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NLL Rochester Knighthawks

Knighthawks Back On The Road This Week For Two Games

April 8, 2009 - National Lacrosse League (NLL)
Rochester Knighthawks News Release


(Rochester, NY)... The Rochester Knighthawks enter a pivotal two-game road stretch this week with just two weeks to play in the 2009 National Lacrosse League season. The Knighthawks (6-7) head to Buffalo and Boston with a half-game lead over the Philadelphia Wings (6-8) for the fourth and final playoff spot in the East Division.

The Knighthawks play the top two teams in the East Division on back-to-back nights. On Friday, April 10th, Rochester battles the Buffalo Bandits at 7:30 p.m. at HSBC Arena. On Saturday, April 11th, the Hawks will make their first trip to Boston to play the Blazers (8-6) at 7:30 p.m. at TD Banknorth Garden. Both games will be broadcast live on WYSL 1040-AM and wysl1040.com. Fans can also watch the game live online via the NLL Network at NLL.com and on knighthawks.net.

Rochester split a two-game road swing last weekend, earning a win at Colorado on April 3rd and then losing to Calgary the next night. The 12-8 victory at Colorado ended a four-game road losing streak for the Knighthawks. Rochester now has a 1-5 record away from home this season. Shawn Evans (5+10) recorded 15 points in the two games. In the team's first road win of the season, he scored all three of his goals in the fourth quarter, which included the game-winner. On Saturday, he collected two goals and five assists in a road loss to Calgary. With his effort last weekend, Evans moved into a tie for ninth place in the NLL with 71 points (28+43). He also set career highs in assists and points.

Shawn Williams (4+6) also chipped in 10 points, including the 800th point of his professional career against the Mammoth. Williams leads the Knighthawks with 78 points (24+54) and is tied for fifth in the league in points. He also moved within seven assists of breaking John Grant's single-season team assist mark of 60 set in 2007. The Knighthawks team captain also extended his assist streak to 32 games. Steve Toll collected 15 loose balls to move into third place in the National Lacrosse League with 147.

The Knighthawks first game this weekend takes them to Buffalo to play the first-place Bandits (9-4). Rochester defeated Buffalo 15-14 in overtime on March 14th to even the season series at 1-1. Rochester leads the all-time series with a mark of 22-13.

The Bandits come into the game after defeating the Boston Blazers, 15-11 on April 3rd, to lock up a playoff berth. The defending champs were led by John Tavares who had six goals and three assists, including his 1,400th career point. He was named the Overall Player of the Week in the National Lacrosse League for the effort. The win was their second in the past three games. Buffalo leads the East Division by one-and-a-half games over Boston (8-6) and New York (8-6). They trail the West Division's Calgary Roughnecks' (10-3) by one game for the top spot in the NLL. Mark Steenhuis is third in the NLL with 90 points (45+45), while Tavares is seventh with 77 points (42+35). Steenhuis and Tavares are the top two goal scorers in the league as they lead the highest-scoring team in the league (189 goals). Goalie Ken Montour leads the NLL with a 9.27 goals-against average and an .814 save percentage.

On Saturday, Rochester makes its first trip to Boston play the second-place Blazers. The Knighthawks are 1-0 against the expansion club, defeating the Blazers 11-10 on March 28th in Rochester. Boston dropped its last game to Buffalo, 15-11, and has lost three of its last four games. Forward Dan Dawson is second in the league in points (92) and assists (66). Rookie Daryl Veltman is second on the team with 64 points (28+36). Former Knighthawk Matt Lyons is third on the club with 48 points (21+27). Lyons is one of three former Knighthawks on the Blazers, joining defensemen Carter Livingstone and Jack Reid. Goalie Anthony Cosmo is third in the NLL with a 10.42 goals-against average.

Rochester ends the 2009 regular season with a 7:35 p.m. contest against the Philadelphia Wings on Saturday, April 18th at The Blue Cross Arena. That night the team will hold its Annual Awards Night, as the Knighthawks honor the most outstanding performances of the season. The first 5,000 fans will receive a Knighthawks team photo, courtesy of Connors & Ferris. The game will be broadcast live on WYSL 1040-AM and wysl1040.com. Fans can watch the game live online via the NLL Network at NLL.com and on knighthawks.net.

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