The Vancouver Warriors will be in Saskatoon to face the Saskatchewan Rush on Saturday, February 14th for the first and only time this season, with the Warriors coming off an action-packed 16-15 win against the Knighthawks last weekend at Rogers Arena.
The second half of the back-to-back games against the Knighthawks saw the continuation of a high level of tension between the two teams that translated quickly onto the floor. Both teams went back and forth, scoring quick goals and taking turns holding leads throughout the game. The Warriors were tested in the final quarter as the Knighthawks began to close the lead, eventually bringing it to a one-goal game, but the experience and comfortability in close contests allowed the Warriors to hold off the Knighthawks until the final seconds. The win helped the Warriors continue their run and they are on a three-game win streak.
Curtis Dickson was the offensive highlight for the Warriors, scoring an impressive seven goals — tying his career high for goals per game — and one assist. Dickson’s consistent offensive contribution and the intensity that he brings to each game demonstrates how he is such an important player for this Warriors team. Forwards Keegan Bal and Jessie King were also heavily involved throughout the game, helping generate a lot of the offence for the team, scoring three goals and eight assists and four goals and five assists, respectively, for the night. The Warriors offence has remained at a focal point of the team this season and has been a reliable part of the team that can produce in all situations.
The Knighthawks pushed the Warriors defence throughout the contest, forcing the Warriors to maintain a cohesive defensive effort. Even when the Knighthawks started to score at a higher pace, the defensive structure did not collapse, and they were able to keep the Knighthawks from completing the comeback. This team's defensive effort was also reflected in the number of loose balls that were collected up and down the lineup for a total of 64, and netminder Christian Del Bianco stopped 36 of 51 shots faced.
The Saskatchewan Rush have been a dominant team in the NLL this season, having only lost one game so far. They are currently on a seven-game win streak and sit first in league standings. The Rush are a very well-rounded team, with both their defensive and offensive metrics illustrating a team that does not have any weaknesses and are able to mitigate mistakes as they come during a game.
In their last game against the San Diego Seals, the Rush finished with 42 shots on goal, with their lead forwards making their mark on the scoresheet throughout the contest. Coquitlam’s Robert Church was the leading scorer, tallying four goals and four assists for a total of eight points. Forwards Ryan Keenan and Austin Shanks were also involved in the offensive effort, both finishing the night with five points each.
The Rush have been averaging 58% in the dot, faceoff specialist Jake Naso won eight of 25 draws taken in the game against the Seals faceoff specialist Trevor Baptiste. Saskatchewan netminder Frank Scigliano stopped 40 of 49 shots he faced against San Diego and holds a 9.45 goals-against average this season.
Ball drops at SaskTel Centre at 7:00 p.m. PT and you can watch the game live on TSN+ and NLL+.
With NLL+, you can re-watch highlights and full games throughout the season, and you can sign up for the NLL+ here.