YORKTON - The Saskatchewan Rush have inked 2021 first round draft pick Jake Boudreau to a two-year contract.
Boudreau, from Brampton, Ont., was taken seventh overall in the 2021 draft.
“It’s great to make it official,” said Boudreau in an interview with Yorkton This Week. “It was something I was looking forward too.”
Boudreau spent this past season playing field lacrosse with the Robert Morris University Athletic Colonials. In 13 games, he notched five multi-goal performances and four multi-assist efforts. The Brampton, ON product finished the season ranked third on the team for goals (25) and points (46) as well as tacked on 21 assists and 18 turnovers in 16 games.
The year of college lacrosse was one Boudreau said really helped him take another step as a player.
“It was awesome. Coming back, I knew the team was going to be something special,” he said.
However, it took some time to determine what the team actually was this season.
The team actually started the season without a head coach, with a senior player taking the helm until Craig McDonald took over. After a rocky start the team got on a roll.
“We ended up winning the conference (the ASUN Conference, formerly the Atlantic Sun Conference),” said Boudreau.
The Colonials defeated Utah 18-17 in overtime.
The final was a huge game for Boudreau scoring seven goals and accumulating 10 points. His 10 points in a single game tied him for second all-time in points in a single game, which was previously set by Ryan Smith in 2020.
Not surprisingly, Boudreau was named ASUN Tournament MVP after his 12-point performance over the two rounds of the tournament.
It was part of a great season collegiately for Boudreau who in a vote of head coaches was named the 2022 ASUN Midfielder of the Year.
In addition to being tabbed the 2022 ASUN Midfielder of the Year, Boudreau was named to the 2022 ASUN Conference First Team. Boudreau was also named to the 2022 ASUN Conference All-Academic Team. Boudreau, a marketing major, has maintained a 3.35 cumulative grade point average (GPA).
Boudreau ranks fourth for the Colonials in scoring with 34 points thanks to 16 goals and 18 assists. In 67 career contests at RMU, Boudreau had 120 points, compiling 62 goals and 58 assists.
While excelling in field in college, Boudreau grew up playing box lacrosse.
When asked when he began playing Boudreau said he was young.
“I believe I was three-and-a-half / four,” he said, adding “it was kind of funny how it happened.”
With a birthday in June he wanted to start playing baseball, but was told he was too young. Someone overheard the dilemma and suggested he give lacrosse a try, which he said was something brand new as his parents never played.
“They (the person overhearing his situation) said come check it out,” said Boudreau, adding he did “and I fell in love with it.”
So what is it that Boudreau loves so much?
“It’s just how it’s a team game. You’re really moving. You can do a lot of stuff. I feel alive out there . . . It’s hard to explain,” he said.
So now Boudreau is back in the indoor game, and the team thinks they have a definite budding prospect.
"Like in any sport there are no guarantees when it comes to the entry draft but we believe Jake Boudreau projects as a future NLL star,” stated Rush general manager Derek Keenan in a recent release. “He fits the Rush D-Transition player mold to a T. He's exceptionally athletic, defensively responsible, makes good decisions in transition and has a nice finishing scoring touch."
Boudreau said he is simply ready to contribute.
“I’ll work as hard as I possibly can. I’ll do anything I can to help the Rush get that win night in and night out,” he said. “. . . I’m just so happy to get going.”
