Twenty seconds remaining in game two of the Champions Cup. Tie game. With a win, the Saskatchewan Rush could capture their second title in as many years. Jeff Cornwall, not known for his scoring ability, picks up a rebound just outside of his own defensive zone. As the defenceman looks up, he realizes the space he has and turns on the jets, racing towards the Buffalo Bandits net in front of a sold out crowd at the SaskTel Centre. He sprints into Bandits territory, the noise inside the arena is deafening. He has a clear cut breakaway against Anthony Cosmo. The clock ticks down to 12 seconds as he moves into the slot and fires a shot past the Buffalo netminder. The stadium erupts.
Cornwall was still reliving the moment after the game, and smiled as he reminisced about his once in a lifetime opportunity.
“In minor lacrosse, I probably got, like, an assist in the championship. Maybe I crossed centre once or twice.”
Minutes later and captain Chris Corbeil was hoisting the Champions Cup. Every single fan in the building stayed to watch the celebration. The Rush won over an entire province who had no idea they would be watching a professional sports team only a few months ago. They walked into Saskatoon and took over. The Rush were the hottest ticket in town, and for good reason.
It was a season to remember for Saskatchewan, who made history as just the sixth team in the National Lacrosse League to win back-to-back titles.
Just as it ended, the Rush provided a memorable tally to open up the game. Mark Matthews continued to put on an absolute show for Saskatchewan, giving the Rush a 1-0 advantage with an incredible solo effort. Receiving a pass from Robert Church, Matthews drove to the net with his head down, diving from just outside the crease, rifling a shot far-side and into the back of the net. The Rush jumped out to a 2-0 lead before the Bandits fought back with three unanswered of their own. After one quarter, Buffalo led 4-3.
Both teams exchanged blows in the second quarter. The green and black capped off the half with four seconds left. Zack Greer received a feed from Church in the slot before snapping a shot short-side and past Cosmo, tying the game at 5-5.
Coming out of halftime, the Bandits seemed determined to lock the series at one game apiece, taking their first of two two-goal leads. Nick Weiss and Ryan Benesch provided the tallies, and the SaskTel Centre, for the first time, was eerily quiet.
The fan base wouldn’t be silenced for long.
The Rush never threw in the towel, kept battling, and found themselves tied once again after two unanswered sprung life into the stadium. Fans were giving their team a standing ovation, pounding their chests and providing much needed energy to their bench. The atmosphere inside the SaskTel Centre was truly incredible.
“They just know how to win,” said Buffalo coach Troy Cordingley. “They keep coming.”
Greer scored a shorthanded goal to tie it, and had a chance to take the lead after being hauled down on a breakaway. The penalty shot would be unsuccessful, and the Bandits took advantage.
Mark Steenhuis and NLL’s top goal scorer, Dhane Smith, handed Buffalo a two-goal lead heading into the final frame.
But, as they had all season long, the green and black came back, hungry for an NLL title that belonged to them. Matthews quarterbacked the power play, providing some great ball movement before finding an open shooting lane from the top of the slot, beating Cosmo over the stick. 9-8. Five minutes later, Church tied the game once again. Matthews found Greer on the right wing before hitting a streaking Church in the slot. The forward carried his momentum into a one-on-one with Cosmo, beating him over the shoulder. 9-9.
Church wasn’t done yet. Matthews and Church played pitch and catch just inside hostile territory. A turnaround shot from Church provided the go-ahead goal with five minutes remaining. The fans inside the SaskTel Centre were itching for a championship, thinking this was how it was going to end, but the Bandits had other ideas.
Kevin Brownell of Buffalo scored ten seconds later to tie the game up, setting the stage for a possible overtime bout. Cornwall made sure that wasn’t going to happen.
A championship run is tough to do without a quality goaltender, but to say Aaron Bold was just “quality,” would be an understatement. He continuously kept his team in the game, making consecutive saves on one-timer opportunities, and is well deserving of the infamous chant “Stone Cold Aaron Bold!” The Rush netminder was named series MVP. He ended the game with 47 saves.
The Rush have won another title, and can still do damage for years to come. Saskatchewan has three first-round selections in the upcoming draft, and will, without a doubt, have a chance for a third consecutive championship.
