Rush Reboot: Chapter 9 - Double Trouble: RUSH Drop Back-to-Back in the U.S.

By Sanjay Parker

Another doubleheader weekend, another pair of tough losses for the RUSH—falling 23–19 to the NY Empire on Friday and 23–13 to Boston Glory on Saturday. At this point, it’s starting to sound repetitive, and the record reflects it.

Doubleheaders are always a grind, especially on the road. And while the effort is still there, the results aren’t following—mostly due to one recurring issue: roster consistency: between World Games, Europeans, and TCU24 commitments, the RUSH haven’t had a stable lineup all season.

Friday: NY 23 - TOR 19
A four-point loss to the Empire isn’t the worst result, but make no mistake: they beat us in every stat category. Toronto struggled to generate offense outside of a few key contributors—only the Lewis brothers and Arvids scored more than once, and only the three core O-line handlers (Luc, Poloz, Turbo) had more than one assist. On the bright side, Wilkie Lewis responded to last week’s callout in a big way—finding the end zone three times.

Saturday: BOS 23 - TOR 13
Boston opened the game up 7–2, and the deficit never closed. The chemistry was clearly better than the night before, with improved hucks and more structured sets, but the results didn’t follow. The RUSH offense continues to click in flashes—just not for four quarters. Connor McHale, in just his fourth game, tallied three assists, but also had four throwaways and showed visible frustration as timing issues persisted. Arvids, despite playing only five D points, earned three blocks—but also had five turnovers and a completion rate of just 75%. Toronto can clearly hang with any team—for a quarter. But that’s not enough when you’re facing the best two teams in the league on back-to-back nights and are competing against the toughest division. 

 

Unsung Hero
Ty Barbieri – Quietly having one of the best goal-scoring seasons in the UFA. One of just nine RUSH players to appear in all nine games, Ty now sits second in the entire league with 34 goals. He’s been a constant in a season full of rotation.

More to Come
Phil Turner – A captain and a leader, but his return from injury hasn’t quite brought back all-star form. Despite doubling his point total from 76 in 2023 to 173 this year, he’s seen drops rise, and his blocks and assists fall. Still, Phil’s presence is invaluable, and the RUSH would much rather have him play every game this season than have him get injured again. 

 

Playoff Picture: Still Alive… Barely
At 2–7, Toronto isn’t mathematically eliminated—but the margin for error is gone. To make the postseason, the RUSH need to win out and get help. Most critically, they need Montreal to end up in the 3rd place tie at 5–7, where Toronto’s 3–0 head-to-head record would earn the tiebreaker.

A plausible path:

  • DC loses out, finishes 4–8

  • NY finishes 6–6 or 7–5 with a win over Philly

  • Philly ends 5–7 (win vs DC, losses to MTL, BOS, NY)

  • Montreal ends 5–7 (wins vs DC & PHI, losses to TOR x2)

That makes Toronto’s final home game vs Pittsburgh a must-win. Lose, and the playoff dream ends. Win, and hope stays alive.

Next Weekend: Home vs Pittsburgh. Win or go home.