YORKTON - If you are following the Saskatchewan Rush, and you really should be considering how entertaining the National Lacrosse League is, you will know the team has gotten off to a rather rocky start this season.
In fact, going into Saturday’s home game against Panther City the Rush were a less than impressive 1-4.
It’s not that the Rush have been dramatically outplayed, with the exception of a 1-5 loss in Albany Jan. 8, when the Rush were flatter than the Saskatchewan Prairies.
Toss out the clunker against the FireWolves and the Rush have been ever so close in their games – a 12-11 season opening loss in Halifax Dec. 4, and 11-10 home opener loss to Calgary Dec. 11, and a 12-11 loss to San Diego Jan. 14.
Even the lone Saskatchewan win going into the weekend was a squeaker 10-9 Dec. 17, in Vancouver.
What the Rush needed was a big effort, and they got it as they rolled over the expansion Panther City team 16-7.
With the offence rolling three players had seven point nights, Robert Church and Ryan Keenan, and Jeff Shattler. Shattler had four goals and three assists, Church had three goals and four assists, and Keenan had a goal and six helpers.
Shattler told Yorkton This Week the Rush had not had the season started they wanted.
“I think we struggled a little bit,” he said, adding the game Saturday was something of a break-out one, especially offensively. “. . . We came together.”
While the win did come against the NLL’s lone expansion franchise this season, Shattler is still hopeful it will set the tone for upcoming games.
“Maybe it’s a turn-around game for us,” he said, adding that while Panther City are an expansion team “any team in this league can win. This league is getting better.”
Regardless of who you defeat, or lose to, or what the score is, a team has to stay centered, said Shattler.
“You can’t be too high when you win,” he said, adding you can’t get too low in a loss either.
And, Shattler added “it’s only our second win this year.”
The Rush of course want to be in the playoffs and even with the win a record of 2-4 is hardly one that inspires confidence in making a run in the playoffs, or even getting there.
“We need to play desperate. We have to play hungry,” said Shattler, adding its time the Rush put some wins together to turn things around.
Perennial contenders since before the team moved to Saskatoon in 2016, the Rush may have headed into this season a bit “complacent,” offered Shattler. “We weren’t as hungry as we should have been.”
Now, with a decisive win, Shattler said the team needs to refocus on winning games.
“We need to put our foot on the gas pedal . . . no excuses,” he said.
The game versus Panther City was a big one for goaltender Adam Shute who made 32 saves. Shute is in his first year as the everyday starter and there were eyes on him with the rocky start.
Shattler said there is no need to worry about Shute.
“Once he gets comfortable he’s just going to get better and better,” he said.
The seven points however were big for Shattler personally.
“It’s always good to get going,” he said, especially coming after being held scoreless in the Rush previous two games, something Shattler said may not have happened before in his career. The 37-year-old was drafted in 2005 by Buffalo.
“I was a little down on myself. Two games with zero goals,” he said, adding when the team has lost three of its game by one goal, had he chipped in one or two more it could have made a difference.
On the weekend, Shattler said he wanted to score.
“I was hungry. I wanted to put up some numbers,” he said, adding the outburst on offence “felt good.”
The Rush are now off for a week before heading to Vancouver to face the Warriors Feb. 11, then down to Denver to play Colorado Feb. 20, in the first half of a home-and-home set that see the Mammoth visit Saskatoon Feb. 26.
