Colorado In Overtime - Minnesota Swarm
- Knighthawks Sign And Activate Defenseman Marshall Abrams - Rochester Knighthawks
- Help For Haiti - Edmonton Rush
- The Bandits Are Here - Edmonton Rush
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