Saskatchewan Rush look to win NLL Cup Final on the road

The Saskatchewan Rush are one win away from claiming their third National Lacrosse League championship.

The Rush are on the road Saturday for game two in the best-of-three NLL Cup Final against the Rochester Knighthawks.

Saskatchewan jumped out to the 1-0 series lead last Saturday on home turf, using a seven-goal run to notch a 16-9 win over the Knighthawks.

Rochester was the only team in the NLL this season to beat Saskatchewan twice, and in the process snapped a nine-game losing streak against the Rush dating back to 2012.

The NLL Cup matchup brings together two teams that have won five of the last six league titles.

Rochester, with a total of four NLL titles, is also the only team to win three consecutive championships when they were crowned champs in 2012, 2013, and 2014.

In 2012, the Knighthawks faced the Rush for the Cup and battled back from a 5-1 deficit at halftime to beat the Rush 9-6.

Rochester’s reign came to an end the following season, which also marked the start of the Rush’s two-year run atop the NLL as they won the Cup in 2015 and 2016.

Back in the 2015 season, the Rush blew out the Knighthawks 16-3 which marked the Rush’s largest margin of victory over an opponent. In 2014, two wins over the Knighthawks helped the Rush establish their record-setting 14-0 start.

Rochester’s other championship was earned in 2007, and the Knighthawks also lost in the final in 1999, 2000, and 2003.