For the first time since 2015, the Saskatchewan Rush will not be playing in the National Lacrosse League’s championship final.
Joey Cupido scored on a breakaway 4:04 into overtime as the fourth-seeded Colorado Mammoth upset the number one ranked Rush in the West Division semifinal 11-10 on Friday night at the SaskTel Centre.
Jeff Shattler opened the scoring for the Rush at 6:05 of the first quarter before Colorado went on a three-goal run. Scoring for the Mammoth were Jacob Ruest, Chris Wardle and Ryan Lee.
Curtis Knight scored late in the first for the Rush to bring the score to 3-2.
Mark Matthews tied up the game to open the second. Colorado’s Jeremy Noble replied 26 seconds later to regain the lead.
While the Mammoth were on the power play, a shot wide on the Colorado net took an unexpected bounce off the end boards. The bounce caught Colorado goaltender Dillon Ward off-guard and Robert Church put the ball into the open net to tie the game 4-4 heading into halftime.
Saskatchewan found its footing in the third quarter with Ben McIntosh, Knight and Church scoring to give the Rush a 7-4 lead.
Colorado mounted a comeback in the fourth quarter after Eli McLaughlin and Shattler exchanged goals, going on a four-goal run to take a 9-8 lead. McIntosh tied up the game at 8:55 of the fourth but Lee replied at 12:04.
With 41 seconds left in the regulation time, McIntosh scored a controversial goal to tie the game. McIntosh reached into the crease, took the ball from Ward and scored. The play was reviewed by the on-field officials and ruled McIntosh did not interfere with Ward and it was a good goal.
In overtime, Cupido intercepted a pass from Knight to Matthews and buried a shot past Rush goaltender Evan Kirk to end the Rush’s season.
The Colorado Mammoth will now face the San Diego Seals or Calgary Roughnecks, who play Monday night.
