NFL, MLB, NHL, NBA, CFL stats



Rochester Knighthawks

Knighthawks Open Season Thursday against Toronto

December 28, 2016 - National Lacrosse League (NLL)
Rochester Knighthawks News Release


The Rochester Knighthawks will open their 23rd season in the National Lacrosse League on Thursday, Dec. 29 when they battle the rival Toronto Rock at 7:30 p.m. at Connors & Ferris Field at The Blue Cross Arena.

A Fresh Night of Fun: The Throwback Thursday contest will feature music from the 1970s, 80s and 90s, and players from four decades of Rochester indoor lacrosse. The night will begin with a ceremonial faceoff with three members of the 1997 championship team - Paul Gait, Tim Soudan and Chris Driscoll - and Jan Magee from the 1974 world champion Rochester Griffins. Fans can meet the Knighthawks legends and Magee, along with 2007 NLL champions Pat O'Toole and Mike Hasen, at the postgame autograph session. Keeping with the Throwback Thursday theme, fans can purchase a Vintage T-shirt and a ticket in the 200 upper end for only $20.

Get Your Tickets: Fans arriving early can take part in the Deep Eddy Pregame Party, which begins at 6:30 p.m. in the upper atrium bar area and includes live music and drink specials. Tickets for Opening Night are still available at all Ticketmaster outlets and ticketmaster.com.

Broadcast Info: The game will be broadcast on 107.3 The Bull and on the iHeartRadio app. Fans can watch the contest on NLL TV (nlltv.com). Craig "Ripper" Rybczynski returns for his 16th season as the team's play-by-play man. He will be joined in the booth by Knighthawks Hall of Famer Tim Soudan.

Scouting the Knighthawks: Rochester ended the preseason with a 2-1 record after defeating the Georgia Swarm 17-15 on Dec. 10. The Knighthawks won their last two preseason contests, which included a 9-8 victory over the New England Black Wolves on Dec. 4. Rookie Kyle Jackson led the Knighthawks in the preseason scoring, finishing with 13 points (4+9). Joe Resetarits was second with six goals and five assists, while fellow rookie Josh Currier connected for seven points (6+1) in two games.

New Faces: Rochester added 11 new players to the roster this season, which was bolstered by free agent signees Jarrett Davis, Luc Magnan, Wayne Van Every, Torrey VanEvery, Tyler Ferreira, John Rae and Andrew Suitor. The Knighthawks also stocked their roster with draft picks Dan Lomas, Luke Laszkiewicz, Currier and Jackson.

Ironman Record Continues: Dawson will continue his NLL Ironman streak by playing in his 234th straight game on opening night. The streak began on March 9, 2002 with the Columbus Landsharks.

Milestone Alert:

- Dan Dawson needs just four points to reach 350 as a Knighthawk.

- Dawson needs nine points to pass Duane Jacobs to move into sixth place on the Knighthawks all-time points list.

- Jarrett Davis needs two assists to reach 150 as a pro.

Movember Moment: During the game, the Knighthawks will present a check to Gilda's Club Rochester for $4,100. The money, which will go to Gilda's Prostate Cancer Support Group, was raised during the team's Movember campaign. Prostate Cancer Support Group member and avid Knighthawks fan Dick McGlynn will accept the check.

Opening Night Records: Over the past 22 seasons, Rochester has experienced some great performances. Here are some of the best team and individual records from season openers.

- First opening night win:

12-8 vs. New York on Jan. 7, 1995

- Last opening night win:

8-6 vs. Minnesota on Dec. 28, 2013

- Biggest margin of victory:

10 goals - 16-6 at Syracuse on Jan. 8, 2000; 22-12 win at Philadelphia on Jan. 14, 2012

- Most Goals:

7 - John Grant Jr. vs. Philadelphia on Dec. 30, 2000

Curt Malawsky vs. Albany on Nov. 24, 2001

- Most Assists:

8 - Cory Bomberry vs. Philadelphia on Dec. 30, 2000

- Most Points:

11 - Duane Jacobs at Buffalo on Jan. 4, 1997

John Grant Jr. and Cory Bomberry vs. Philadelphia on Dec. 30, 2000

- Most Saves:

54 by Pat O'Toole at Syracuse on Jan. 8, 2000

Scouting the Rock: Toronto ended the preseason with an impressive 15-13 win over the Buffalo Bandits on Dec. 17. The Rock, like the Knighthawks, have reloaded their roster for the 2017 campaign. Tom Schreiber, Kieran McArdle, Connor Buczek, Latrell Harris, Mikey MacDonald, Challen Rogers and Phil Caputo will all make their Rock debuts in 2017. Goalie Nick Rose enters the season after a career year in 2016, which earned him a Goaltender of the Year nomination. Last season, he ranked third in the league in goals-against average (11.10) and tied for third in save percentage.

Knighthawks Next Game: The Knighthawks return to action on Saturday, Jan. 7 when they host the New England Black Wolves at 7:30 p.m. at Connors & Ferris Field at The Blue Cross Arena. Individual and group tickets are currently on sale. For more information, please call the Knighthawks office at (585) 454-4295.

Native American Night: On Jan. 7, the Knighthawks will host their annual Native American Night. The game will feature Native American music, artisans and dancers. There will also be a special appearance by "Savvy" Savannah Simon, who is a member of the International Indigenous Speakers Bureau. A member of the Mi`kmaq tribe of Elsipogtog First Nation in New Brunswick, she was named one of Canadian Livings Top 40 Female Change Makers. Prior to the game, the Knighthawks will honor Congressional Medal of Honor winner Louis Levi Oakes, who is the last surviving WWII Akwesasne Mohawk Code Talker. Oakes was a technician with the 4th Grade, Company B, 442nd Signal Battalion, United States Army. During the war, he served in New Guinea and the Philippines.

Check out the Rochester Knighthawks Statistics

• Discuss this story on the National Lacrosse League message board...

National Lacrosse League Stories from December 28, 2016


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.

Other Recent Rochester Knighthawks Stories



Sports Statistics from the Stats Crew
OurSports Central