SASKATOON — Robert Church had a hat trick and added four assists to lead the Saskatchewan Rush past the Colorado Mammoth 11-8 on Saturday in National Lacrosse League action.

Mark Matthews scored and set up six other goals Saskatchewan (12-3), while Ben McIntosh and Ryan Keenan had two goals apiece. Curtis Knight, Chris Corbeil and Jeff Shattler added singles. Evan Kirk made 34 saves for the win.

Ryan Benesch had three goals and an assist for Colorado (10-6), while Brad Self, Jeremy Noble, Joey Cupido, Zack Greer and Bryce Sweeting also found the back of the net. Dillon Ward stopped 35 shots for the Mammoth.

The Rush were 3 for 4 on the power play and Colorado was 1 for 4 with the man advantage.

A pre-game ceremony was held to honour the victims of a bus crash that claimed the lives of 15 people on the Humboldt Broncos, a junior-A hockey team based northeast of Saskatoon, on Friday. The ceremony included a moment of silence and flares lit for every fatality in the accident.