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NLL Rochester Knighthawks

Knighthawks battle rival Rock in home opener

January 13, 2007 - National Lacrosse League (NLL)
Rochester Knighthawks News Release


(Rochester, NY)... The Rochester Knighthawks play their home opener tonight against the Toronto Rock at 7:35 p.m. at The Blue Cross Arena at the Rochester War Memorial. The game will be televised tape delayed on Time Warner SportsNet Channel 26 immediately following the Rochester Americans-Syracuse Crunch American Hockey League game. Airtime is approximately 10:00 p.m. and will also be broadcast in Central New York. The game will be carried live on B2 Networks. There is no radio coverage of the contest.

Promotions: The first 10,000 fans will receive Thundersticks courtesy of Time Warner Cable. The official Postgame Party will be held at Pig-N-Whistle (7 Lawrence Street). To commemorate the Knighthawk's 13 season, 13 lucky fans at the game will win season tickets for the remainder of the season. Fans can sign up at the ticket table in the upper atrium lobby.

Head-to-Head: The teams meet for the first of two contests this season. Rochester leads the all-time series with a 12-8 record, which includes a 9-0 mark at home. Last season, the Knighthawks knocked the Rock out of the NLL Playoffs, defeating Toronto 16-8 in the East Division Semifinals. The win was the first ever postseason victory for Rochester over Toronto in five tries. Three of Toronto's wins were for the NLL title (1999, 2000 and 2003).

Knighthawks Notes: Rochester enters the game with a 1-1 record after defeating the San Jose Stealth 14-11 at HP Pavilion on January 5th. Shawn Evans (2+5) led Rochester with seven points, tying his career high. Shawn Williams (3+3), Scott Evans (2+4) and Ken Millin (2+4) each chipped in six points each. Pat O'Toole earned the win in goal, stopping 37 shots. John Grant returns after serving his one-game suspension for an incident that occurred on December 30th at Colorado. Grant is two goals away from reaching 300 in his professional career. Scott Evans, 74 goals, is only two away from passing Derek Malawsky for eighth place on the team's all-time goal-scoring list.

Home Opener blues: The Rochester Knighthawks have a 6-6 all-time record in home openers and have lost three of their last four contests. The lone win was last season, as Rochester defeated the Toronto Rock 14-9 in its inaugural home game of the 2006 season.

Here come the Evans brothers: After two games this season, Scott and Shawn Evans have combined for 12 goals and nine assists. Scott is second on the team in points with 11 and Shawn is third with 10 points.

Toronto Notes: The Rock are playing their season opener this Saturday. The game is also the professional coaching debut for longtime Toronto defenseman Glenn Clark. Clark played for the Rock organization from 1998 to 2005. The Rock are led by 2006 First Team All Pro Josh Sanderson. Last season, he edged John Grant by one point to win the league scoring title. He finished the season with 29 goals and 69 assists for 98 points. On December 27th, the Toronto Rock shock up their lineup, trading Colin Doyle, Darren Halls and their first-round selection in the 2007 Entry Draft to San Jose, in exchange for Ryan Benesch, Kevin Fines, Chad Thompson and San Jose's first-round selections in the 2008 and 2009 Entry Drafts.

Next Game: Rochester plays two road games in two nights next weekend. On Friday, January 19th, the Knighthawks travel to play the Minnesota Swarm at 8:00 p.m. Xcel Energy Center. On Saturday, Rochester plays the Toronto Rock at 7:30 p.m. at the Air Canada Centre. Both games are available on B2 Networks. There will be no radio coverage of the game.

Next Home Game: On Saturday, January 27th, Rochester hosts the New York Saints at 8:05 p.m. at The Blue Cross Arena. That night, the Knighthawks will honor the players and coaches from the 1997 championship team. There will also be a postgame autograph session in the arena. Players attending the event include Tim Soudan, Randy Mearns, Tom Emmick, Steve Dietrich, Matt Riter and Regy Thorpe. Coaches Paul Day and Tom Cincebox will also be in attendance. The game will be televised live on Time Warner SportsNet. The contest will also be carried live on WYSL 1040-AM and B2 Networks.

Teddy Bear Auction: The Knighthawks will hold a Teddy Bear Auction on Saturday, February 24th to benefit the CURE Childhood Cancer Association. That night, fans can bid on the animals made by the players at a silent auction at the Knighthawks-Arizona Sting game at The Blue Cross Arena. Build-A-Bear Workshop is also donating a bear signed by the entire team to help with the charitable event. The minimum bid is $100. For more information, go to knighthawks.net.

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