Thunderbirds drop Game 2 to Rush in overtime
May 11, 2025
(SASKATOON, SK) May 10, 2025 -- The Halifax Thunderbirds dropped Game 2 of their semifinal series against the Saskatchewan Rush, losing 10-9 in overtime at SaskTel Centre on Saturday night.
Dawson Theede led the Thunderbirds in scoring with two goals and six points. Thomas Hoggarth had a team-best four goals, while Clarke Petterson (2G, 2A) and Mike Robinson (4A) each had strong offensive games.
Warren Hill had one of his best outings of the season, stopping 45 shots.
The game opened with the home team going on a run, with Robert Church scoring a pair while Zach Manns added another. A pair of those came on the man advantage after a five-minute major was called on Halifax.
Theede got a bouncer to fall to get the Thunderbirds on the board, but a Holden Garlent transition goal made it 4-1 Rush. The Thunderbirds cut into the lead, scoring twice to end the frame. Hoggarth got his first of the game, and Staats followed up by scoring with two seconds left to make it a 4-3 Saskatchewan lead after one.
In the second, the two teams only managed a goal each. Hoggarth scored at the 8:22 mark while Ryan Keenan answered back under two minutes later, sending the teams into the break with the Rush leading 5-4.
Halifax managed to tie things up coming out for the second half, as a Petterson power-play marker tied the game at five. Under a minute later, Mike Messenger scored in transition to put Saskatchewan back ahead. But Halifax found another last-second tally. Petterson scored on a bouncer with the clock winding down to knot things back up at 6-6 with 15 minutes left.
The teams remained deadlocked until the three-minute mark, when Theede got a shot to fall to give Halifax its first lead of the night. However, Austin Shanks answered with a goal with 2:57 to play. Hoggarth put his stamp on the game, scoring the go-ahead goal at 2:33 before adding an insurance marker under a minute later. Halifax looked to salt away the clock in the final stages, but a Manns goal with the net empty made it a one-goal game once again with 44 seconds remaining.
Halifax did get a stop, but after a timeout, a turnover led to a chance for the Rush with the clock running down. Matt Hossack found twine with five seconds remaining to send the game into overtime.
The teams traded possessions early, but another five-minute major on the Thunderbirds gave the Rush a golden chance to punch their ticket to the NLL Cup Final. Shanks fired home a shot on the man advantage to end the game in the extra stanza.
The Thunderbirds' season comes to an end with the loss. The organization finished the year tied for a franchise-best 11 victories while hosting and winning their first home playoff contest in Halifax franchise history.