NLL Rochester Knighthawks

Knighthawks Hit the Road for Game Two

May 21, 2015 - National Lacrosse League (NLL)
Rochester Knighthawks News Release


The East Division Finals will shift to Toronto's Air Canada Centre Saturday night for Game Two of the best-of-two series. The Rochester Knighthawks enter the contest against the Toronto Rock just one win away from a fourth straight trip to the Champion's Cup Finals.

The winner of the series will advance to the best-of-three NLL Finals to play either Edmonton or Calgary. If the East Division Finals are tied after two games, the teams will play a decisive 10-minute mini-game. Although playing in two such games last year, Knighthawks head coach Mike Hasen was first concentrating on Game Two.

"Our focus is getting ready for that opening faceoff. We are going to put our hard hats on and our work boots on, and we'll see what comes at the end of it," he said. "We are going to give our best and compete at every single moment."

The 7:00 p.m. game will be carried locally on Time Warner Cable SportsChannel (Channel 26). The radio broadcast is available on 105.5 The Team and online on theteam.fm.

The Rochester Knighthawks lead the series 1-0 after earning a 10-9 win over the Toronto Rock on May 16th. Dan Dawson scored the winner with just 36.1 seconds to play to extend Rochester's home playoff winning streak to 12 games. The Knighthawks used goals from six different players, blocked over a dozen shots and collected 76 loose balls in the Game One win. Hasen expects that same team-first mentality this weekend.

"It's not on one guy to do it for us. It's the 16 guys on the floor each and every shift," he said. "Everyone stepped up and played their roles very well. It's nice to watch when good things happen."

One player who elevated his game was Brad Self. One of the top point producing defensemen during the regular season, Self posted a career-high six points in Game One. His three goals in a playoff game also tied a career best.

"Guys had to step up tonight and I was fortunate to bury the ball," said Self. "We got some bounces that went our way and we will have to continue to step up Saturday night."

The Knighthawks also used four points from Craig Point, who was making his 2015 playoff debut, and four points from Cory Vitarelli (1+3). Jordan Hall also notched one goal and four assists. It was his diving goal that helped Rochester reclaim the lead at 6-5 early in the third quarter. Hall, who is in his eighth season in the NLL, knows that Saturday will be battle against Toronto.

"They earned home floor this season and that can sometimes make the difference," said Hall. "We will need everyone stepping up. You can't take shifts off against Toronto."

The difference could be the Rochester defense, who finished the regular season with the lowest goals against in the NLL. So far this postseason, goalie Matt Vinc has allowed just 10 goals per game. In two wins this postseason, he has posted 79 saves and a .798 save percentage.

"He shut door again late, holding us in there and allowing us to do what he needed to do on the back end," said Hasen. "(Saturday) was another good night by him."

Rochester and Toronto are meeting for the fifth time this season. After Saturday's victory at Connors & Ferris Field at The Blue Cross Arena, the Knighthawks have won the last three contests. The last time the teams met in Toronto during the postseason, Rochester knocked off the Rock 17-13 en route to its first of three straight NLL titles.

In a repeat of 2012, the Knighthawks are once again chartering fan buses to a playoff game in Toronto. With 250 fans coming on the buses, along with several hundred more arriving from Rochester and southern Ontario, the Knighthawks are expecting nearly 600 fans to cheer them on Saturday at the Air Canada Centre. The support of the "7th Man" means a lot to players, especially to Rochester native Joe Walters.

"In 2012 it was a big boost," he said. "It felt like a home game away from home. We appreciate the support our fans show us and can't wait to see the 'Sea of Teal' at the ACC."

Check out the Rochester Knighthawks Statistics



National Lacrosse League Stories from May 21, 2015


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.

OurSports Central