NLL Rochester Knighthawks

Knighthawks Travel To Buffalo Tonight

April 13, 2007 - National Lacrosse League (NLL)
Rochester Knighthawks News Release


(Rochester, NY)... The Rochester Knighthawks and Buffalo Bandits meet tonight in the first game of a home-and-home that will determine the East Division regular-season champion. The game tonight at HSBC Arena is a 7:30 p.m. start and will be carried tape delayed on WYSL 1040-AM and wysl1040.com. The game could be broadcast live if the Rochester Red Wings' baseball game is rained out.

The series shifts to Rochester on Saturday, April 14th for a 7:35 p.m. thruway rematch at The Blue Cross Arena. Rochester's home finale will be carried live on WYSL 1040-AM and wysl1040.com. The contest will also be nationally televised tape delayed on VERSUS on Sunday, April 15th at 2:00 p.m.

The two-game set will not only decide the East Division title, but could also determine the NLL scoring race as Rochester's John Grant and Buffalo's John Tavares are tied atop the league with 97 points apiece. Grant is bidding to become the first Rochester player to lead the league in points.

Rochester (12-2) enters the series with the best record in the NLL and needs just one win to capture the East Division title. The Knighthawks are trying to secure their second division title in the team's 13-year history. Rochester won the Central Division in 2002-03. The 2007 team is also gunning for a franchise record for wins in a regular season. The old mark was set during the 2001-02 campaign as the 'Hawks went 13-3.

The K-Hawks currently have a slim half game lead over the Colorado Mammoth (12-3) in the battle for home floor advantage throughout the playoffs. Buffalo (10-4) needs a two-game sweep of the Knighthawks to repeat as East Division champs.

The first game of the home-and-home series marks the first time in the 21-year history of the league that two teams with winning streaks of eight or more have met in a regular season contest. The Bandits have won eight straight, while the Knighthawks have a franchise record 10-game winning streak.

Rochester is coming off a 19-9 win over the Minnesota Swarm on April 7th. Pat O'Toole led the way with 41 saves, while Grant notched his 700th career point in a nine-point (4+5) effort. Grant was named the Week 15 NLL Offensive Player of the Week for his performance.

Rochester enters the weekend with the most goals in the NLL with 221. The K-Hawks need 38 goals to break the league's single-season goal-scoring mark set by the 2001-02 Rochester Knighthawks. The Knighthawks have also scored the most power-play goals (63) and shorthanded goals (22) this season. Further, Rochester has the most potent power-play unit in the league, converting on 62 percent of its chances. In goal, Pat O'Toole has a league-best 12 wins. Steve Toll also leads all league defensemen with 33 points (13+20) and is second with 158 loose balls.

Buffalo comes into the showdown after dismantling the Arizona Sting last Saturday night, 15-5, at HSBC Arena. Reigning NLL MVP and Goaltender of the Year Steve Dietrich made 43 saves in the win. He was named the league's Overall and Defensive Player of the Week for his effort. Tavares led the offense with one goal and five assists. The Buffalo forward moved just seven goals away from breaking Gary Gait's all-time goal-scoring record of 596 goals. Tavares already owns the NLL records for points (1,233) and assists (643). Mark Steenhuis was honored as the Transition Player of the Week after scoring three goals and collecting seven loose balls in the win over the Sting.

With the win, Buffalo improved to 6-1 on its home turf. Buffalo has also had recent success on its home floor against the Knighthawks. Rochester has lost its last five regular-season games in Buffalo and has not won there since January 5, 2002. Rochester, however, leads the all-time series with a 17-11 record.

On April 14th, Rochester will hold its annual Awards Night prior to the game. The organization will name its Unsung Hero, Best Defenseman and Community Service award winners. The Knighthawks will also honor the IKON Office Solutions MVP and the Connors & Ferris Comeback Player of the Year. The team will also hand out team photos to the first 10,000 fans, courtesy of Connors & Ferris. After the game the Knighthawks will hold a full-team autograph session in the main atrium lobby.

PLAYOFF TICKETS: Knighthawk playoff tickets are now on sale for the East Division Semifinal. The contest will take place on Friday, April 20th at 8:05 p.m. at The Blue Cross Arena against an opponent to be named later. Individual tickets range in price from $15 to $27, while group seats start as low as $12. Tickets are available at all Ticketmaster outlets, www.ticketmaster.com, www.knighthawks.net, and at The Blue Cross Arena Box Office. Group tickets of 10 or more can also be purchased by phone at the Knighthawks Office or by calling (585) 454-5335. Season ticket holders have until Saturday, April 14th to purchase their playoff package.

Check out the Rochester Knighthawks Statistics



National Lacrosse League Stories from April 13, 2007


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