Saskatchewan Rush prepare to kick off NLL semifinals on the road in Halifax
The last time the Saskatchewan Rush found themselves matched up in an NLL semifinal series, Jake Boudreau was a 19-year-old burgeoning lacrosse star with his hometown Brampton Excelsiors in Ontario.
Now after three professional lacrosse seasons seven years later, he’s aiming to help the Rush get back to the NLL championship finals.
“I came around three years ago and a lot of the guys came in the same year as me or after,” said Boudreau.
For the first time since 2018 when they won it all, the Rush are back in the NLL’s ‘Final Four’ with a three-game semifinal series approaching against the third-seeded Halifax Thunderbirds.
The Rush are coming off a 13-9 victory over the Georgia Swarm on Saturday night, keeping their season alive and pushing the team forward to a best-of-three series against Halifax.
Rallying from a 2-0 deficit to Georgia, it’s a story which has been written all season long on Saskatchewan’s ability to overcome early deficits and win games.
Something that isn’t fazing the team heading into their second-round series versus the Thunderbirds.
“Every time we let in goals early our offence finds a way to score,” said Boudreau. “We don’t usually leave the first quarter down a lot. We might be down 3-0, 4-0, 2-0, but we always are within reach at the end of the quarter. So that helps us a lot.”
Halifax has been an Achilles heel of sorts for Saskatchewan over the past three NLL seasons, winning four of five meetings including a decisive 17-9 win on their home floor back on March 14.
Scoring the second-most goals across the league this year, the Thunderbirds will be Saskatchewan’s biggest test this season according to co-head coach and general manager Derek Keenan.
“They kind of thrive on unsettled play,” said Keenan. “They’re very good at it, they obviously have a very good faceoff player in Jake Withers. Their offence has been absolutely on fire lately, they have two good goalies, so it’s going to be a big challenge for us.”
In net, the Thunderbirds will likely send out Drew Hutchison who is coming off a 16-12 victory over the Calgary Roughnecks in Halifax’s quarterfinal matchup.
However, Halifax has deployed a two-goaltender system this season and the Rush could see Warren Hill at the other end of the floor.
Saskatchewan’s starter meanwhile will be Frank Scigliano, after putting up 39 saves in the team’s victory over Georgia last weekend.
Two of the NLL’s premier faceoff talents will be matched up in the dot in Halifax, with Thunderbirds veteran Jake Withers and Rush rookie Jake Naso going head-to-head in a battle which could decide much of the possession on Saturday night.
According to Scigliano, it will be up to the Rush to stay disciplined against the Thunderbirds’ powerful offence and lock up defensively where they can.
“They’re a great team, super fast, super talented,” said Scigliano. “We’re just going to take it one game at a time right? We’re not going to look too far ahead, obviously it’s a big test and they did take it to us last time.
“It will be good for us to get in there and show them that we’ve changed since the last time we played each other.”
The Rush and Thunderbirds will square off for Game 1 at Scotiabank Centre in Halifax at 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, with the series shifting back to SaskTel Centre in Saskatoon the following weekend for Game 2 and Game 3, if needed.
globalnews
