NLL Rochester Knighthawks

Knighthawks Can Lock Up Playoff Berth This Friday

Published on April 14, 2010 under National Lacrosse League (NLL)
Rochester Knighthawks News Release


(Rochester, NY)... The Rochester Knighthawks hit the road for the first of two straight road games to end the 2010 regular season. The K-Hawks face the Toronto Rock on Friday, April 16th at 7:30 p.m. at the Air Canada Centre. The game will be broadcast live on The Zone 94.1 FM and thezone941.com.

Knighthawks Notes: The Rochester Knighthawks (7+7) can clinch a playoff spot with a win over Toronto or a Boston loss to Colorado and a Buffalo loss to Orlando. The Knighthawks can even secure a second-place finish, and a home playoff game, with a win and a loss by Boston and Buffalo. The Knighthawks enter the contest in a three-way tie for third place in the East Division. Rochester tied its season-high winning streak by earning its second straight win last Saturday. The K-Hawks' 15-12 victory over the Philadelphia Wings on April 10th was the second win in two days. On April 9th, Rochester edged the Minnesota Swarm, 12-11. In the two-game series, Shawn Williams recorded five goals and 10 assists. Knighthawk Joel McCready will play against his uncle Pat on Saturday. Forward Craig Point tied a career-best by scoring his 27th goal on April 10th.

Adding to the Nest: John Grant Jr. and Kevin Fines recently welcomed new additions to the Knighthawks family. John and his wife, Raygen, had their first child, Gabrayel, on March 14th. Kevin and Stacie Fines added a second kid to their household on April 5th with the birth of daughter, Averie.

Head-to-Head: Rochester leads the all-time series with a record of 19-10. The Knighthawks, however, are only 4-10 in Toronto, which includes a 17-3 loss on January 23rd. This season the teams have split the series with each club winning on its home turf.

The Winners are: Rochester named its 2010 award winners last Saturday and Point was named the team's MVP. Mac Allen and Sid Smith shared the Defensive Player of the Year award and Fines was named the Unsung Hero. McCready took home Most Improved Player honors and Joe Walters was recognized for his community service.

Closing in on milestones: - Fines needs two points to reach 100 in his career - Steve Toll will play in his 190th straight game (NLL record holder - includes playoffs) - Williams needs an assist Friday to increase his consecutive assist streak to 50 games - A win Friday and Rochester will advance to the playoffs for the 15th time in 16 seasons

Toronto Notes: The Rock (8-7) play their regular season finale on Friday night. Toronto can clinch a playoff berth with a win over Rochester or a Boston loss to Colorado or a Buffalo loss to Orlando. The Rock can lock up second place with a win and a Buffalo loss. Toronto is led by forward Colin Doyle, who is third in the NLL with 82 points (21+61). The Rock are second in the NLL with 182 goals and are the only team to have four players with 70-plus points. Two of those players are rookies Garrett Billings (33+47) and Stephan Leblanc (32+44). Billings (80 points) and Leblanc (76) are one and two among rookie point producers and are in the Top 10 in the NLL in points. Blaine Manning is also in the Top 10 in points with 76 (32+44). Goalie Bob Watson is third in the league with a 9.54 goals-against average. Additionally, the Rock own the league's best power-play, converting 51.7 percent of their chances (52 of 91). Toronto started the season 6-1, but has dropped six of its last eight games. The Rock have two of the Top 5 saves leaders in NLL history in Bob Watson and Steve Dietrich.

Next Game: The Rochester Knighthawks remain on the road to battle the Washington Stealth on Saturday, April 24th at 10:30 p.m. The game will be broadcast live on The Zone 94.1 FM and thezone941.com.

Upcoming Event: The Knighthawks will hold their Fourth Annual "Tip-A-Knighthawk" charity event on Tuesday, April 20th. Knighthawks players Joe Walters and John Grant will join mascots and dance teams members to collect tips to benefit CURE Childhood Cancer Association. The event is scheduled from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. at Bugaboo Creek Steak House at 935 Jefferson Road in Henrietta. The festivities will include a raffle of sports memorabilia. Fans can also challenge Grant and Walters to games on the Wii video game system for a minimal donation to CURE.

Check out the Rochester Knighthawks Statistics

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National Lacrosse League Stories from April 14, 2010


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