Sports stats

NLL Rochester Knighthawks

Knighthawks Head for the Rockies

February 28, 2013 - National Lacrosse League (NLL)
Rochester Knighthawks News Release


The Rochester Knighthawks (3-5) travel west to Colorado to take on the Mammoth (2-5) at the Pepsi Center in a match between the East and West Division's two lowest seeds on Saturday, March 2nd at 9:00 p.m. The game can be heard live on Sportsradio 950 ESPN and www.sportsradio950espn.com . It can also be seen on the NLL on YouTube via The Lacrosse Network and in Colorado on ALT2 (DirecTV channel 682).

Head-to-Head: The Knighthawks have a 3-6 all-time record against the Colorado Mammoth, including a 2-4 record on the road in Denver. Last season, the Knighthawks were swept by the Mammoth in their two-game series.

Last Weekend: The Philadelphia Wings snapped an 11-game losing streak against the Rochester Knighthawks with a 10-8 victory on February 23rd at The Blue Cross Arena. Prior to Saturday's contest against Philadelphia, the Knighthawks had earned 11 consecutive wins over the Wings dating back to the 2009 season. The eight goals scored were the fewest in a game against the Wings since Rochester scored seven in a loss on April 1, 2006. The Wings recovered from deficits of four at the end of the first quarter and two at the end of the first half. Casey Powell led Rochester with three goals and one assist against the Wings, his first hat trick of the year. Johnny Powless added a pair of goals while Cody Jamieson (1+3) led the team with three helpers.

Johnny B. Goode: Rochester forward Johnny Powless kept his goal-scoring streak alive against Philadelphia. The 19-year-old has now scored at least one goal in 13 consecutive regular season games. In the third quarter against the Wings, he took defender Mike Manley to the ground in his first lacrosse fight as a pro.

Jamieson Reaches Century Mark: With three assists against Philadelphia, Cody Jamieson earned his 100th career assist. In 39 career games, "Jammer" has 178 points (78+100). In two losses to Colorado last year, he scored 12 points (7+5), including a five-goal game on March 31st, 2012.

Knighthawks Notes: The Rochester Knighthawks have lost two consecutive games after winning three straight to even their record at .500. At 3-5, the Knighthawks are now midway through their 16-game schedule. Last season, Rochester began with an identical record en route to the National Lacrosse League championship. Among their East Division rivals, the Knighthawks have the fewest goals allowed (81) and the second-most goals for (88), but find themselves three games behind first-place Toronto with a 2-4 divisional record. Rochester is 1-4 inside The Blue Cross Arena and 2-1 on the road. In the three victories, the Knighthawks are averaging 14 goals per game, but in five losses, they average just over nine goals per game. Cody Jamieson is tied for eighth in the league with 40 points (14+26). He is also tied for second with nine power-play goals.

These Knighthawks are nearing career milestones:

- Mike Accursi is five points away from 800;

- Dan Dawson is one assist shy of 550.

Defense Still On Top: Rochester has one of the best defenses in the NLL in 2013. Led by team captain Sid Smith and goaltender Matt Vinc, the Knighthawks have allowed the fewest goals per game through the first eight weeks of the season (10.12). Vinc is first among starting goaltenders with a 9.97 goals-against average, 344 saves and a .813 save percentage. In the last five games, the Knighthawks have not surrendered more than 10 goals. Rochester's penalty kill is also tops in the league. The Knighthawks have allowed 12 goals on the power play, fewest in the NLL. Rochester has held opponents scoreless on 68.4 percent of its man-down situations, nearly 13 percent better than the next closest team.

Roster Moves: The Knighthawks released transition player Tom Montour from the Practice Player List on Monday, February 25th.

Colorado Notes: The Colorado Mammoth (2-5) are off to an equally rough start. In 2012, the Mammoth finished the regular season 11-5, but have already reached the same number of losses only seven games into 2013. Despite a potent offense led by reigning NLL MVP and Rochester's all-time leading scorer John Grant, Jr., the Mammoth are last in the West Division with approximately 11 goals per game, and have the worst goal differential in the league at -20.

Colorado has carouselled through goaltenders as well. After releasing last season's starter Chris Levis, Matt Roik was brought and became the starter. However, Roik was let go this week, leaving the job to the young duo of Dan Lewis, 24, and Tye Belanger, 22. Both are in just their second season in the NLL. Belanger was activated off of the PUP list after Roik's release. He saw only 21 minutes of playing time in 2012. Lewis has split time with Roik in losses to Edmonton on February 16th and Philadelphia on February 24th. In 70 minutes this season, he was a 10.26 goals-against average and a .800 save percentage. Colorado enters Week #9 with the worst defense in the NLL with a 13.80 goals-against average and a .717 save percentage.

They are also last in the league in faceoffs, winning only 29.4 percent of their draws. Offensively, Grant is tied for third in the NLL with 23 goals and leads the league with 10 power-play goals. Gavin Prout is fourth in the NLL with 28 assists.

Next Game: The Rochester Knighthawks return home for a three-game home stand starting on Saturday, March 16th against the Edmonton Rush. The game will be a rematch of the 2012 National Lacrosse League Championship. On May 19, 2012, the Knighthawks overcame a 5-1 halftime deficit to defeat the Rush 9-6, winning the Champion's Cup for the first time at home in The Blue Cross Arena. The game can be heard live on Sportsradio 950 ESPN and on www.sportsradio950espn.com . It can be seen live on the NLL on YouTube via The Lacrosse Network.

Check out the Rochester Knighthawks Statistics



National Lacrosse League Stories from February 28, 2013


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

Other Recent Rochester Knighthawks Stories



Sports Statistics from the Stats Crew
OurSports Central