‘This is the whole reason we play’:  Sask. Rush face off against Bandits for NLL cup

WATCH: The Saskatchewan Rush prepare for a Winner-take-All Game 3 for the National Lacrosse League Championship on Saturday, May 24.

The Saskatchewan Rush prepare for a winner-take-all game three on Saturday afternoon for the NLL Cup.

“The word of the day, or the word of the series has just been opportunity,” said Jerrett Smith, Saskatchewan Rush defense. “This is the whole reason we play, and we have one game to get the ultimate goal done. And I think we’re going to do it.”

While the trophy was in the building at SaskTel Centre, the Rush put on a thrilling display to win 11-10, keeping the NLL cup in the box.

Throughout the series, both teams have sacrificed their bodies to give their team an edge, whether it’s blocking shots or taking punishment in the offensive zone.

“I think it’s just the stakes of the games we’re in right now,” said Smith. “Everyone’s putting their body on the line and doing anything to get the win. So it just kind of comes with the territory.”

The home crowd of more than 8,200 cheering on the Rush gave them a boost in game two.

But on Saturday, there will be more than 18,000 screaming fans at KeyBank Center cheering on the Bandits.

“It’s not like anyone in the crowd’s going to come set a pick on us or anything, so I could care less,” said Jake Boudreau, Saskatchewan Rush defense. “If anything, you can use it as motivation, depends how you look at it. You can look at it and say, look at all these people cheering against us. It can make us better; it can make us worse. It just depends on your attitude.”

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Despite playing in some low scoring games all season including the playoffs, Austin Shanks leads the league in playoff goals with 16, and playoff points with 30.

Teammates say it’s his composure in big games that stands out.

“No moment’s too big for him which is really cool to learn from,” said Levi Anderson, Saskatchewan Rush defense. “I must admit, coming to these games there are a few nerves, just being in new territory. And seeing him go about his business is awesome. He’s definitely a guy we can all learn from, and hoping that he has as much success this weekend as he had before.”

But it’s not just Shanks contributing to the offense. Just like the Bandits who are dangerous from everywhere, the Rush manage to spread their scoring around too.

“That’s why we’re both here,” said Boudreau. “The teams that we played, there’s a lot of teams in the league where you can shut down one or two guys and it’s a real easy night for you. You can’t do that on our team, and you cant do that for their team.”

Going up against a team hungry for a three-peat championship victory, the Rush are looking to win their first since 2018.

But players know how rare they opportunity is to be a winner, so no opportunity will be taken for granted.

“That’s the biggest message,” said Zach Manns, Saskatchewan Rush forward. “This is a massive opportunity, and we have this super special group. We want to be remembered forever, and one thing that we can do is win this, and we will be.”

Game three starts at 2:30 on TSN.