THE CANADIAN PRESS
SEATTLE — Washington’s Paul Rabil scored eight seconds into overtime to end the Edmonton Rush’s season with a 12-11 loss to the top-seeded Stealth on Saturday night in the National Lacrosse League West Division Final.
Edmonton stormed back to tie the game late in the fourth quarter, but Rabil’s goal off the opening face-off in overtime put an end to the best season in Rush franchise history.
Rush forward Andy Secore scored with a shot through traffic to tie the score at 11-11 with 20 seconds remaining in the game. Edmonton’s Corey Small brought the Rush to within one goal 35 seconds earlier when he scored in the face of Washington goaltender Tyler Richards.
Washington advances to play the Toronto Rock in the Champion’s Cup next Saturday in Everett, Wash.
Edmonton’s 11 wins (10 in the regular season) was far and away the most successful campaign for the five-year old franchise. Edmonton, holders of a 16-48 overall record before this season, earned a previous season-high for wins with six in 2007.
Forward Dean Hill opened the scoring for Edmonton with a power-play goal at the 6:08 mark of the first quarter. Hill’s goal tied the contest at 1-1, but Washington netted five unanswered goals to grab a 6-1 lead with 8:10 remaining in the first half.
The Rush responded with three straight goals, including two from the stick of forward Gavin Prout. Prout, a Whitby, Ont., native, scored with 6:49 left in the second quarter and added his second goal, a power-play score from the perimeter, with 1:46 left until the half to cut Washington’s lead to 6-4.
Prout, Ryan Ward and Hill finished with two goals each for the Rush. Ward led Edmonton with six points (two goals, four assists).