By Colton Swiderski

Brawl marks Sask. Rush 9-6 win over Calgary

Dec 17, 2016 | 12:36 PM

After trailing most of the game, the Saskatchewan Rush managed to overtake the Calgary Roughnecks 9-6 in National Lacrosse League pre-season action.

The SaskTel Centre exploded on Friday, Dec. 16 when a full out brawl broke out, prompted by Rush forward Robert Church getting slashed and ending with goalies ‘Stone Cold’ Aaron Bold and Calgary’s Frank Scigliano going at it.

“(That was my) first fight, I don’t condone fighting or anything like that but when the team needs help I’ll definitely stand up for them,” Bold said following the game. “It’s part of the game, we’re out there fighting for pride more than anything.”

“He’s a pretty tough guy, he’s fit, he’s strong,” head coach and general manager Derek Keenan said of Bold’s fight. 

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Roughneck Karsen Leung landed the first goal, followed by Dane Dobbie in a four-on-four to put them up 2-0.

With less than a minute remaining in the first quarter, the Rush’s leading points scorer Mark Matthews put them on the board on the power play. He was assisted by Curtis Knight and Bold.

By the end of the second quarter, the Rush trailed 5-3 after the Roughnecks opened the frame with three unanswered goals. Assisted by Karsen Leung, Tyson Bell scored shorthanded while Holden Cattoni and Wesley Berg added markers for the red and white.

Adam Jones, who was acquired by the Rush for Zach Greer in the off-season, in what was arguably the league’s biggest deal, scored his first of the game in the second and finished the night with two goals.

 “He got a couple goals but again, he’s got a ways to go in terms of our five on five sets, as do a couple other guys but it’ll come. He’s a real good player and he’s going to score goals and make things happen,” Keenan said. 

Saskatchewan’s Ryan Dilks opened the third quarter. His tally was answered by Mike Carnegie, in what would be the last for the Roughnecks.

Church got his second of the night to close out the third.

It was then the Rush exploded with a four goal outburst in the forth to win 9-6.

Matt Hossack, Jones and Matthews started the streak with Church completing a Gordie Howe hat-trick with the final goal of the game.

“We always try to get better, I thought early on we had some real good looks on offence and didn’t finish,” Keenan said of his teams play. “Then we got away from things a little bit but I thought really we were strong defensively tonight, we didn’t give up a lot. I thought we were real good and that’s typical of our team, it starts back there.”

On offence, Keenan said they improved as the game went on, but their five-on-five play needs a lot of work.

The Rush will practice over the New Year’s weekend in Toronto before facing the Georgia Swarm in Atlanta on the Jan. 7 season opener.

The Rush home opener and championship banner raising is on Jan. 21.

Colton Swiderski is meadowlakeNOW’s sports, municipal affairs, crime and court, health and education reporter. He is also the Sask. Rush beat reporter for the JPBG. He can be reached at cswiderski@jpbg.ca or tweet him @coltonswiderski.