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A buzz started to grow in the crowd in Saskatoon on Sunday night at the start of O Canada and it continued until the final buzzer of Game 2 of the National Lacrosse League (NLL) Finals.
The fans at the Sasktel Centre reached a new level of loud as Saskatchewan Rush kept their season alive with an 11-10 win.
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An opening faceoff win made the crowd erupt when Rush transition player Jake Boudreau opened the scoring, followed by two more goals by Austin Shanks and Ryan Keenan to give the Rush a quick 3-0 lead.
Buffalo Bandits forward Dhane Smith found the back of the net to make it 3-1 at the end of the first quarter.
In the second quarter Ian MacKay and Smith brought the Bandits back to even but the Rush answered with goals from Ryan Keenan and Zach Manns.
Bandits forward Kyle Buchanan thought he brought Buffalo back within one, but a review revealed he stepped on the crease by millimetres, leaving him undoubtedly wishing he had smaller feet.
That didn’t stop Buffalo though, because Clay Scanlan netted two goals before Ian MacKay scored the go-ahead.
Then, with 0.9 seconds left in the second quarter, Boudreau tied the game at six.
“I thought that the goal that Boudreau got at the end of the half was huge,” said Derek Keenan, Rush co-head coach.
“(He) just made a great play and tied it up — at the end of the day, it’s a one goal game, so it’s big.”
Bandits forward Chase Fraser got the scoring started in the third quarter, but Rush forward Brock Haley scored a jaw-dropping diving goal to tie the game back up at seven apiece.
Both Jason Byrne and Chase Fraser scored again for Buffalo, with Clark Walter then scoring for the Rush.
Heading into the fourth quarter, the Rush were down 9-8 with 15 minutes left to keep their championship hopes alive.
Zach Manns got the scoring started and Shanks would follow that up with two more, giving the Rush an 11-9 lead.
Kyle Buchanan scored with 1:05 remaining in the fourth quarter but it wasn’t enough as the Rush held on for an 11-10 win.
Keenan said he’s thrilled for his guys and knows a tough challenge still lies ahead.
“They’re (Rush) a special group and it was a tough game tonight,” said Keenan.
“They (Buffalo) have got some serious weapons on offence and we just kind of hung in.”
All 8216 fans were on their feet as the final buzzer went, as they bid farewell to the Rush.
THERE WILL BE A GAME 3. The @SaskRushLAX win 11-10. Saskatoon should be proud they showed up and showed out for the final home game of the year. @CKOMNews @GreenZoneSK https://t.co/bOhuCLCsG9 pic.twitter.com/RBBZCWAlOY
— Will Mandzuk (@WMandzuk) May 19, 2025
“We love playing at home, our fans are great,” said Shanks.
“It’s home floor, it’s a pride thing and it’s an energy thing and we just grind, grind, grind for 60 minutes.”
In 2023 Keenan wrote a letter to Rush fans telling them to be patient and that the team would be back.
“We had a plan and we knew it was going to take a little bit. Last year we were close, but the young group has matured,” he said.
“I just thank them for sticking with us and you can see the growth again, getting back to where it was in our heyday there. We’re very appreciative of that.”
The Rush now have a chance to rewrite history and land themselves in lacrosse immortality with one more win.
“Having this opportunity is awesome but it’s hard work and it’s a sacrifice, and we’re excited for game three,” said Shanks.
The Rush now head back to Buffalo, New York, as they sit face to face with the defending champs one last time.
Game 3 is next Saturday at 2:30 p.m.
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