Three Rush Players are Standouts at Mid Season
March 7, 2014 - National Lacrosse League (NLL)
Edmonton Rush News Release
Edmonton, AB---Here are tonight's three stars .. Oh, wait. Scratch that. Game is tomorrow night, Saturday, March 8, but ....
Here are the mid-season three stars of the Edmonton Rush, the unbeaten front-runners in the NLL and eyeing a ninth straight win when they host the Vancouver Stealth Saturday night on Crystal Glass Field at Rexall Place. The Rush are 8-0, and a game away from reaching the new halfway point of the NLL's expanded 18-game regular-season schedule.
Mid-season 3rd Star ... Curtis Knight
Knight is often in the shadows most likely he's about 5-foot-9 and his fellow Rush top shooter (16 goals) is 6-foot-5 reigning NLL Rookie of the Year Mark Matthews. But Knight, who was also a junior teammate of Matthews' in Whitby under Rush coach Derek Keenan, is more than holding his own with his much more highly touted running mate. Along with being tied with Matthews for the team lead in goals, he is second in points with 30 (seven behind Matthews) and is tied for team-lead with Matthews both having five power-play goals.
Knight isn't the biggest dog in the Rush clubhouse but he takes the body, occasionally gets a little feisty on the floor, show plenty of hustle (37 loose balls to his credit), and provides the Rush with a second clear-cut top gun. He is Iceman to Matthews' Maverick.
Mid-season 2nd Star ... Jeremy Thompson
In baseball, there's the utility guy who can play two or three positions, bat up and down the lineup, and steps up at key times. In hockey, he's the third-liner who can score, hit, fight, and kill penalties. In lacrosse, he's Thompson.
Thompson takes pretty much every faceoff for the Rush, and other than when squaring off against one of two Snider Brothers (the NLL's faceoff kings), he's been effective at getting possession for Edmonton. Thompson virtually defines the transition position. He is amongst the NLL leaders in loose balls, forced turnovers, shooting percentage, and is already one goal away from tying his career-high of seven. He's also become a fan favorite and hasn't shied away from adding some agitation from his role as evidenced from his (alleged) ruckus-rousing at the end of the home-turf win over Rochester.
Mid-season 1st Star ... Aaron Bold
About the only thing Bold hasn't done this season is score a goal (he does have four assists however). But Bold is unquestionably been the biggest deal for the Rush this season - first in the NLL with seven wins, first in goals-against average, and third in save-percentage. Yes, Bold has benefited from having a stellar defense in front of him anchored by standouts Kyle Rubisch, Chris Corbeil, and Brett Mydske. But Bold has still made the stops when required. Seven times this season, Bold has made 30-plus saves in a game including a season-high 40 in the Rush's home-opener blowout win over Colorado, and he's been pulled only once.
Bold has never struggled with confidence. It's been a more question of reliability. So far this year, nothing has indicated that Bold can't be counted on. He looks every bit the part of not just a number-one goalie but one of the NLL's best and a contender for both Goaltender of the Year and Most Valuable Player award come year end.
National Lacrosse League Stories from March 7, 2014
- Stealth Travel to Edmonton - Vancouver Stealth
- Helmets Reflect Saturday's 'I'm Playing For' Campaign - Colorado Mammoth
- Three Rush Players are Standouts at Mid Season - Edmonton Rush
- Paul Dawson Gets Noticed for Offensive Effort - Rochester Knighthawks
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