Shifting Into High Gear: Inside Saskatchewan’s Training Camp

The Saskatchewan Rush have been running in place.

Rather improbably, the club has finished each of the last three regular seasons with an identical 8-10 record. The franchise has also failed to reach the playoffs dating all the way back to 2019. Suffice to say, everyone attached to the Saskatoon-based squad knows full well that it is time to finally shift the car out of neutral.

“It’s all about consistency,” explained forward Zach Manns. “I think we lost quite a few one-goal games last year. When you lose games like that you are maybe not doing little things in the moment. It’s the same message for the whole group. Consistency is going to be the main thing for us if we want to make the playoffs.”

Manns joined the Rush prior to last season, as part of a trade that sent Adam Jay and a 2023 first-round pick from Toronto to Saskatchewan in exchange for franchise icon Mark Matthews. The British Columbia native hit the ground running in his new home, posting 37 goals and 47 assists, finishing third on the roster in points, behind Robert Church (45 goals, 55 assists) and Ryan Keenan (33 goals, 57 assists).

Zach Manns first season in Saskatchewan was a Rush 🥍

2023-24: 37G & 47A
2022-23: 11G & 25A (TOR) pic.twitter.com/j0Sx9wVrod

— NLL (@NLL) June 21, 2024

Entering season two at SaskTel Centre, the 26-year-old Drexel alum feels incredibly comfortable in his not-so-new surroundings, noting the many similarities that exist when comparing his current and former places of business.

“The people of both cities are fantastic and the people in the organizations themselves are great people,” imparted Manns. “Obviously, both teams have a great fanbase, so I’ve been pretty lucky to be drafted at Toronto and then traded over to Saskatchewan. I’ve played for two high-class organizations, so I couldn’t be happier having played for both teams.”

During the 2024-2025 campaign, the Rush will be led by co-coaches Derek Keenan and Jimmy Quinlan. Keenan owns three NLL titles as a coach, and nine total including wins as a player and general manager. The Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Famer returned to the bench last January and begins this season holding the dual roles of co-head coach and general manager.

With the responsibility of building and guiding the roster back in his purview, Keenan made a couple of big moves over the summer, signing high-scoring forward Austin Shanks away from the Halifax Thunderbirds, while reuniting with defender Matt Hossack, who became available in the dispersal draft. Hossack played his first four seasons with the Rush before joining the Panther City Lacrosse Club.

“Shanks has struggled a little bit to score (in training camp),” Keenan shared. “I’m glad he got the monkey off his back in the second half against Toronto. Hossack has been just outstanding. You like to see the kind of habits he creates out there, creating turnovers and being good with the ball and stick during transition. He is really solid defensively.

“I think we’ve added to our athleticism and our skill at both ends of the floor. We’re a better team, and we need to be a better team, because it’s not easy to get to where we want to get in this league.”

From the perspective of the players, the additions of Shanks and Hossack have been an incredibly seamless transition.

“You can already see what Shanks is able to do on offense,” said Manns. “He looks really smooth. He looks like he knows where to be. He looks like he’s already got some chemistry with the guys on the right side. So, I don’t think there’s going to be much of an adjustment for him at all. I’ve heard the same thing from the guys on the back end about Hossack. He’s very vocal, has great communication, and that’s one of the biggest things on defense. So far, those two guys have fit in pretty well.”

Shanks and Hossack, along with previously noted offensive leaders Church, Keenan and Manns, occupy roster spots with familiar names like Clark Walter, Mike Triolo, Bobby Kidd III and Mike Messenger.

Frank Scigliano returns for his second season in the SaskTel Centre crease, in the wake of his July 2023 trade from the San Diego Seals. Keenan most certainly believes his 32-year-old keeper is the man to guide his team into playoff contention.

“Frank is solid. Aside from maybe one or two games last year, he gave us a chance every night, and we expect the same moving forward,” the coach stated.

Every member of the Rush accepts the responsibility that comes with being one of the foremost entertainment options in their metro area of 320,000 inhabitants. Amid sharing a sporting landscape with the Blades of the Western Hockey League and Rattlers of the Canadian Elite Basketball League, the Rush have cultivated a loyal and devoted fan following, who are no doubt starving for a return to the postseason.

Simply stated, the Rush mean a lot to the people of Saskatchewan, with those who draw a paycheck from the franchise desperately hoping to return the favor.

“Winning here would be massive,” exclaimed Manns. “We’re pretty much the main attraction in town, aside from the Rattlers and Blades. When we had our recent Fan Fest, you could just see the passion. The fans are always lined up to meet us after games, so you can see how much it means to them. It would be fantastic to bring a championship back, but we need to focus on getting to the playoffs first.”

The Rush’s quest for postseason glory commences November 30 at MVP Arena when they face the Albany FireWolves.

2024 NLL Training Camp is presented by Warrior.