Things have come full circle for the two most dominant NLL teams of the decade.

The Knighthawks and the Rush have won the championship five times since Rochester edged Edmonton to begin a three-year reign in 2012. Edmonton won in 2015 and moved to Saskatchewan to win again in 2016. Now we have the first Knighthawks-Rush final since that epic 9-6 battle six years ago.

Mike Hasen and Derek Keenan are still around to direct what is now a best-of-three drama, and coaching doesn’t get any better than them. Five players on each team were in the lineup for that one-game showdown in 2012: Matt Vinc, Cody Jamieson, Sid Smith, Scott Campbell and Cory Vitarelli of the Knighthawks and Brett Mydske, Jeff Cornwall, Chris Corbeil, Kyle Rubisch and Ryan Dilks of the Rush.

In the division finals during the weekend, Saskatchewan defeated Calgary 15-13 and Rochester eliminated defending-champion Georgia 9-8.

In Saskatoon, where 11,568 watched in SaskTel Centre, the Rush won because they had a more diversified offense. They outshot Calgary 60-46 and got goals from nine players, including three from each of Ben McIntosh and Robert Church. Mark Matthews, with two goals and five assists, kept the attack moving at Christian Del Bianco in a myriad of directions. Curtis Dickson scored six goals and Wes Berg four for Calgary but only four Roughnecks put balls behind Evan Kirk.

The Rush led 4-2 after one quarter and 8-5 after two. Calgary tied it 8-8 before the Rush went back up to lead 12-9 after three. Ryan Dilks, with two, Curtis Knight, Ryan Keenan, Matthew Dinsdale, Jeff Shattler and Matt Hossack also scored for the Rush. Dane Dobbie, with two, and Holden Cattoni also scored for Calgary.

“I thought our effort and compete level were good all night,” Keenan said. “Even when they got three in a row in the third quarter, we came right back with four of our own.”

Captain Corbeil and his crew have been determined all year to win back the title they relinquished on their own floor a year ago.

“It’s pretty sweet getting back to the final,” Matthews said. “It’s what we played for all year.”

In metro Atlanta, where 4,106 watched Georgia’s reign end in Infinite Energy Arena, Rochester won because Cody Jamieson supplied an early three-goal boost, a crucial fourth-quarter video review decision went the Knighthawks’ way, and Matt Vinc frustrated Georgia’s offense by making 46 saves.

“Vino made a couple of great saves and a couple of their shots went wide,” Rochester coach Mike Hasen said of the nailbiter of a finish. “It ended in our favor.”

Also scoring for the Knighthawks were Austin Shanks with two goals and Josh Currier, Eric Fannell, Scott Campbell and Kyle Jackson with one each.

“We were swinging the ball back and forth,” Shanks said. “Everyone was getting their touches and that’s when we’re at our best. When they forced harder, that’s when we moved the ball the most, and that’s when we scored. It was unselfishness, moving the ball a lot and just taking those shots.”

Miles Thompson led the Swarm with four goals, Randy Staats got two and Lyle Thompson and Shayne Jackson added one each. Mike Poulin made 35 saves.

It was 1-1 after one quarter, 2-2 after two and 4-3 for Rochester after three. The Knighthawks went up 8-4 on an over-the-back stunner by Kyle Jackson. Then it was 8-7. Then Lyle Thompson dove into the crease to put a ball behind Vinc. The two crashed in a pileup. A referee waved off what would have been the tying goal. Play resumed and Shanks scored before Swarm coach Ed Comeau tossed a red challenge flag onto the green carpet. The video review was deemed inconclusive. Instead of a tie, Rochester led 9-7. The Swarm pressed and a breakaway goal by Shayne Jackson made it 9-8 with 2:20 to go. Vinc then stopped a breakaway shot by Lyle Thompson. And that was it.

BEST OF THREE

Championship series dates are all Saturdays: May 26, 9:30 p.m. ET in Saskatoon; June 2 in Rochester; and June 9 in Saskatoon, if necessary.___=

DRAMATIC TURNAROUND

Since starting the season 2-6, Rochester has won 10 of its last 12 games.

“It’s a testament to the character of our group,” Cody Jamieson said. “We all care for each other and love each other and battle for each other every week.”

BEAT THE RUSH

Rochester won both of its regular-season games against Saskatchewan: 16-11 at home Feb. 27 and 13-10 on the road March 24.

PERFECT

Saskatchewan finishes 11-0, including its elimination of Calgary, against NLL West opponents this season.

