NLL Rochester Knighthawks

Powless Picks up Awards off the Turf

June 16, 2014 - National Lacrosse League (NLL)
Rochester Knighthawks News Release


Rochester Knighthawks forward Johnny Powless has become accustomed to winning awards for his skills on the lacrosse field. On Saturday, the 21-year-old superstar picked up more hardware, but this time it was for his work in the classroom.

Powless, who has been playing pro lacrosse since he was 18, graduated from Six Nations Polytechnic just two weeks after capping off his third season in the National Lacrosse League with his third straight Champion's Cup.

Powless completed his year of studying at the "center of excellence for Indigenous community-based learning" during the 2014 NLL Playoffs. Six Nations Polytechnic, which according to its website, allows "learners to gain the knowledge and skills needed to be self-sufficient, educated, and employable, while learning about Haudenosaunee culture, languages and traditions."

On graduation day, Powless received a certificate from the Native University Program and two academic awards. He was presented the Most Improved Student Award and the Cayuga Language Award, which he earned for achieving the highest average for Cayuga language in his class. Powless, who is bound for Mohawk College in the fall, enjoyed the experience, while balancing his studies and his busy lacrosse schedule.

"It was nice to go back to school. It will help me make the transition to college," he said. "At times it was stressful (with school and lacrosse), but I learned to manage my time and get things done quickly."

Powless is now preparing to continue his studies in Mohawk College's small business program. Mohawk College has earned a reputation for academic excellence, receiving the distinction as the No. 1 college in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton area for four straight years.

While Powless builds his resume off the turf, he certainly has amassed impressive credentials in his other line of work. The Six Nations lacrosse prodigy is coming off a 2013 summer season in which he won the Jim Veltman Award as the Most Outstanding Player and the Dean McIntosh Award as the Junior "A" MVP en route to First Team All-Star status. He also captured his first Mann Cup after getting called up to Major Series Lacrosse Six Nations Chiefs after completing his junior season with the Six Nations Arrows.

He returned to the Knighthawks and recorded career highs in goals (30) and points (53), while finishing third on the team in goals and fourth in points. He also achieved three personal milestones. After scoring the first overtime winner of his career on April 4th, he scored a career-high five goals the following night. He also achieved another milestone on February 1st, as he hit the 100-point plateau. In his pro career, he has now recorded 144 points (78+66) in just 50 games.

During the 2014 Playoffs, Powless scored four goals and added four assists in six games as Rochester edged the Calgary Roughnecks in a thrilling three-game series. The win was still palpable as Powless reflected on the past season and the first three-peat in National Lacrosse League history.

"It was awesome," he said. "It was a great group of guys and it was great to make history."

Check out the Rochester Knighthawks Statistics



National Lacrosse League Stories from June 16, 2014


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