The Saskatchewan Rush became the first team in the NLL to reach 10 wins this season with an 8-7 victory over the Georgia Swarm on Saturday night.
It was a defensive affair, but rookie Josh Zawada, who is in the lineup for Robert Church, scored the game-winning goal with 4:14 left in the game.
Saskatchewan was without Church for the second start of the game, as his wife gave birth on Saturday morning.
The Rush got a strong performance out of Frank Scigliano in goal. He was peppered with 52 shots from a potent Georgia offense, stopping 45 in the win. Brett Dobson was equally as impressive in the Swarm’s goal. He stopped 34 of 42 shots in the loss.
With Buffalo losing to Calgary on Saturday night, the win puts Saskatchewan right back into the conversation for first place.
Georgia with the Hot Start
The Swarm got on the board first with former Rush player Jeremy Thompson scoring in transition 1:52 into the game. An unfortunate stat: the Rush are undefeated when the opposing team scores first, so that would foreshadow Saturday’s result.
Saskatchewan answered back at 8:26. In transition, Adam Jay sent a flip pass to Matt Hossack, who rifled one home.
Georgia would end the first quarter on a three-goal run. Richie Connell would score his first NLL goal at 10:05, followed by Bryan Cole at 11:44.
Jordan MacIntosh rounded out the scoring with a dunk from behind the net with 21 seconds remaining, giving Georgia a 4-1 lead.
Rush Narrow the Gap
Saskatchewan would narrow Georgia’s lead by out-scoring them 3-1.
Clark Walter opened the scoring at 1:10 by picking the top corner. Zach Manns added to the tally at 5:08 to make it a 4-3 game.
Shayne Jackson replied for the Swarm 41 seconds later off a feed from MacIntosh, as the Swarm went back up 5-3.
Brock Haley came through for the Rush with 43.4 seconds left on the clock with a low shot, leaving Saskatchewan trailing 5-4 at halftime.
Low-Scoring Third Quarter
Saskatchewan took their first lead of the game early in the third quarter.
Haley scored his second of the game at 2:38 to tie it 5-5. At the 4:55 mark, Walter’s shot on net went wide. Ryan Keenan picked up the rebound off the backboards and found the back of the net to give Saskatchewan the lead.
Cole kept Georgia in the game with 3:16 left to play, as the game was tied 6-6 heading into the fourth quarter.
Zawada Scores the Winner
Georgia would retake the lead with Jackson finding the back of the net at 2:18.
It appeared as though Saskatchewan had tied the game at 3:24, as Keenan crashed to the crease. However, because one referee called it a good goal and another waved it off, it went to review. The review confirmed it as a good goal, and the game was tied 7-7.
With 4:14 remaining, Haley found Zawada, in only his fourth NLL game, in front for what would be the game-winning goal, bringing Saskatchewan to 10 wins for the season.
Top Scorers
Saskatchewan Rush
Clark Walter, 1g 2a
Ryan Keenan, 2g 1a
Jake Boudreau, 3a
Brock Haley, 2g 1a
Georgia Swarm
Lyle Thompson, 4a
Bryan Cole, 2g 2a
Richie Connell, 1g 1a
Jordan MacIntosh, 1g 1a
Shayne Jackson, 2g
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