NLL Rochester Knighthawks

Knighthawks' Offense in High Gear

April 9, 2014 - National Lacrosse League (NLL)
Rochester Knighthawks News Release


With the 2014 Champion's Cup Playoffs just weeks away, the Rochester Knighthawks' offense has been one of the most dangerous in the National Lacrosse League. In the past five contests, the Knighthawks have scored 66 goals for an average of over 13 goals per game, which is the second highest in the NLL over that period of time.

The reason for their recent success is easy if you ask the Knighthawks Coaching Staff.

"The biggest thing is they are moving the ball and moving their feet, but at the same time they are finally dropping for us," said Head Coach Mike Hasen. "Guys are picking their spots and taking their shots when they are available."

Rochester's offensive awaking began on March 15th in Toronto at the Air Canada Centre. Led by a season-high 12-goal second half, the Knighthawks tied their season-best with 17 goals in a five-goal win against the Rock. Rochester followed that performance with back-to-back 11-goal efforts before scoring 27 goals in two games against the Minnesota Swarm.

"Offensively, as a group, we're doing great things chemistry-wise," said forward Stephen Keogh after the second win over the Swarm. "My teammates were finding me last night and the ball was falling for me. Everyone was moving their feet tonight, setting some great picks and getting open. We've got such a balanced offense and it could be anybody putting the ball in the net."

Keogh chipped in eight points in the 12-9 win over Minnesota after scoring a career-high six goals in the previous night's victory. In the past five games, he has scored 11 goals and collected 17 assists to give him a career-high 66 points this season.

"He is a force in the offensive end, getting loose balls for us and he's playing very, very smart," said Hasen.

Johnny Powless, who was drafted three spots after Keogh in 2011, has also been on target lately. Powless scored the overtime game winner last Friday in a four-point effort (3+1) and then netted a career-high five goals on Saturday. He has 17 points in five games, which includes 12 goals.

"I'm surrounded by a bunch of talent, which makes it a lot easier," said Powless. "The past couple of weeks I've been picking it up and I have to give a lot of the credit to my teammates."

Two of those teammates are Cody Jamieson and Dan Dawson, who rank second and fifth in the NLL in points respectively. Jamieson has been a point-producing machine, registering 31 points in his last five games. His 11-point night on March 15th was a career high and three games later he dished out a single-season best eight assists.

Jamieson enters Saturday's game against the Vancouver Stealth just one point away from a career-high 90 points. He would become the first Knighthawk since Shawn Williams to hit the 90-point plateau in a season. Williams registered 93 points during the 2009 campaign. Records aside, Jamieson stressed the importance of continuing the team's "offense by committee" philosophy.

"We have just been doing a good job getting better every week," said Jamieson. "Everyone has been contributing lately and that's the toughest offense to stop when you can't key on one or two guys because our three, four, five guys on the floor are just as lethal."

Dawson can also hit a team milestone on Saturday, as his 62 assists are just six away from breaking Shawn Williams' single-season team record of 67 set during the 2009 season. Dawson is third in the NLL in assists and has 27 points in his last five games. In his 13th season, Dawson adds leadership and an adeptness to dissect an opposing defense.

Rochester has also benefitted from the return of high-powered Craig Point. Point has added a spark to the right side and has eight goals and five assists in three games since his return. On March 16th, he scored four goals in a five-point night in an 11-7 win at Philadelphia.

"He plays a good pick-and-roll game and does the little things that go a long way out there," said Knighthawks Assistant Coach Andy Secore of Point's return in Philadelphia. "He's a force out there and can bury it from the outside."

On the left side, Joe Walters and Cory Vitarelli have been solid contributors to the offense. Walters, who is in his sixth season, has career highs in goals (14) and points (34) this season. Walters has six points in his last two games and points in 12 of his 14 games. His pin-point shooting accuracy, combined with his great floor awareness, have elevated his game to a new level in 2014.

Vitarelli is right behind Walters in points in the Knighthawks with 31. The "Dog" is coming off a season-high four goals as part of career-high six-point performance Saturday against Minnesota. He has been deadly around the net, scoring nine goals in his past four games.

The balanced offense, which has produced 176 goals this season, has given the Knighthawks even more confidence heading into the final three games of the regular season. On Saturday, Rochester will host the Vancouver Stealth in a rematch of the 2013 NLL Champion's Cup Finals.

"Lately, we have focused on being shooters first and our base offense is simple: Move the ball, move your feet and everyone has to be a threat," said Knighthawks Assistant Coach Paul Day. "We have continued to be responsible getting off the floor to get our defense on the floor, which is a key to our team's success. Our focus moving forward will be to continue getting better and working hard on our fitness heading into the playoffs."

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