Knighthawks to Host Edmonton in NLL Finals
Published on May 15, 2012 under National Lacrosse League (NLL)
Rochester Knighthawks News Release
The Rochester Knighthawks will host the Edmonton Rush in the 2012 Champion's Cup Finals on Saturday, May 19th at 7:30 p.m. at The Blue Cross Arena. The game will be televised live on CBS Sports Network, which is available on Time Warner Cable Channel 232 and 1027 in HD. The game will be carried on Sportsradio 950 ESPN and www.sportsradio950espn.com.
A Sea of Purple and Teal: The Knighthawks are encouraging fans to wear the team colors, purple and teal, to the NLL Finals Saturday.
Get your Tickets: Tickets are $15 with day of game pricing set at $20. Knighthawks tickets can be purchased at all Ticketmaster outlets, ticketmaster.com, and at The Blue Cross Arena Box Office or by calling 1-800-745-3000. The Box Office has extended its hours and will now be open until 7:00 p.m. Tickets are also available at the Knighthawks office at 144 Exchange Blvd, Suite 102.
Road to the Cup: The Knighthawks advanced to their seventh NLL Final with a 17-13 win over the Toronto Rock on May 12th at the Air Canada Centre. The Knighthawks were spearheaded by Cory Vitarelli (4+1), Johnny Powless (2+4), Joe Walters (2+2), Mike Accursi (2+1), Jarrett Davis (1+3), and Craig Point (1+2). Matt Vinc was strong in net with 51 saves on 64 shots. The victory ended an eight game losing streak to the Rock and a four game playoff losing streak to the defending champs. Rochester opened the Playoffs with a 14-13 win over the Philadelphia Wings on May 4th.
Playoff History: Rochester is in the NLL Finals for the first time since the 2007 season. That year the Knighthawks won their second league championship. Rochester has hosted one other NLL Final in its previous 17 seasons. The Knighthawks hosted the Toronto Rock in 2003 and lost 8-6.
Head-to-Head: The game is the first playoff contest between the two teams. Edmonton is 2-1 lifetime against the Knighthawks.
Scouting the Knighthawks: Rochester ended its season with wins in two of its last three games to improve to 7-9 and clinch second place in the East Division. This marks the highest finish for a Knighthawks' team since the 2007 season. The consecutive playoff appearances mark the first time the team has advanced to the postseason in back-to-back seasons since 2006-07. Vinc ended the season with 583 saves, which was the third highest total in single-season team history. He was second in the NLL in saves, tied for third in wins (7) and fifth in goals-against average (12.21).
Powless a good "sport'': Johnny Powless was named the 2012 National Lacrosse League Sportsmanship Award winner. It marked the third straight season that a Knighthawk has won the award. The Six Nations product was the fifth overall pick in the 2011 NLL Entry Draft. Powless finished the season with 50 points and only 10 penalty minutes in 16 games.
Scouting the Rush: Edmonton won its second straight road playoff game, defeating the Minnesota Swarm 15-3 on May 12th. The Rush are playing for their first NLL title. Edmonton opened the playoffs with a 19-11 win over the No. 1 seeded Calgary Roughnecks. Ryan Ward leads the playoffs with 18 points (9+9) in two games. Goalie Aaron Bold is second in the postseason with a 7.03 goals-against average. Bold and Shawn Williams joined the Rush from the Knighthawks in an offseason trade that brought Ryan Cousins and Alex "Kedoh" Hill to Rochester. Williams led Edmonton with 52 assists and 68 points. Bold was third in goals-against average (10.47) and saves (571).
Rubisch top Defenseman: Kyle Rubisch was named the Defensive Player of the Year after leading the NLL with 43 forced turnovers. The defenseman played in all 16 regular season games and was first on the Rush and sixth in the league with 151 loose balls. He also set career highs with four goals and six assists for 10 points. He was a key part of an Edmonton defense that held opponents to 175 goals during the regular season, the second-lowest total in the league.
National Lacrosse League Stories from May 15, 2012
- Swarm's Andrew Suitor Named NLL Transition Player of the Year - Minnesota Swarm
- Swarm's Andrew Suitor Wins Transition Player of the Year Award - NLL
- Knighthawks to Host Edmonton in NLL Finals - Rochester Knighthawks
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