NLL Rochester Knighthawks

Powless Exceeding Expectations in Rookie Season

Published on April 27, 2012 under National Lacrosse League (NLL)
Rochester Knighthawks News Release


Win the National Lacrosse League Rookie of the Week Award. Play in the All-Star Game. Earn a highlight on ESPN. Celebrate 19th birthday.

These are all things that Rochester Knighthawks rookie forward Johnny Powless has accomplished so far in his first season as a professional lacrosse player, and the list keeps growing.

Some wondered if Powless would be successful right away at such a young age, or if the Knighthawks reached too far to get him with the fifth overall pick in the 2011 NLL Entry Draft. But with the way he's played over the past 15 weeks, the teenager looks more than capable of holding his own in a league of men.

On April 19th, Powless was named Rookie of the Week for the second consecutive week, the third time this season he has earned Rookie of the Week. He led Rochester with three goals and four assists in a 14-12 win over the Calgary Roughnecks on Saturday, April 14th.

"It's a good honor to win. I just feel like I'm more comfortable on the floor, and it makes me feel more confident winning that award," said Powless.

Calgary traded the fifth overall draft pick used on Powless to Rochester in exchange for Shawn Evans. Powless wasn't at all worried about trying to play well against Evans to prove that the trade was well worth it.

"I just come in and it's just another game. I just try to focus and play my best," said Powless.

Along with his back-to-back awards in Weeks 14 and 15, Powless also won the Rookie of the Week honor in Week 5 with four points (two goals, two assists) in Rochester's 16-14 win over Minnesota on February 4th.

Powless scored a goal in the 2012 NLL All-Star Game as one of four all-star selections from Rochester, alongside teammates Mike Accursi, Cody Jamieson, and Mike Kirk.

"Playing in the All-Star Game, I played with (Dan) Dawson and JT (John Tavares) and all the guys I looked up to, so it was pretty fun," said Powless.

Through 14 games, Powless is third on the team in goals scored with 24, and fifth in points with 45 (24 + 21). He is also not afraid to use his body to set picks and penetrate the defense despite his small frame.

"Johnny's a quiet kid, but he's got a competitive edge to him. He just wants to win lacrosse games. He's a great talent and he can definitely put the ball in the back of the net," said Stephen Keogh, a fellow rookie who was drafted three spots before Powless.

"I think that expectations have been met and I think he's gone a little bit beyond what everybody expected of him. Everybody said he's too young to play in the league. I think he proved that he deserves his spot. He's put up highlight-reel goals and he does the little things right," said Jamieson.

Powless drew national attention with a beautiful goal in a loss to Toronto on January 27th. The rookie found the back of the net with a behind-the-back shot, earning him the seventh spot on ESPN SportsCenter's Top 10 Plays the following morning.

He netted a similar shot in the season opener against Philadelphia, and a wrap-around shot from behind the net against Buffalo on January 21st, showing off his stick skills and demonstrating his scoring ability.

"I think he can squeak through as the overall rookie of the year for the league. I know Adam Jones and Kevin Crowley are the top two right now based on points, but if you look at the quality of work that he's done, I think he's done a fair job," said Jamieson.

Check out the Rochester Knighthawks Statistics

Share: Facebook | Twitter/X | LinkedIn | Reddit | Email



National Lacrosse League Stories from April 27, 2012


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central