Michael Sowers Had a Four-Goal Game in his Season Debut
Published on January 17, 2026 under National Lacrosse League (NLL)
Philadelphia Wings News Release
Michael Sowers had a four-goal game in his season debut, but Rylan Hartley locked things down for most of the second half to allow the Rochester Knighthawks to pull away for a 16-13 win over the Philadelphia Wings at Xfinity Mobile Arena on Friday night.
The Wings had a terrific start to the contest, as Sowers recorded a first-quarter hat trick that culminated with a shorthanded tally with just over two minutes left in the frame; Mitch Armstrong scored a second shorty eight seconds later to give the Wings a 5-1 advantage. The teams traded goals through the start of the second, and the Wings held a 7-3 lead with just over 10 minutes to play in the second quarter.
Hartley had briefly spelled starter Riley Hutchcraft earlier in the game, but he entered the contest for good at that point and proceeded to hold the Wings to just four goals in the next 30 minutes. Rochester outscored the Wings 13-4 during that stretch, with a goal from Ryan Lanchbury punctuating the effort to give the Knighthawks a 16-11 lead with 1:46 to play. The Wings added two goals in the final stretch to close the gap.
Sowers played his first game of the season after sustaining an injury in camp and exploded onto the scene with his four tallies and two assists for a six-point contest. Brennan O'Neill had two goals and three assists for five points, while Joe Resetarits added two goals and two assists for a four-point game. In addition to Armstrong, the other goals came from Phil Caputo, Eric Fannell, Blaze Riorden and Dustyn Birkhof.
Nick Damude started the game and was stellar through the first half, making 32 saves on 40 shots in the first two quarters. He allowed three more goals on 16 shots in the first 10 minutes of the third quarter before stepping aside for Deacan Knott, who gave up four goals on 22 shots in the final 20 minutes.
The Wings will visit Las Vegas next Saturday before returning home two weeks from tonight to host San Diego on Friday, January 23 at 7:00 PM.
National Lacrosse League Stories from January 17, 2026
- Michael Sowers Had a Four-Goal Game in his Season Debut - Philadelphia Wings
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- Rush Down FireWolves, 15-10 - Saskatchewan Rush
- FireWolves' Comeback Falls Short in Loss to Rush - Oshawa FireWolves
- What to Watch for vs. Rochester Knighthawks - Toronto Rock
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