The Saskatchewan Rush stopped the Rochester Knighthawks from making a comeback in Game 1 of the National Lacrosse League (NLL) Cup championship series on Saturday.
A seven-goal run was the surge in momentum the Rush needed for the 16-9 victory, which gives them a critical lead in the best-of-three series.
Saskatchewan actually trailed 4-3 in the second quarter. Robert Church then netted a shorthander past Knighthawks goalie Matt Vinc. Soon after, Church received a pass from Matthew Dinsdale, and gunned home his second to give the Rush a 5-4 lead.
Saskatchewan’s 6-4 half-time lead was quickly bolstered as they collected four goals in the third quarter. The seven-goal burst concluded with Mark Matthews, the NLL’s leading scorer, sending a rocket into the net.
The visitors never got closer than four goals down. Eric Fannell led Knighthawks’ scoring with two goals.
In the fourth quarter, Church potted his fourth of the game to make it 13-8.
Knighthawks defender Billy Dee Smith was called for a rare triple minor, which totalled six minutes in the penalty box, with 6:18 left on the clock.
The 16-9 win was Saskatchewan’s first of three meetings with Rochester this season.
Evan Kirk made 35 saves in front of a home crowd of 11,842 at SaskTel Centre in Saskatoon. Vinc, who was briefly pulled after the Rush’s seven-goal run, kept 48 shots out of the net.
The teams with meet for Game 2 of the NLL final on June 2 in Rochester, N.Y.