Secore Stuns Knighthawks with Early Overtime Maker

Rochester -- Andy Secore fired the overtime winner just 20-seconds into the extra frame as the Edmonton Rush edged the Rochester Knighthawks 12-11 Saturday night in National Lacrosse League action at Blue Cross Arena.

Edmonton rallied from a 6-2 half-time deficit and trailed 9-5 midway through the third quarter, however, six Rush goals scored in the third quarter and three more scored in the fourth quarter put the game to OT and Edmonton capped off the comeback as Secore's marker completed a four-goal run.

The Rush improved to 5-3 on the season with the hard-fought victory and Edmonton matched their entire win total of 2009 in Saturday's victory. Rochester suffered their first home loss of the season to fall to 5-4 overall.

It was the first overtime game for both teams in the 2010 NLL season and Edmonton's first-ever visit to Rochester.

"It was a really good character win for us," said Rush head coach/GM Derek Keenan. "We got a real nice goal on a nice pick and roll by Small and Secore for the winner."

Secore (3G) had a hat-trick for the Rush, while Gavin Prout (1G, 3A) and Ryan Ward (1G, 3A) each paced Edmonton's balanced scoring attack with four-point nights. Scott Stewart (1G, 2A), Dane Stevens (1G, 2A), Corey Small (2G), Jimmy Quinlan (2G) and Brodie Merrill (1G, 1A and 14 loose balls) also scored for the Rush.

Craig Point led Rochester with three goals and Shawn Evans (2G, 2A) had four points in the loss.

Matt Disher (5-2) earned the win in net for Edmonton and Pat O'Toole took the loss for Rochester.

Rochester outshot the Rush 48-45 in the contest.

"It's a difficult place to play period and to win is a different story," Keenan said. "We just bounced back hard and kept with it in the second half."

"We were more assertive in the second half and stuck to our game plan."

John Grant started the scoring for Rochester at 5:02, before Edmonton's Small responded with his third goal of the season, at 10:03, to tie the score 1-1.

Point then tallied on the Rochester power-play at 12:18, just seconds after Edmonton's Ian Hawksbee was injured on the play after getting hit in the head by a shot.

Shawn Williams then found twine for Rochester 3:19 into the second frame and then the Knighthawks extended their run to three goals as Chris Driscoll scored on a long breakaway to put them up 4-1, before Small tallied for the second time of the game, at 7:44, as the Rush then trailed by two. Rochester scored two late goals in the quarter as Williams and Grant each fired their second markers of the game, to put the Knighthawks up 6-2 at the half.

Rochester outshot Edmonton 19-17 after two quarters of play and Edmonton's two-goals scored in the first-half was a season low.

The teams came out firing in the third quarter as the Rush opened the scoring when Prout bested O'Toole just 1:07 in before Point quickly responded back 20-seconds later to make the score 7-4.

Edmonton's Quinlan and Rochester's Kevin Fines then traded goals, before Secore tallied for the Rush at 3:38 as Edmonton trailed 8-5.

Evans regained a four-goal Rochester lead three minutes later and Edmonton then rallied with two quick goals as Stewart's shot was misplayed in front of Rochester's net and squeaked in at 8:39, followed by Quinlan's second of the game, at 9:58, as the Rush closed to 9-7.

Point then notched his hat-trick goal one minute later to regain Rochester's three goal lead, however, Secore's second marker of the game came on a long-range blast with just 2.2 seconds remaining in the third frame, as the Rush had an extra attacker out to close the scoring with Rochester up 10-8.

Rochester opened the scoring in the fourth quarter, before Stevens fired back for the Rush with a one-bouncer at 4:07 and then Merrill converted on the power-play at 6:44 as the Edmonton closed within one-goal in an 11-10 Rochester lead.

With a delayed penalty against Rochester, Ward tied the score at 11-11 at 10:57, as Edmonton scored their ninth goal of the second-half to set up the overtime heroics.

Rush mush: Ward made the contest despite travel delays in Detroit. He drove six hours to Rochester and had to gather new gear, including shoes for the game...Prout played despite fighting a sickness...Pat Jones, Chris McElroy and Bruce Alexander didn't dress.

The Rush has a bye-week next weekend and then will compete in their sixth road game of the season March 13 at the Colorado Mammoth.

Edmonton returns home March 20 for a 7 p.m. start against the Boston Blazers at Rexall Place.