National Lacrosse League: Calgary Roughnecks vs. Edmonton Rush

Besides successful curlers, the only other team bringing any positive glimmer to our “City of Champions” moniker are the Edmonton Rush, our local National Lacrosse League team. They’ve been on a roll this year with their best season to date, and are even gunning for first overall in the league. Mack’s brother Thom is a huge lacrosse fan, and along with Lana, Mack and I joined them to take in the Rush’s last regular season home game on Friday.

Lana and Thom

My memory is fuzzy, but I am fairly certain I attended a game during their inaugural season in 2006, when the Rush won just one game that year. The atmosphere was decidedly different on Friday, with the 9,000+ crowd stirred to a frenzy for their team in a Battle of Alberta setting. It was also quite interesting sitting in front of a maddened six year old fan, who was screaming for the heads of the Calgary players (“Fight! Attack them!”).

Good crowd for Fan Appreciation Night

I didn’t mind the music being played during the game (like basketball) so much this time, and perhaps that had something to do with the fact that our seats were much closer to the action on Friday. More than anything, the choice of tunes seemed to re-energize the fans, whether encouraging cries of “de-fense!” or raucous cheers.

Our field-side view

The game really is fast-paced, with a possession clock ensuring end-to-end action. And though the almost full line changes when switching from offensive to defensive zones (and vice versa) were a bit jarring, these boys got game. It was amazing to see them effortlessly pass and catch the ball, and rocket them towards the goalie. Andrew Secore’s backhanded goal was a highlight for sure.

Close match

Aside from the game itself, the quarter and halftime spectacles were pretty entertaining as well. As Mack noted, everything from the post-game parties to the putting contests are branded, but if that’s what’s necessary to provide interesting segments to the audience, so be it. We were treated to a Pizza Hut-sponsored wing eating contest, a parade of vintage vehicles promoting an upcoming car show, a Delux Burger Bar shopping cart race involving giant foam fries, and of course, several dance interludes from the Edmonton Crush girls.

Wing rumble

Nice to look at, but the exhaust I could have done without

Unfortunately, the outcome wasn’t what we were hoping for. Calgary was able to tie the game late, leading to sudden death overtime which we lost, 15-14. On the bright side, the Rush beat the Washington Stealth the following night, and at any rate, will be heading to the playoffs.

Tickets range from just $17.49 to $59.50, with numerous specials available, such as the United Cycle Family Zone, which offers $30 tickets that include a hot dog and a pop. While the playoff tickets might be slightly more expensive, the Edmonton Rush are an exciting team to watch. Keep them in mind if you’re looking for something to do, or a different local team to cheer for.