Rochester Knighthawks at Buffalo Bandits
Published on April 23, 2005 under National Lacrosse League (NLL)
Rochester Knighthawks News Release
Game Notes: The Rochester Knighthawks will open the 2005 National Lacrosse League's Champion's Cup Playoffs tonight against the Buffalo Bandits. The NLL Opening Round is slated for 8:00 p.m. at HSBC Arena. The contest will be broadcast on News Talk 950 WROC.
Playoff History: The postseason berth is the 11th straight in the K-Hawks' 11-year history. Rochester (10-6) has advanced to five finals and won the 1997 Major Indoor Lacrosse League title. Last season, the Knighthawks lost 13-9 to Buffalo on April 17th in the quarterfinals. The Bandits went on to the NLL Finals, where they lost 14-11 to the Calgary Roughnecks.
Head-to-Head: This season, the Bandits (11-5) were 2-1 against Rochester, marking the first time Buffalo has ever beaten Rochester in a season series. In the all-time series, Rochester has a 16-9 regular season record and a 3-2 postseason mark against the Bandits. The K-Hawks won their only title in 1997 against Buffalo. The Bandits, however, have won four straight home games against Rochester. The Knighthawks have not won in Buffalo since a 22-11 victory on January 5, 2002.
Top Guns: The game features two of the top scorers in the NLL. Rochester's John Grant led the league with 49 goals and was tied for second in points with 105 (49+56) in 15 games. Buffalo's John Tavares was not far behind, recording 102 points (43+59) in 16 games. The Bandits forward was tied Josh Sanderson for fourth place on the league's scoring list.
Old foes in goal: Former Rochester Knighthawk teammates Pat O'Toole and Steve Dietrich will face each other in the NLL Playoff game. Dietrich led the NLL with a 10.96 goals-against average and a .789 save percentage. O'Toole was second with an 11.10 GAA and a .789 save percentage. The Rochester goalie was also second in minutes played (907:59) and saves (579).
Knighthawks Notes: Rochester won three of its last four games leading up to the playoffs. The Knighthawks won their final game, 13-12, over the Colorado Mammoth on April 15th. The victory was the 10th game one-goal game for the 'Hawks this season, as Rochester was 7-3 in games decided by one goal. John Grant ended the regular season with 105 points, tying the record he set during the 2001-02 season. He also set the single-season record for assists with 56. Goalie Pat O'Toole broke the team's single-season saves record with 579. Tim Soudan (25) needs two assists to become the team's all-time postseason leader.
Bandits Notes: Buffalo has won its last three games, which includes an 11-9 win over Rochester on April 1. John Tavares led Buffalo against Rochester this season, recording 19 points (9+11) in three games. Tavares is the league's all-time assist leader with 534. Bandits rookie Delby Powless finished the season fifth on the team in points with 44 (20+24) in 13 games. Buffalo had the best penalty-killing unit in the NLL this season at 65.2 percent.
Next Game: The winner of the Rochester-Buffalo game advances to face the Toronto Rock on Friday, April 29th in the Champion's Cup Semifinals. In the other semifinals, Calgary will host Arizona next Saturday at Pengrowth Saddledome. Faceoff is slated for 8:00 p.m. Mountain Time. The Sting defeated the Colorado Mammoth, 16-13, last night to earn the franchise's first playoff win.
National Lacrosse League Stories from April 23, 2005
- Rochester Knighthawks at Buffalo Bandits - Rochester Knighthawks
- Sting Surges Past Mammoth 16-13 in NLL Playoffs - OSC Original by Andrew Nordmeier
- Mammoth exit playoffs with loss at Arizona - Colorado Mammoth
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