Scoring seven goals in a National Lacrosse League game usually means you’re going to lose. But when your goalie only gives up four, it’s enough to win. And so it was for the Saskatchewan Rush on Saturday night as they took a 7-4 win over the Georgia Swarm in a contest that tied the league record for lowest-scoring regular season game.
In a more dubious distinction, Saskatchewan’s 4,657 attendance was the lowest total in franchise history, including their time in Edmonton.
Both teams scored in the first two minutes of the game, suggesting that a high-scoring affair might be in the works. But both defences tightened up and both Scigliano and Georgia’s Brett Dobson shut down all attempts to score for the next nine minutes until Saskatchewan finally broke the deadlock with just 4:15 remaining in the first quarter, with Brock Haley picking up his first goal of the season on a give-and-go.
Goaltending was once again the focus in the second quarter with Scigliano and Dobson making stop after stop until the Rush once again beat Dobson, this time a short-handed marker 4 minutes into the quarter. The remainder of the first half saw both sides unable to find the back of the net.
In the third quarter, once aghain neither team was able to establish any offensive momentum, with the Rush finally getting back on the board halfway through the quarter with another shorthanded goal. Saskatchewan would add one more late in the quarter to extend their lead to four going into the final period.
Georgia finally solved Scigliano in the fourth quarter, going on a three-goal run to bring themselves back into striking distance. With less than a minute left to play, Austin Shanks picked up his second goal of the game to add to the Saskatchewan lead, followed by Holden Garlent sealing the deal for the Rush 26 seconds later with a strong individual effort to crash the net.
Scigliano made 35 saves to earn the win while Dobson stopped 37 shots in the losing effort.
The Rush attack was paced by Robert Church, with four assists. Nolan Byrne contributed two goals and an assist to the Swarm offence.
It is notable that in three games so far this season, the Rush have given up a bunch of goals in the fourth quarter every time out so far. In their first game they gave up five goals in the last quarter to blow their lead; only a late surge by the Rush got them the win. The following week, they blew an 8-5 lead by surrendering six unanswered goals to the Ottawa Black Bears. And this week they gave up three of their four goals allowed in the fourth. If the Rush plan to get back to the NLL championship series, they will have to address this defensive letdown.
Both teams resume action this Saturday. The Rush travel to Halifax to take on the undefeated Thunderbirds (2-0) while the Swarm visit Denver to face the Colorado Mammoth (1-1).
