RUSH BACK IN CHURCH
The Saskatchewan Rush have re-signed another key contributor to their offence as General Manager Derek Keenan announced that Robert Church has agreed to a new two-year contract, pending league approval.
Church has been with the Rush the entirety of his NLL career and was a major contributor during the team’s run to three league titles. He has proven to be one of the league’s top shooters, sniping 35-plus goals in a season four times during his career and he is one-half of a dynamic one-two scoring punch alongside Mark Matthews, who agreed to a new three-year deal with the Rush last week.
“We are really happy to keep Robert Church as an integral part of the Rush offence, the team as a whole, and Rush Nation,” said Keenan, who drafted Church with the fifth-overall pick in 2013.
“Robert is a high-end talent in the National Lacrosse League. He has been such a big part of our success on and off the floor over his seven years with the team. Robert is the type of player you just can’t replace. Despite his pending free agency, he has again shown his commitment to the Rush organization, his teammates, and our incredible fans. I am excited to see him back on the turf at SaskTel Center this season.”
Church was an NLL All-Rookie Team member in 2014, but it was his second year in the league when he truly became a breakout star, amassing 37 goals – his first of four straight seasons with more than 35 goals – and 92 points. Those numbers would standout until Church’s electrifying 2018 campaign.
In 2018, Church hit career-highs across the board with 47 goals, 60 assists and 107 points, earning a spot as a finalist for league MVP. The Coquitlam, B.C., native reached the 150-goal and 400-point plateaus during that phenomenal season, and he ended the year in fine style as well as he collected 15 points, including eight goals, as the Rush knocked off Rochester to win their third NLL championship.
Church is amongst the most lethal power-play point producers in the NLL, leading the league in power-play goals in both 2016 and 2017. During the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, Church was not only second on the team with 41 points but also stood second with eight power-play assists.
His superb play during NLL seasons has paved the way for Church to take on a prolific role with Team Canada, and he helped the team win its fifth consecutive gold medal at the 2019 World Indoor Lacrosse Championship. Church notched four goals in Canada’s gold-medal game victory over the Iroquois Nationals.
Before turning pro, Church played in the NCAA with Drexel University, winding up fourth on the team’s all-time scoring list and ending his tenure there with First Team All-Colonial Athletic Conference honors. Church also captured the B.C. Junior League Player of the Year award and was named MVP of the 2010 Minto Cup.
(Sask Rush Communications)
