On Saturday night the NLL’s Champion’s Cup Finals got underway, as the East Division Champion Toronto Rock welcomed the winners of the West, the Edmonton Rush, to town. The Rock entered their ninth Champion’s Cup final after knocking off the reigning champion Rochester Knighthawks in their best of three division final. Meanwhile the Rush enter their second Champion’s Cup final after knocking off their Alberta neighbors in the West final. During the 2015 regular season, the Rock and Rush split the season series, with each team winning on the road.
The 2015 final kicked off with a ton of excitement as the hometown Toronto Rock got on the board just 49 seconds into the game, as Kasey Beirnes picked up his third goal of the playoffs. The Rush would come back with a chance of their own following the Rock’s opening tally, however Brandon Miller was equal to the task, as Toronto dominated the early stages of the game. The Rock would add to their lead at the 3:18 mark of the first quarter as Brock Sorensen found the back of the cage on a 3 on 1 opportunity where he was given all the time in the world to beat a helpless Aaron Bold in the Edmonton goal.
The Rock’s momentum swing would hit a snag just over a minute after Sorensen had made it 2-0, as veteran Rock defender Sandy Chapman was sent off for tripping. Edmonton would capitalize on their man advantage as 2015 regular season team scoring leader Mark Matthews found the back of the cage with a powerful outside shot. With the score now 2-1, the two teams would settle in some, as they went back and forth, exchanging scoring opportunities. However Edmonton would go on a late first quarter scoring run, potting four goals in a row, over a span of just under five minutes. Matthews would kick off the Rush run, picking up his second of the game, while rookie Ben McIntosh followed with a marker of his own just under a minute later. Robert Church would keep up with the rapid scoring pace, as it was his turn to find twine, again less then minute after McIntosh had beat Brandon Miller in the Toronto cage. Jarrett Davis capped Edmonton’s late first quarter surge with a shorthanded marker with just 51 seconds left in the opening quarter.
Up 5-2 after 15 minutes of play, the Rush kept their foot on the throttle as Riley Loewen would pick up his first of the game 2:34 into the second quarter. Reeling after allowing six straight goals the Rock would pull starter Brandon Miller in favor of Nick Rose, who had not seen action against Edmonton this season. The goaltending change seemed to spark the Rock, as just 26 seconds after the Rush went ahead 6-2, Kasey Beirnes would beat Aaron Bold for the second time of the game, to pull the Rock within three. Toronto would keep the momentum going as 22 year old Rob Hellyer picked up his fifth of the playoffs on an absolute laser beam of an outside shot, that just ate the top right corner behind Aaron Bold.
With the Rock looking as though they where ready to go on a run of their own, Edmonton would halt the Rock’s scoring streak, as McIntosh found twine for the second time of the game. The Rush would find the back of the net again just over two minutes later as transition star Jeremy Thompson would pick up his second of the playoffs. Edmonton again would keep their foot on the gas as Adrian Sorchetti would give the Rush a 9-4 lead as the first half of play ticked down.
Brandon Miller would find himself back between the pipes for the Rock to open the second half, and he looked good early on, stonewalling the Rush on a couple early third quarter scoring chances. Miller’s timely saves on Edmonton’s first couple of possessions in quarter three proved to be important, as trade deadline acquisition Kevin Crowley would get the Rock on the board, pulling them within four. Matthews would spoil the Rock’s early quarter momentum swing as he beat Miller on a finely placed shot, to put the Rush back up five. With the Rush lead at five and time ticking away, the Rock would go on a brief fun, lead by veterans Josh Sanderson and Colin Doyle, as the two would score back to back goals just under two minutes apart, to bring the Rock within three, livening up a quiet ACC crowd.
As the theme of the game would go, the Rush would again answer back, not allowing the Rock to put together any type of offensive run of more than two straight goals. Church was the trigger man on Edmonton’s 11th of the game, as the youngster picked up his fifth of the playoffs. However just 25 seconds after Church extended the Rush lead, Crowley would again find twine. Crowley is known for big game heroics, and it began to look as though he might explode in a big game once again. As the Rock crowd began to get behind their team again, a late third quarter goal by Zack Greer would again silence the crowd, as the Rock took a comfortable 12-8 lead into the final 15 minutes of play.
Up four goals and well in control of the game, the Rush would not let up, as they put in three straight goals to open the first quarter, essentially closing out the game, while there was still time on the clock. Thompson, Greer and Church were the three Rush goal scorers, as Edmonton finally settled in some with just under 10 minutes remaining and a seven goal lead in their back pocket. Brett Hickey would pull the Rock within six, but the goal would make no difference in this one, as Edmonton’s dominance from start to finish, was too overwhelming for the Rock to handle on this night, as Edmonton picked up the Game 1 victory with a 15-9 win.
Robert Church, Mark Matthews and Ben McIntosh all had six point games to lead the Rush offensively, with Church and Matthews picking up three goals and three assists, while McIntosh totaled two goals and four assists. Zack Greer also had a strong performance offensively for Edmonton with two goals and two assists, while Riley Loewen quietly chipped in a goal and two assists. Aaron Bold picked up the win in goal for Edmonton, as he was lights out after some very brief struggles early on. Bold would go on to make 39 saves on 48 shots for his third win of the 2015 playoffs and sixth overall. Rob Hellyer and Kevin Crowley lead the Rock offensively with four points a piece, as Hellyer picked up a goal and three assists, while Crowley recorded two goals and two assists. Veterans Colin Doyle and Josh Sanderson had quiet nights, as each player picked up a goal and an assist apiece. Brandon Miller started this one for the Rock, but was pulled on two occasions in favor of Nick Rose. Miller’s final stat line for the night was 38:20 of action, making 23 saves on 35 shots. While in relief Rose would make 16 saves on 19 shots.
Game two of the Champion’s Cup Final goes Friday, June 5 at Rexall Place in Edmonton. While if necessary the third and deciding game would go in Toronto on Saturday, June 13.
