What an ending: NLL’s Rush snatch victory from jaws of defeat

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Rush 10, Thunderbirds 9 (OT)

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Oh, the drama.

What an ending.

The Saskatchewan Rush are going to the National Lacrosse League final against the Buffalo Bandits but it wasn’t without some late — very late — game heroics.

A power play goal by Austin Shanks at 1:40 of overtime gave Saskatchewan a 10-9 win over the visiting Halifax Thunderbirds and a sweep in their best-of-three semifinal.

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“This (Rush) team,” said Shanks, who had scored six goals against his former Halifax team one week earlier in Game 1, “ has so much heart, so much hustle. We do not give up. We play 60 minutes-plus. We got it done. It’s on to the finals.”

While Shanks was the OT hero, it wouldn’t have been without the last-seconds effort of teammates Matt Hossack and Mike Messenger.

With just a few ticks left on the clock Saturday night, NLL defender of the year finalist Hossack gave Saskatchewan a second life by tying the game up at 9-9 after a diving Messenger had caused a turnover at mid-field to spark the last-gasp play.

Saskatchewan now meets Buffalo in the best–of-three 2025 NLL final. The Rush returns to the final for the first time since winning it all back in 2018.

Game 1 of the best-of-three final will be played Friday in Buffalo. Game 2 goes Sunday, May 18, in Saskatoon. Game-time is 6 p.m. at SaskTel Centre.

A third game, if necessary, would be played back in Buffalo.

The Bandits and Rush finished as the top two teams in the regular season.

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Robert Church led the Rush with two goals and three assists for five points Saturday.

Shanks had a pair of goals and two assists, as did Zach Manns.

Messenger, Hossack, Ryan Keenan and Holden Garlent each scored once for Saskatchewan, which started with an early 3-0 lead in the opening 11 minutes.

Frank Scigliano stopped 45 saves for the Rush, which led 4-3 after the first quarter and 5-4 at half-time. The teams were tied at 6-6 after three quarters.

Saskatchewan outshot Halifax 55-54, capitalizing on three of five power play chances.

The Rush scored all three power play goals during a pair of five-minute major penalties assessed to Halifax forward Mike Robinson, including the decisive game-winner in OT by Shanks.

Thomas Hoggarth led the T-Birds with four goals. Dawson Theede had two goals and four assists for six points. Clarke Patterson chipped in with two goals and two assists. Randy Staats had the other goal for Halifax.

RUSH HOUR: Saskatchewan has four finalists for NLL league awards: co-head coach Jimmy Quinlan (coach of the year), general manager Derek Keenan (GM of the year), Frank Scigliano (goalie of the year) and Matt Hossack (defensive player of the year).

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