NLL Rochester Knighthawks

Knightawks Host Toronto Tonight in 2011 Home Opener

Published on January 15, 2011 under National Lacrosse League (NLL)
Rochester Knighthawks News Release


After a thrilling overtime victory to open the season, the Rochester Knighthawks return home to host the Toronto Rock tonight at 7:35 p.m. at The Blue Cross Arena. The game will be broadcast on The Zone 94.1 FM and www.thezone941.com. The game will also be televised live on Time Warner Cable Ch. 98.

Promotions: The first 5,000 fans at the home opener will receive a magnetic schedule. Rochester Knighthawks legends Bill Meagher and Casey Zaph will be signing autographs from 6:15 to 7:00 p.m. in the upper atrium.

Head-to-Head: Rochester (1-0) enters the week in a three-way tie for first place in the East Division with Toronto and the Boston Blazers. The game is the first of three meetings between the two teams. Rochester leads the all-time series with a 19-11 record, which includes a 15-0 record at home.

Knighthawks Notes: The Knighthawks opened the season with a come-from-behind 11-10 victory over the Minnesota Swarm at the Xcel Energy Center on January 8th. Craig Point scored three minutes into overtime to give the Knighthawks an opening night victory. Point led the Knighthawks with three goals and also added one assist, as Rochester needed a late rally to force OT. The K-Hawks scored two goals in five seconds in the final three minutes to tie the game at 10. Shawn Evans (2+1) and Shawn Williams(1+5) scored the fourth-quarter markers. Williams is now just one point away from 900 as a pro, which ties him with John Grant Jr. for fifth on the NLL's all-time list.

Rookie Cody Jamieson also notched two goals and Matt Vinc was stellar in goal with 40 saves. Vinc, the 2010 NLL Goalie of the Year, was huge in the fourth quarter stopping 12 shots, which included a barrage while the team tried to kill off a five-minute major in the final seven minutes and a 5-on-3 situation.

Career Accomplishments: Pat McCready reached two milestones on Saturday, hitting the 350-point plateau and the 1,400 loose ball mark. Joe Waltersalso tied his career high with three points (0+3). Head Coach Mike Hasen became the second Knighthawks head coach to win his pro coaching debut in overtime, joining current assistant Paul Day. Day led the Knighthawks to a 15-14 overtime win over the Ontario Raiders on January 3, 1998.

Rock Notes: Toronto was also victorious in its home and season opener, earning a 13-7 win over the Edmonton Rush. Blaine Manning led the Rock with six points (1+5), while Stephen LeBlanc (3+1), Garrett Billings (2+2) and Kasey Beirnes (2+2) all chipped in four points each. Bob Watson earned the win in goal in a 36-save effort which earned him player of the week honors along with Toronto forward Aaron Pascas who notched 3 points (2+1). Watson, who ranks third in NLL history in saves, is just 23 stops away from joining Pat O'Toole and Dallas Eliuk in the league's 6,000-save club. Colin Doyle can also pass Paul Gait for fourth all-time in goals with four. He currently has 407 goals and is already third in NLL history in assists (644) and points (1,051). The game tonight is the first of two straight divisional road games that also takes the Rock to Buffalo on January 22nd.

Next Game: The Knighthawks will hit the road on Saturday, January 22nd for a 7:30 p.m. showdown with the Boston Blazers. The game is the first of two straight against the Blazers. Rochester hosts Boston on Saturday, January 29 th at 7:35 p.m. at The Blue Cross Arena. The first 5,000 fans will receive a Knighthawks T-shirt. The games will be broadcast on The Zone 94.1 FM and www.thezone941.com.

Closing in on Milestones:

Shawn Evans: He is seven points away from 300 in his career.

Kyle Laverty: He is seven loose balls away from 100 in his Knighthawks career.

Notes:

A Perfect 10: On December 23rd, Cody Jamieson, who was the 2010 No. 1 overall pick, inked a league-record 10-year deal. Jamieson played two seasons at Syracuse University and scored the overtime game-winner in the 2009 National Championship game. In 2009, he was named the winner of the Jim Murphy Award as the Major Series Lacrosse MVP, the Gene Dopp Award as outstanding rookie and the Buck McDonald Award as the league's top scorer with 48 goals and 48 assists for 96 points. It was the first time in MSL history anyone has won all three awards in the same season.

We're No. 1: Rochester has three of the last four No. 1 picks on its roster: Jamieson (2010), Sid Smith (2009) and Jordan Hall (2007). Hall was the first overall pick of the New York Titans, while Smith was chosen last year by the Knighthawks.

Draft produces key additions: Rochester has three draft picks from this September's NLL Entry Draft on its roster with Jamieson (No. 1), Jarrett Davis (No. 5) and Josh Ruys (No. 12) making the 23-man roster.

Check out the Rochester Knighthawks Statistics

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National Lacrosse League Stories from January 15, 2011


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