After coming just short of a three-peat, the Saskatchewan Rush are out for redemption as they begin their 2017-18 National Lacrosse League season.

The Rush will take on the Toronto Rock in their season opener at Air Canada Centre on Saturday night.

“We’re real excited, we’ve had a longer training camp than usual, everyone is itching to get the season started and get off to a good start to the season,” said Rush assistant captain Kyle Rubisch on Thursday.

Saskatchewan claimed their third straight division championship in 2017, but fell short in the Champion’s Cup Final, falling in two straight games to the Georgia Swarm.

That loss will serve as motivation for the Rush throughout this season as they look to return to to the top of the NLL after winning back-to-back titles in 2015 and 2016.

“Winning two championships in a row and then coming up a bit short gives you a bit of bitterness going into this season,” said Rubisch. “It adds a little hunger and a little bit of excitement because the team wants to get back to where we were and everyone is a little more hungry to be the top team again.”

The Rush sported the league’s second ranked offence last season, but Rubisch feels like the team needed to get stronger defensively coming out of last season. That’s coming from a two-time winner of the NLL’s Defensive Player of the Year.

“I don’t think we need major changes, our offence put up some great numbers and really carried us, our defence for the most part, just needs to tighten things up and get back to where we were the previous two years,” said Rubisch.

“We had too many goals against last year and to limit runs and keep the goals down is going to be essential for us to be successful.”

To help in the goal stopping department, the Rush dealt away star goaltender Aaron Bold in a trade that brought them 2016 NLL Goaltender of the Year Evan Kirk.

Rubisch said that addition will no doubt be a positive for the Rush, “In training camp alone, he’s been such a stable force, he’s so steady and he makes some great saves, so it just gives an added bonus to our defensive unit to know that he’s back there backstopping us the whole game,” he said.

In their season opener, the Rush will travel to Toronto to face the Rock, who went 9-9 in 2017.  The six-time league champions returned to the playoffs last year after one season on the outside looking in.

Saskatchewan is heading into the game with some good momentum after blowing out Georgia, 24-9, in their preseason game last month.

“It’s going to be a great test (against Toronto), they can move the ball up the floor real well, so we’re going to have to limit their transition game, they have a lot of guys from their back-end that can push the ball and score,” said Rubisch. “We’re going to have to be disciplined, get off the floor quick and limit their offensive skilled players.”

The Rush and Rock square off on Saturday night at 6 p.m.  Saskatchewan’s home opener is next Saturday against New England at SaskTel Centre.