NLL Rochester Knighthawks

Rochester and Buffalo Meet in WNY Lacrosse Showdown

February 7, 2014 - National Lacrosse League (NLL)
Rochester Knighthawks News Release


The Rochester Knighthawks (3-2) will try to remain unbeaten at home this season as they take on the Buffalo Bandits (5-1) on Saturday, February 8th. The 7:30 p.m. game will be streamed live on The Lacrosse Network's YouTube channel and broadcast live via Sportsradio 950 ESPN and www.sportsradio950espn.com.

Head-to-Head: The last time the Knighthawks and the Bandits met was on January 25th at the First Niagara Center. The Knighthawks nearly completed an incredible fourth-quarter comeback, but ultimately came up one goal short, falling 11-10 to the Bandits. Now, the back-to-back World Champions will have the chance to take on the Bandits in front of their home crowd. At home, the Knighthawks have an all-time 16-10 record against the Bandits. In their last meeting, Cody Jamieson and Joel McCready both had stellar performances. Jamieson led the team with a six-point (3+3) performance and McCready recorded the first hat trick of his National Lacrosse League career and added on one assist. Jamieson also scored his 100th career goal versus the Bandits.

Knighthawks News: The Knighthawks dropped a heartbreaking 8-7 overtime decision to the Rush after rallying for two late goals to force the extra session. Dan Dawson led the way with two goals and two assists, while Matt Vinc made 42 saves. Johnny Powless picked up his 100th career point as part of a two-point performance. A player for Knighthawks fans to keep an eye out for on Saturday is veteran forward Mike Accursi. This is the first time Accursi will be playing in front of his home crowd since signing a one-year contract with the Knighthawks and returning to the turf as a player. He previously served as the team's Team Operations/Assistant Coordinator. Accursi recorded one goal and one assist versus the Edmonton Rush.

Milestone Watch:

- Matt Vinc needs eight saves to reach 2,000 as a K-Hawk.

- Mike Accursi (360) needs four points to pass Shawn Evans for third on the team's all-time points list.

- Stephen Keogh needs three points to reach 100 in his NLL career.

- Brad Self needs three assists to reach 100 in his career.

Home is where the wins are: With a win Saturday, Rochester will improve to 4-0 at home for the first time since the 2007 season. During the 2007 and 2001-02 seasons, the Knighthawks were unbeaten at home, finishing the regular season 8-0.

Battle of Ironmen: Buffalo's Shawn Williams owns the NLL consecutive games played streak. On Saturday, it will reach 219 straight regular season games. Rochester's Dan Dawson is fourth on the list and will reach 185 games this weekend. He is four games away from passing Steve Toll and Colin Doyle for second place.

Buffalo Notes: The Buffalo Bandits won their fifth-straight game on February 1st, as they defeated the Toronto Rock 12-10 at home. This is their first five-game winning streak since 2009, and the Bandits remain atop the East Division with a 5-1 record. Mark Steenhuis led the way with four goals and two assists. Dhane Smith also recorded five assists and John Tavares put up four points (2+2). Ryan Benesch added three goals and Shawn Williams tacked on three assists to lead the Bandits to victory. Buffalo goalie Anthony Cosmo made 39 saves on 49 shots for a .796 save percentage and added two assists to add to a strong performance in goal.

Next Game: Rochester will hit the road for three straight games, beginning on Saturday, February 15th in Toronto. The 7:00 p.m. game will be streamed live on The Lacrosse Network's YouTube channel and broadcast live via Sportsradio 950 ESPN and www.sportsradio950espn.com.

Next Home game: The Knighthawks return home on Saturday, March 8th to host the Philadelphia Wings at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are currently available by calling the Rochester Knighthawks' office at (585) 454-4295.

Check out the Rochester Knighthawks Statistics



National Lacrosse League Stories from February 7, 2014


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