RUSH DESTROY PANTHER CITY 16-7
A high-powered offensive start powered the Saskatchewan Rush to a critical win on Saturday night.
The Rush ended a two-game skid while earning their first home-turf victory of the season as Jeff Shattler, Robert Church and Ryan Keenan each racked up seven points as the Rush pounded Panther City 16-7 at SaskTel Centre.
“It’s a step in the right direction,” said Shattler, who scored four goals during the Rush’s clutch performance.
“We’ve struggled so far this season, but tonight we showed our true colors and battled all night. It was a big team win. We’re still only 2-4 and there’s a lot of work to do yet.”
The Rush’s rough start to the season had been compounded by slow starts to games, but that changed on Saturday as they got off to a fast 5-0 lead that chased Panther City starting goalie Kevin Orleman less than six minutes into the opening quarter.
Shattler got the scoring going putting in his own rebound, and Dan Lintner followed less than two minutes later with quick-stick power-play strike. Mark Matthews was left wide open in the slot and made it 3-0 with a laser shot. Just 52 later, Lintner added his second of the night on a sensational drive to the net that ended with the Rush forward slipping a one-handed dunk shot over Orleman’s shoulder.
Only 41 seconds after that, Church rifled a shot to the top corner that ended the night for Panther City’s starting netminder. After two goals from PCLC gave the visitors a brief buzz, but Shatter counted his second when he picked the corner on backup goalie Nick Damude with 0.2 seconds left in the first.
The pace slowed somewhat early in the second quarter before the Rush roared back to offensive life closing out the first half with four straight goals beginning with Austin Murphy, playing in his first game of the season, ripping an over-hand shot past Damude. Church made it 9-3 on a quick-stick finish from Shattler, and Holden Garlent capped the half with a terrific take on a 2-on-1. Garlent, striding down the turf after a defensive turnover in the Saskatchewan end, faked delivering a pass to Ryan Dilks and then deftly slipped a shot home.
Church collected a hat trick for the third game in a row when he cut past a PC defender and put a shot five-hole on Damude. Not to be outpaced, Shattler connected for his hat-trick marker early in the fourth, snaring a perfect cross-crease pass from Murphy and tucking it high. The veteran then added his fourth of the night, grabbing another pass from Murphy and whipping a shot in on a Rush power play.
Keenan, who picked up a six-pack of assists on the night, added a fourth-quarter tally along with a second on the night from Matthews to go along with goals from Matt Beers and Connor McClelland, who both scored on transition opportunities. Mike Messenger helped the Rush’s cause with three assists, 11 loose balls and 11 faceoff wins, while goalie Adam Shute totaled 32 saves.
Phil Caputo and Dawson Theede both scored twice for Panther City (1-5).
The Rush begin a stretch of five of six games on the road in two weeks’ time when they visit the Vancouver Warriors on Friday, February 11th.
(SaskRush.com)
