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 Rochester Knighthawks

Knighthawks Looking to Make It Three Straight

February 21, 2018 - National Lacrosse League (NLL)
Rochester Knighthawks News Release


The Rochester Knighthawks have defied the odds the past two weeks by knocking off the two teams that competed for the 2017 Champion's Cup. On Saturday, the Knighthawks dropped the Saskatchewan Rush, 16-11, which was preceded by a 17-10 win over the defending champion Georgia Swarm on Feb. 11.

"They were huge (wins)," said Knighthawks head coach Mike Hasen. "I think everyone who might have written us off, would have written us off if it would have gone the other way."

"We have more confidence now," he added. "We still have a little way to go, but it gets us a bit closer (in the divisional race)."  

On Saturday, Feb. 24, the Knighthawks will face another tough test as they travel to play the first-place Buffalo Bandits at 7:30 p.m. at KeyBank Center. The game is the third of four games between the two teams.

Buffalo leads the East Division with a 6-3 record after winning its last four games. After the pair of victories, the Knighthawks (4-6) are tied with Georgia and New England with four wins apiece and are only two and a half games out of first.

Broadcast Information: The game will be broadcast on 107.3 The Bull and on the iHeartRadio app. Fans can also watch the contest on NLL TV (NLLTV.com).

Scouting the Knighthawks: Rochester has outscored its opponents 33-21 during its latest two-game winning streak. Former NLL MVP Cody Jamieson (7+6) and Joe Resetarits (2+9) have led the way offensively. Resetarits has moved into sixth in the NLL with 50 points, and is tied for eighth in goals (20) and assists (30). Rookies Austin Shanks and Eric Fannell have also started to heat up, posting 11 (3+8) and 10 (2+8) points, respectively, in the past two games. Shanks is now second in the league in rookie points (21), while Fannell is fourth (17). In the win over the Rush, the Knighthawks held the highest-scoring team in the league to a season-tying low of 11 goals. Matt Vinc made 41 saves to give him a league-leading 380. The Knighthawks goalie is also second in goals-against average (11.17) and third in save percentage (.780).

Special Teams Dominance: The Knighthawks have the best penalty-killing unit in the league, denying opponents over 56 percent of the time. Rochester is also second in the NLL in power-play efficiency (60.61).

The Faceoff Wiz: Rookie Jake Withers leads the NLL with a 67 percent faceoff winning percentage. The former second overall pick has a team-leading 82 loose balls, which is third in the league.

Olympic Rewind: Knighthawks assistant coach Pat O'Toole's sister-in-law is two-time Olympic women's hockey gold medalist Cheryl Pounder, who played for Team Canada in the 2002 and 2006 Winter Games.

Milestone Alert:

- Cory Vitarelli needs four goals to pass Scott Evans for fifth on the team's all-time goal-scoring list.

- Dan Dawson (132) is three goals away from passing Curt Malawsky for 10th on the team's all-time goal-scoring list.

- Dawson is three points away from 1,300 in his career; he also needs six assists to reach 300 as a Knighthawk.

Scouting the Bandits: Buffalo holds a one-game lead over the Toronto Rock in the very competitive East Division. Dhane Smith enters the week tied for second in assists (35) and fourth in points (56) in the NLL. Josh Byrne continues to lead all rookies with 36 points (17+19). During their four-game winning streak, the Bandits have beaten Saskatchewan, Rochester, New England and Georgia.

Next Game: The Knighthawks will have a bye week from March 3-4, before returning to action on Saturday, March 10 to host the Georgia Swarm at 7:30 p.m. at Connors & Ferris Field at The Blue Cross Arena. Rochester knocked off the Swarm 17-10 the last time these two teams met on Feb. 11. The contest will decide who will win the three-game regular-season series.

Irish Night Ticket Pack: On March 10, fans can purchase an Irish Night pack. Prices range from $15 to $25, and include a limited edition Irish T-Shirt, a ticket to the game, and two Happy Hour drink tickets. To order, go online to www.knighthawks.com/Irish.

Get Your Tickets: Tickets can be purchased online at Ticketmaster.com, by calling 1-800-745-3000, and at The Blue Cross Arena Box Office. If you're interested in discounted group ticket offers or want to learn more about mini-plan and season ticket packages, call (585) 454-4295.


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