Former Saskatchewan Rush superstar Mark Matthews spoiled his former team’s shot at a playoff berth when he scored the game-winning goal with just 5:28 remaining in the game, giving the Toronto Rock a 12-11 win on Saturday night. It was a see-saw battle that saw both teams get and give up leads all night long, but the first-place Rock emerged as victors.
Toronto finishes the season with a 15-3 record and are currently on a four-game winning streak heading into the playoffs. The Rush finish in a five-way tie for eighth place in the NLL, but the Rochester Knighthawks will be going to the postseason as a result of tiebreakers.
The Rush have not made the playoffs since the league returned to action following the lost 2021 season (due to the COVID-19 pandemic) and could have grabbed that final playoff berth with a win. But it wasn’t in the cards.
Toronto scored first on the night, four and a half minutes into the first quarter, but the Rock responded with one of their own two minutes later to tie the game. Matthews scored two minutes after that on the power play to give the Rock another lead, but again, Saskatchewan tied the game back up a little over a minute later, then took their first lead of the night with only a minute and a half left in the first period.
Toronto got off to a quick start in the second quarter, with Tom Schreiber scoring twice in the first five minutes to tie the game and retake the lead. Saskatchewan answered right back with a three-goal run of their own, not only grabbing the lead again but extending to a two-goal advantage. But the Rock then went on an offensive blitz to close out the first half, scoring three more goals in the final two minutes to take a 7-6 lead into the break.
Saskatchewan’s Robert Church evened the score once again just 32 seconds into the third quarter, starting an offensive outpouring from both teams. The Rock regained their lead, the Rush took it right back, the Rush went on a three-goal run to establish their own two-goal lead, and Church scored again late to bring the Rush back to within one.
After an eight-goal third quarter, the final quarter wound up being a defensive struggle. It took five minutes for Saskatchewan’s Mike Triolo to break the deadlock on the powerplay with a dunk shot from behind the net, earning himself a hat trick and tying the game yet again. But it was Matthews’ snipe with 5:28 remaining on the clock that sealed the deal for Toronto.
Toronto’s TD Ierlan was a dominant force in the faceoff circle on the night, winning 22 of 27 draws and helping the Rock control possession—in a one-goal game, this might have been a critical deciding factor.
Schreiber scored three times and added five assists to lead the Rock’s offence while Ryan Keenan paced the Rush attack with a goal and four assists. Nick Rose made 39 saves in the victory while Frankie Scigliano stopped 38 for Saskatchewan.
The Rock now face the Knighthawks on Saturday for their quarter final matchup. The Rush, meanwhile, will clean out their lockers and start planning for next season.
