Darren Zary
Saskatoon StarPhoenix
They started with 37 players in training camp and they’ve whittled that down to an opening-day roster of 21.
The Saskatchewan Rush will open the new National Lacrosse League season Saturday in Albany, N.Y., against the FireWolves. Game-time is 6 p.m. (The Bull, 92.9 radio).
The final group of 21 includes key returnees Robert Church, Ryan Keenan, Zach Manns, Mike Messenger and Frank Scigliano as well as newcomers Levi Anderson, Matt Acchione, Brock Haley and Jake Naso.
The lineup has also been bolstered by the addition of sniper Austin Shanks and the return of defender Matt Hossack after the Panther City Lacrosse Club dispersal draft.
“It wasn’t easy,” admitted Rush co-head coach Jimmy Quinlan when asked about trimming down the training camp roster. “I think every guy deserved to be there (at training camp). We told them that. But the group we have left over here, it was nice to kind of work with a smaller group (over the weekend) and kind of get more systems in.
“I think every guy that’s still here deserves to be here. I like that they can all play. We still have some tough decisions in terms of who lands where (in the lineup) but all in all, we’re moving in the right direction. We’ve asked that we get better each practice, each session we’ve been together, and so far, it feels like we’re doing that.”
Saskatchewan looks to take a step forward back into the NLL playoffs as the club returns their top five goal scorers from last season, while adding the likes of Shanks, Anderson and Haley to the mix. In the back end, Hossack, Acchione and Naso add reinforcement.
The forward group includes lefties Keenan, Mann, Anderson and Clark Walter. Anderson, a 2023 NLL Draft first-round pick, is a 6-foot-4 power forward to complement Keenan, Manns and Walter, who combined for 222 points last season.
Among the right-handed forwards are the ever-reliable Church, Shanks, Haley and Mike Triolo. Church hit the 100-point mark last season, while Shanks had 85 points with the Halifax Thunderbirds.
The 6-foot-8 Triolo has established himself as a clutch scorer, while Haley sniped 119 goals with the Whitby Warriors during the summer of 2022 in the Ontario Junior Lacrosse League. He’ll make his NLL debut after being acquired at the 2024 draft from Vancouver for a first-round pick.
In the back end, left-handed defencemen include holdovers Holden Garlent, Jake Boudreau, Ryan Barnable, Isaac Ngyou and rookie Acchione.
Right-handed defenceman include Mike Messenger, Adam Jay, Jerrett Smith, Bobby Kidd III, Hossack and Naso.
The squad will be without Connor McClelland to start the season; he’s been sidelined with an upper-body injury.
Messenger and Hossack bring a combined 220 games of NLL experience.
Naso, a Duke University grad and field lacrosse player from Holtsville, N.Y., specializes in the faceoff circle where he holds multiple records, and finished the 2024 preseason with a 73 per cent success rate on draws.
“We saw Jake Naso take some draws (during the pre-season) and we saw that it allowed him to maybe free (Messenger) up to play a little more his style so he doesn’t have to be so exhausted taking all those draws. We’ll still use (Messenger) from time to time in there.”
Frank Scigliano and Thomas Kiazyk are back as the goaltending tandem. Scigliano, 32, was busier than any other goalie in Saskatchewan Rush history last season, when he set the record for most saves, with 665, during the 23/24 campaign. Kiazyk, who was taken 20th overall in the 2023 NLL Draft, took over the backup role last season from Laine Hruska.
Keegan Bell and Josh Zawada will begin the season on the practice roster, while McClelland has been placed on injured reserve.
Veteran forward Patrick Dodds, who was acquired by Saskatchewan in 2023 for a first-round pick and the rights to Matt Beers, has been moved to the hold-out list after missing training camp due to work commitments. Dodds had 10 goals and 31 assists in 17 games last season.
Cam Wengreniuk was placed on the protected player list, while Charlie McFadden goes to the protected draft list.
Evan Messenger, Nathaniel Kozevnikov, Jake Bowen and Marcus Needham were among the final cuts. Denton Macdonald, Jeremy Searle, Scott Reed, Reese Barnes, Garrett Brockmeyer, Zach Thompson, Curtis Bukta, Caleb Creasor and Hruska were cut earlier during training camp.
The Rush will play their NLL home opener on Dec. 14 against the Halifax Thunderbirds.
