The Edmonton Rush continue down the path to perfection with a 15-11 win over the Rochester Knighthawks Saturday, finding their way down victory lane for the 12th time this season.

In front of a home crowd 8,632 strong at Blue Cross Arena on Saturday, the two-time defending NLL champions lost to the undefeated Rush for the second time this season —allowing Edmonton to tie Rochester’s NLL record 12 consecutive wins the franchise established on the way to the 2007 playoffs.

“We’re not really concerned about the records,” said Rush head coach and GM Derek Keenan. “We’re just happy to come in here and get a win against a really good team.”

The gracious hosts didn’t give up without a fight in a battle between the division leaders was all that it was hyped up to be in a game where penalties edged out goals over the first three periods on the way to a 14-7 Rush lead.

But it was also the battle between the league’s leading defences this year, Edmonton allowed a season-high 11 goals, but still managed to maintain superiority in the arms race for stinginess.

After Curtis Knight scored with half a second left in the opening quarter to lead 4-1, Rochester stormed back with three goals in 2:12 to tie it up on a long-bomb play to Cory Vitarelli, who caught the Rush flat footed from an illegal-pick for his second of the night.

Rookie Robert Church gave Edmonton its second lead of the game, followed closely by back-to-backs from defender Jeff Cornwall.

After making contact with Rush goalie Aaron Bold on the end boards, Knighthawks forward Johnny Powless tussled with Edmonton captain Chris Corbeil.

The ensuing scrum resulted in seven penalties and a pair of game misconducts, with five players crammed into Edmonton’s penalty box and three for Rochester when it was all said and done.

Then, like the proverbial phoenix rising from the rubble, Knight scored his second of the night as Edmonton got right back to business taking an 8-4 lead.

“The biggest difference is our composure,” said Keenan. “We got into some shenanigans there but we maintained our composure.”

After Mark Matthews made in 9-4 with his second of the game, Rochester stopped the damage at five-straight goals by finally answering back off the stick of Craig Point heading into halftime.

The third quarter opened with Rush forward Zack Greer scored a pair, sandwiching a Rochester tally by Stephen Keogh.

Not finished there, Brett Mydske scored on transition and Corbeil flashed his wheels once again for his seventh short-handed goal of the season to lead 13-6 and chase Matt Vinc from Rochester’s net in favour of

Angus Goodleaf.

The Knighthawks responded on the same power-play with Cody Jamieson’s second of the game, before Edmonton’s John LaFontaine sent a goal pinballing between post and goalie for a 14-7 lead.

But Rochester mounted a bit of a comeback in the fourth quarter, with goals by Mike Kirk and Powless and Dan Dawson.

“They’re a very good second- and fourth-quarter team and we were aware of that, so that was big,” said Keenan.

Making a push for the extra attacker down by four with four minutes remaining, Rochester got another one from Powless, before Rush forward Jarrett Davis scored against his former team to break Rochester’s momentum.

“I thought the Davis goal that made it 15 was big because that gave us a bit of breathing room,” Keenan said. “It forces them to try and force things a little bit more on the defensive side.”

game GRADES

OVERALL: A

Offence: A

Defence: A

Goaltending: A

Transition: A

Power Play: A

Penalty Kill: A

Toughness: D

Effort: A

THREE STARS

1. Chris Corbeil, EDM

A goal, an assist and a fight.

2. Curtis Knight, EDM

Two goals, six points.

3. Mark Matthews, EDM

Two goals, six points.

Playin’ Loewen

Edmonton’s team-leading rookie scorer Riley Loewen returned to the lineup after missing the previous two games with an upper-body injury.

BIG GOAL

Rush F Mark Matthews scored his first regulation goal against Rochester of the season with a textbook crease-diving effort to take a 3-1 lead at the end of the first quarter.

BIG BRUTES

Rush F Cory Conway just turtled as Knighthawks D Mac Allen took off his opponent’s helmet and thumped him to the ground in the second quarter.

up next

The Rush turn around and head to the Air Canada Centre to take on the Toronto Rock Sunday at 1 p.m., in their first back-to-back weekend of the 2014 schedule.