In the third quarter, it was all Rush, all the time. Ryan Keenan and Shanks scored 26 seconds apart before Shanks found the back of the net twice more — bringing his game total to six — and Mike Messenger scored one to make it 12-5 for the Rush.
Hoggarth scored an early goal in the fourth quarter for the Thunderbirds, but Robert Church and Zach Manns would counter before Brock Haley found thr net on a powerplay with one minute seven seconds remaining, before scoring again six seconds later to power the Rush to a 16-7 win.
The Rush are now one win away from the NLL Cup Final.
The last time the team made the final was in 2018 when they captured their second title in Saskatchewan.
Game two goes next Saturday at the Sasktel Centre in Saskatoon.
Previous struggles in Halifax
Derek Keenan, co-head coach and general manager of the Rush, …