Rush Rarin' To Go On The Road and Prout Returns To Colorado On Saturday

Edmonton,AB--- What a way to kick-off the season. While last weekend's bye week in the schedule provided the Edmonton Rush with extra preparation time for the 2010 National Lacrosse League season -- the club will get their first taste of real game action this weekend with back-to-back road contests -- Jan. 15 versus the Washington Stealth in Everett, Wash., and Jan. 16 against the Colorado Mammoth in Denver, Colo.

Playing consecutive games in as many nights away from home is not a regular occurrence in the NLL, however Rush head coach and general manager Derek Keenan and his troops will take it one contest at a time as the new campaign begins.

"To start, you look at the first game first for sure, but that's a hard thing because we have to prepare for two games this weekend," said Keenan. "So you have to look at both, but come Thursday our focus will be on Washington only.

"We go into every game looking to win, so the first one is the most important one," he said. "We won't be thinking about going 2-0 then. Our focus will be on that game only, but, once Friday’'s done, we have to turn the page quickly and start thinking about the second game in Colorado."

Edmonton had the luxury of watching both teams in action last weekend as the Stealth handled Colorado 17-8 in the lopsided season-opener for both those clubs, that provided the Rush with a preview of this weekend's carpet action.

"It's going to be a huge test this weekend," said defender Rory Glaves on the two divisional games. "Playing Washington and then Colorado will be big for us.

"Obviously, we want to win both games, but we'll take it one game at a time. We'll first have to concentrate on Washington. What's important is the first game. The first shift. The first period.

"We're all confident and we're just looking forward to getting out there and getting it going," he added.

After several weeks of training camp learning Keenan's systems play, the new-look Rush lineup -- featuring nine returning players and 14 new faces -- the Rush bench boss views the opening road trip as a time for his club to grow together.

"This weekend is a good opportunity for us," Keenan said. "I look at it in that it's opportunity rather than a negative, because it gives us a chance to get together on the road as a team."

"I'm excited to get going," chipped in Ian Hawksbee, the club's top defensive player from 2009. "We're all here to win and we're all really competitive guys and that's one of our strong points is our competitiveness. I'm just really excited to get it underway."

One player who's also jacked about the opening weekend is Rush forward Gavin Prout, who'll be sporting a different jersey this year after six seasons with Colorado.

"The anticipation is up and we're getting hungry for the first games," said the right-handed forward. "Any weekend we have back-to-back games, it's challenging, however, I'll have no problem getting up for the second game."

Suiting up in the visitors room and lining up against his old mates at the Pepsi Center will be a bit strange for him though.

"Colorado's been my home for the past six seasons and the fans have been great to me and the organization was fantastic," said Prout, the Mammoth's former captain and the 2006 playoff MVP with the Champion's Cup-winning squad.

The seven-time NLL all-star -- acquired by Edmonton from Rochester in November after Prout's earlier trade from Colorado just weeks before -- makes his return to Denver for the first time since the trades.

"Looking at it from the opposite side of the floor now, I'll still have my friends and there may be some fans cheering for me. The majority won't though," added the Whitby, Ont., product, who is expected to provide an offensive spark to Edmonton this year. "I'm going to take it like any game, but it should push my intensity up playing against my ex-team."

Known as a key offensive cog both in scoring goals and racking up helpers, the five-foot-10, 185-pound playmaker is Colorado's all-time leading scorer with 517 points in 96 contests.

"It's kind of nice to have him here because for the past couple of years I've had to cover Gavin when we played Colorado," said Rush defender Hawksbee. "I'm really looking forward to now playing with somebody of his calibre."

"We just have to go out there and be the best we can be," said Prout about this weekend's action. "However, you look at it, we have to get wins regardless if it's Colorado or Washington and we're looking to go 2-0 in our first two games."

Edmonton's first home game is set for Jan. 23 against the Buffalo Bandits at Rexall Place.

For further information, please contact: Pauline Hughes, Director of Communications for the Edmonton Rush Lacrosse Club