If the Edmonton Rush do nothing else this season, they have already made a historic run. Sitting at 8-0 heading into this week, they are just the second team to ever accomplish the feat. They can go 9-0 if they defeat Vancouver this weekend, but more than that, the team is looking for a win as they vie for the playoffs and a chance at a championship.
“We are extremely happy with our record,” said Jarrett Davis. “We are close to the half way point of the season and still feel that we are getting better and our best lacrosse has yet to come.
“They [Vancouver] are going to be very desperate for a win. They are battling to get back to the top of the standings so this game will be extremely important for them. Also they will be fresh coming off a two-week break—I expect their roster to be healthy and ready to play. Also the acquisition of Jamie Lincoln and Jordan McBride will offer another element to their game that we haven’t seen before so we will have to prepare accordingly.”
Last week Edmonton defeated the Toronto Rock by just one goal to keep the streak alive. The Rush played Vancouver last six weeks ago where they had to have a huge second half comeback to defeat the Stealth and keep their then 3-0 streak alive. “It’s been a pretty good start for us, but we’re not thinking about the streak too much,” said rookie Riley Loewen. “We just want to get better each game and take it quarter by quarter.”
Despite the streak, the Rush’s only focus is taking the game this weekend, and going one game at a time. “Vancouver has had the past two weeks off and will be looking to make a statement early,” said Alex Turner. “They’ve added a few pieces to the offense that will require a lot of attention, and T-Rich (Tyler Richards) has been playing very well for them in net. We have to come out ready to work hard and battle if we want a chance to win.”
The last team to go 8-0 was the 1993 Buffalo Bandits who won the championship that year, so the Rush know how special this kind of a run is. “It’s a little bit surreal,” Turner admitted. “It was a team goal to start the season off with a bang, especially at home. I know we didn’t expect to go 8-0 with the talent and depth of this league. It is one of those things you can’t dwell on too much. We have to focus on the next game and try to improve every time we hit the floor.”
We’ve seen it all before in professional sports, when being undefeated can even provide a bit of a distraction. In 2010 in the NFL the New Orleans Saints and Indianapolis Colts created controversy by sitting out players and forfeiting a chance at a perfect season. There is always also talk of added pressure with new undefeated expectations.
“Pressure’s what you put in tires,” said Turner. “We have a great group of guys and a real focused energy when we get together. We all know that a perfect start means nothing without a solid finish. All we can do is take it one game at a time and continue to work on getting better, whatever happens happens.”
Of course, in those sports like the NFL there is always a little more talk than you see in lacrosse. NLL players might have a bit of an easier time not reading the papers and hearing what people say, but there is always talk around the league. However, the Rush have handled it well and don’t even discuss it.
“Too be honest our team has hardly mentioned the perfect record,” said Davis. “I personally feel no pressure at all. I think it would be a great footnote if we went the whole year without losing but this team isn’t about breaking records or personal accolades. Our goal from the beginning of the year was to win the championship and we will continue to work at achieving that goal no matter what our record is.”
Loewen reiterated that, stating, “I think the added pressure is that each game we play the other team is going to come out flying trying to end the streak. Every team in this league is very good and you have to be ready to play each night.”