FOUR IN A ROW

The Rush made it to the final for the fourth consecutive year and that hadn’t been done since Toronto made it five years in a row and won the title four times from 1999 through 2003.

CAREER POINTS

Calgary lefty Dane Dobbie, who amassed 11 points Sunday, not only cracked the top 10 in career playoff points this year, he zoomed all the way up to fifth place. The top 10:

1. John Tavares 200

2. Dan Dawson 146

3. Colin Doyle 144

4. Gary Gait 124

5. Dane Dobbie 112

6. John Grant Jr. 111

7. Shawn Evans 103

8. Josh Sanderson 100

9. Mark Steenhuis and Mike Accursi 99 each

SAVES

Matt Vinc is the new all-time playoff saves leader. The 35-year-old Rochester goaltender entered the NLL East final one behind Pat O’Toole’s 802 and with 46 saves Saturday now has a record 847.

NEW CHALLENGE

Josh Sanderson, who has been involved in the NLL since being drafted in 1997, is embarking on a new challenge in the league as an assistant coach with the new San Diego Seals and he can’t wait to get started.

“It’s exciting to get this opportunity,” he said. “I’m really looking forward to helping build an expansion team and to getting back on an NLL bench.”

Sanderson, 41, a resident of Orangeville, Ontario, was inducted into the NLL Hall of Fame in 2016. His 1,356 regular-season points put him fourth on the all-time list. He was assistant Toronto general manager before agreeing to join head coach Pat Merrill and assistant coach Bill Greer with the expansion team in southern California. The three were close as Rock teammates.

“I didn’t want to jump right into coaching after playing,” Sanderson explained. “Pat is a really good friend of mine so when he asked me I felt the timing was right. Billy is a good friend, too. We had some really good years together. We’ll be hoping for some success in San Diego as we build a team.”

Sanderson has coached teens and has been coaching his children in minor lacrosse in Orangeville. He is comfortable with the idea of coaching in the NLL.

“I think I’ll be OK.”

An expansion draft will supply the Seals and the Philadelphia Wings with their first players in July. Each of the nine existing teams can protect 10 players and one goaltender. The winner of a coin flip will have the option of going first in either the expansion or September entry draft.

BIG DECISIONS

The New England Black Wolves were bounced by Rochester in the first round of the playoffs but they intend to come back stronger next season, said head coach Glenn Clark.

“Up and down,” he replied when asked to define his team’s season. “We made a lot of changes and that played out in some of the inconsistency we showed. We were really good at times and average at other times. We struggled to put together all facets of our game at the same time. We’re happy we battled ourselves into a playoff position but, ultimately, we want more.”

Team coaches and executives are making lists of 10 players and one goalie to protect for the expansion draft that will provide the first players for the San Diego Seals and the Philadelphia Wings. Lists will be compared and debated before one final list of protected Black Wolves players is submitted to the league office by July 2.

Kevin Crowley, the league’s leading goal scorer with 51 during the 18-game schedule, is an unrestricted free agent so re-signing and protecting him before the expansion draft will be a priority.

Clark is beginning his fourth summer coaching Toronto Beaches of Ontario’s Jr. A indoor league.

COACHING

Career playoff coaching wins:

1. Les Bartley 18

2. Derek Keenan 15

3. Troy Cordingley 14

4. Mike Hasen 14

5. Darris Kilgour 12

6. Chris Hall 11

7. Curt Malawsky 9

8. Tony Resch 8

9. Ed Comeau 7

10. Dave Evans 6

YEAR-ROUND COACHES

NLL head coaches Mike Hasen of Rochester, Derek Keenan of Saskatchewan and Matt Sawyer of Toronto will again coach in Ontario’s indoor league this summer. Hasen returns as head coach in Peterborough after guiding the Lakers to the 2017 Mann Cup championship, Keenan will be behind the bench with the Brooklin Redmen and Sawyer returns as head coach of the Oakville Rock. Buffalo assistant coach Rich Kilgour continues as head coach of Six Nations Chiefs.

TIME TRAVEL

May 15, 2005: Les Bartley passed away from colon cancer at his St. Catharines, Ontario, home. He was 51. He died 18 hours after the Toronto Rock won their fifth indoor pro championship and six days after being named NLL executive of the year. Bartley coached Buffalo to titles in 1992, 1993 and 1996 and Toronto to titles in 1999, 2000, 2002 and 2003.