The Saskatchewan Rush’s season ended on Saturday night with a heartbreaking 12-11 loss to the Toronto Rock. The defeat marked the third consecutive year that the Rush have failed to reach the NLL playoffs.
The game was a must-win for the Rush, who needed a victory to secure a playoff berth. However, the Rock proved to be too tough an opponent as they held on for a one-goal victory.
“It sucks to be in this spot,” said Rush captain Ryan Keenan. “We were so close, but we just couldn’t get it done.”
The Rush had a strong finish to the season, winning four of their last five games. However, it wasn’t enough to overcome their inconsistent play throughout the season. The team finished with a record of 8-10, which was not enough to qualify for the playoffs.
Despite the disappointing end to the season, the Rush remain optimistic about the future. The team has a young core of players led by Keenan, and they are expected to return most of their key players next season.
“We have a lot of young talent on this team,” said Keenan. “We’re going to learn from this experience and we’re going to be back stronger next year.”
The Rush will now enter an offseason of uncertainty. The team has several key players who are set to become free agents, including Keenan, Mark Matthews, and Kyle Rubisch. It is unclear whether the Rush will be able to retain all of these players, but they are hopeful of keeping the core of the team together.
“We have a lot of work to do this offseason,” said Rush general manager Derek Keenan. “But we’re confident that we can put a competitive team on the floor next season.”
The Rush will begin their 2024-25 season in November. They will be hoping to make a run at the NLL championship, which they have not won since 2019.
