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Wings Trim Rush 16-15 in Last Goal Wins Game

March 17, 2012 - National Lacrosse League (NLL)
Philadelphia Wings News Release


Philadelphia - It was last goal wins in National Lacrosse League action Saturday at Wells Fargo Center as the Philadelphia Wings trimmed the Edmonton Rush 16-15.

Shawn Williams' record-setting 189th consecutive NLL game was spoiled late in the final frame as the Wings' Brendan Murdorf had two power-play markers in the final three minutes as Philadelphia tied the score then went ahead 16-15 to take the contest.

Edmonton exits its first-ever visit to Philadelphia on a three-game losing skid and fell to 2-7 on the season with the loss while Philadelphia improved to 6-4 and in top spot in the East.

The two clubs split the season series as the Rush defeated Philadelphia 12-10 Feb. 24 in Edmonton.

Saturday, Williams (2G, 7A) had a team-high and tied a franchise mark with nine points, but the Rush suffered their third one-goal loss of the year and Edmonton failed to close the game out with a disappointing fourth quarter, once again.

"Well, it's another frustrating loss and the guys are in the room thinking and knowing we aren't a 2-7 team, but the reality is we are," said Rush head coach/GM Derek Keenan. "I'm sounding like a broken record again, but we just haven't been able to play 60 minutes.

"We had great compete to battle back and in the fourth quarter had a chance to win the game and at the end of the game it came to composure and we had another lapse."

Ryan Ward (3G, 4A), Scott Evans (3G, 3A) and Tom Johnson (3G, 3A) all had hat-tricks for Edmonton and Zack Greer (2G, 1A) had three points, while Aaron Wilson had five assists.

Philadelphia's Dan Dawson (2G, 10A) and former Rush forward Mike Hominuck (3G, 9 A) each had 12 points and Kevin Crowley (4G, 3A) and Murdorf (3G, 4A) both had seven points.

"We had a great buy-in from our offensive group that we hadn't been getting," Keenan said. "It's unfortunate that we scored 15 and lost. We should win those games, especially with our defense and goaltending.

"We've figured out ways to lose games rather than win games."

Rush netminder Bold (2-7) stopped 35-of-49 shots on net and Philadelphia's Brandon Miller made 34 saves in the win.

The Rush exploded for six goals in the opening quarter and the nine goals scored in the first half matched the club's total last week in a 16-9 loss against Calgary.

Philadelphia started quickly with two goals in just over three minutes of play into the opening quarter before Edmonton's Johnson converted from in alone on the edge of the crease at 6:34.

The Wings quickly responded to take a 3-1 lead until Edmonton fired back with tallies by Evans and Johnson's second of the game with the extra attacker to tie the score 3-3.

Riding the run, the Rush took their first lead of the game when Evans ripped his team-leading 18th of the year and the three-goal rally over a 144-second span saw Williams' quick-stick at the side of the crease at 11:46 put the Rush up 5-3.

It was a hat trick for Evans as his one bounder on the power-play bested Miller and Edmonton took a 6-4 lead after the opening quarter of play.

Philadelphia went on a two-goal run early in the second quarter to knot the score 6-6 before Ward cut towards the Wings net and went high on Miller to put Edmonton up 7-6 and then Derek Suddons steamed up in transition and fired a rocket to make it a two goal bulge.

The Rush added to their total as a strange bounce off an awry Edmonton pass deflected into the Philly net, credited to Zack Greer, to gave the visitors a 9-6 lead midway through the frame and the Wings added a goal with less than three minutes remaining in the half for Edmonton's 9-7 lead.

With a goal just 35-seconds into the third quarter and three more tallies in for the Wings, Philadelphia took an 11-9 lead to chase Bold from Edmonton's net and the run continued with goals past Brodie MacDonald as the Wings built up a 13-9 lead.

Captain Jimmy Quinlan shook off a Wings defender and beat Miller to stop the Philadelphia run and then Edmonton clawed back within two tallies as Greer converted from the side of the crease and then Ward found the back of the net from in close as the Rush made it a one goal deficit.

Johnson went screaming down the right flank and deposited the ball past Miller for his hat trick marker with 78-seconds left tin the quarter to tie the score 13-13.

An Edmonton five-on-three power-play attempt to start the fourth quarter saw the Wings' Miller stop five shots and diffuse the opportunity, but the Rush took the lead back seconds later as Williams fired his second goal and eighth point on the night to go ahead 14-13 at 2:30.

Just 81-seconds later the Wings tied the score 14-14 and later on in the frame Philadelphia killed off another Rush power-play attempt before Ward ripped a long range blast from the restraining line, while short-handed, to take a 15-14 lead with over ten minutes gone.

Edmonton took two minors with 3:11 left and the Wings tied the score on the power-play and added another man-advantage tally 29-seconds later as Philadelphia grabbed a 16-15 lead on the Murdorf scores.

The Wings were able to close out the clock against Edmonton for the win.

The Rush returns to Edmonton for a two-game homestand at Crystal Glass Field at Rexall Place, Saturday, March 24 against the Washington Stealth and Saturday, March 31 versus the Minnesota Swarm.

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