Knighthawks Fighting for Second Place as Bandits Come to Town
Published on April 7, 2011 under National Lacrosse League (NLL)
Rochester Knighthawks News Release
(Rochester, NY)... The Rochester Knighthawks will embark on their toughest weekend of the season as they play two games in 19 hours this weekend. The two-game in two-day stretch features a home stop against the rival Buffalo Bandits and then a Sunday afternoon contest in Philadelphia against the Wings.
The game on Saturday, April 9th features the third-place Knighthawks (7-5) and the second place Buffalo Bandits (8-4). Rochester is only a game behind the Bandits for second place and a guaranteed home playoff date in the National Lacrosse League Playoffs. The game is the second of three meetings with Buffalo winning the first game on March 5th. Since then, Rochester has won two straight and clinched a playoff spot. The Knighthawks put in their most dominating performance of the season last Saturday in a 19-8 win over East Division rival Boston.
"We have been getting better week by week," said Knighthawks Head Coach Mike Hasen. "We need to continue to build and get better because we need to."
The regular season home finale is a 7:35 p.m. start and falls on Awards and Fan Appreciation Night. The first 3,000 fans will receive a Knighthawks Koozie, courtesy of AT&T. In addition, the first 5,000 fans will take home a Knighthawks rally towel. Fans can also meet former Knighthawks Tom Emmick and Andrew Spack, and legendary lacrosse coach B.J. O'Hara before the game. For tickets, call (585) 454-5335 or order online at ticketmaster.com.
The game is the second of three meetings between Rochester and Buffalo this season. In the first outing, Buffalo defeated the Knighthawks 11-8 at HSBC Arena. The final installment of the three-game series is set for Saturday, April 23rd in Buffalo.
The K-Hawks lead the all-time series with a 24-16 record. Rochester has been led offensively by Shawn Evans, who has 55 points (17+38) in 12 games. Shawn Williams is a close second with 53 points (16+37). Last game, both players recorded eight-point nights in a 19-8 win over the Boston Blazers. Williams was honored as the NLL Offensive Player of the Week.
Williams scored four goals, including the 300th of his K-Hawks career. Rookie Cory Vitarelli notched his first professional hat trick and one assist in the win to give him five goals and two assists in his first two professional games. Cody Jamieson also recorded four points on two goals and two assists. He scored two goals in three minutes in the second quarter to help Rochester turn a 2-1 deficit into a 6-2 lead. Jordan Hall scored a season-high four goals and picked up four loose balls. He now has 19 points in his last four games (9+10). Hall earned his fourth Transition Player of the Week award for his efforts.
Matt Vinc made 27 saves, including 11 in the first quarter to hold Boston to just two goals despite being shorthanded most of the quarter. He has the fifth best goals-against average in the NLL at 10.14. Vinc is also fourth in wins (7) and save percentage (.785). Further, he has made the fifth most saves in the league with 430.
Buffalo also has a tough weekend schedule as they play East Division foes in Toronto and Rochester. The Bandits visit the Air Canada Centre at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 9th with a chance to move into a tie for first place in the East Division. Buffalo (8-4) trails Toronto (10-4) by one game for the top spot in the division. The teams have split the season series, 1-1. Buffalo heads into the game after suffering a 10-9 overtime loss to the Washington Stealth last Saturday at HSBC Arena. The loss ended Buffalo's four-game winning streak. John Tavares led the way with six points (1+5) for the Bandits, while Mark Steenhuis (1+3) and Tracy Kelusky (2+20) each chipped in four points each. Angus Goodleaf made 46 saves in the loss. His fellow goalie, Mike Thompson, continues to lead the NLL with a 9.41 goals-against average and an 8-1 record. Tavares, in his 20th pro season, leads Buffalo with 58 points (23+35).
The Philadelphia Wings will also play Saturday and Sunday games. On Saturday, the Wings (5-8) can move into the fourth and final playoff post in the division with a win over the Boston Blazers (6-8). The teams have split the season series. The Wings defeated the first place Rock last Saturday, 12-11, to stay alive in the playoff hunt. Ryan Boyle (1+6) and Drew Westervelt (3+3) both had big nights for the Wings, who ended a four-game losing streak. Rochester and Philly meet on Sunday for the third and final time this season. Rochester has won the first two meetings by scores of 11-6 and 13-10. Evans has two goals and 14 assists in the two games. Rochester leads the all-time series with a record of 22-15.
"I am very excited for the weekend. We need to take care of Saturday in Boston first," said Wings Head Coach John Tucker. "Rochester is playing as well as anyone in the league. They have progressed throughout the year, which is a credit to their staff."
National Lacrosse League Stories from April 7, 2011
- Minnesota Swarm Looking to Sweep Season Series Against Stealth - Minnesota Swarm
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- Edmonton Rush Face Colorado Mammoth - Edmonton Rush
- A 'Mammoth' Weekend Doubleheader for Colorado - Colorado Mammoth
- Knighthawks Fighting for Second Place as Bandits Come to Town - Rochester Knighthawks
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