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NLL Rochester Knighthawks

Rochester to Honor '95 Team and Donner Saturday

January 10, 2014 - National Lacrosse League (NLL)
Rochester Knighthawks News Release


The Rochester Knighthawks will host the Philadelphia Wings on Saturday, January 11th at 7:30 p.m. at The Blue Cross Arena. That night, Rochester will induct the newest member into the team's Hall of Fame, Steve Donner, and honor the inaugural Knighthawks team from 1995. Fans can meet the members of the inaugural team during the postgame autograph session.

Catch all the action: The contest will be broadcast on Sportsradio 950 ESPN and online at www.sportsradio950espn.com. The game will be also carried live on YouTube via The Lacrosse Network.

Fast Start: With a win Saturday, Rochester will start the season 2-0 for the first time since the 2010 season.

Head-to-Head: The Knighthawks lead the all-time regular season series with a record of 28-16, and are 3-2 against the Wings in the playoffs. Rochester is 13-1 against the Wings since 4/18/09, including the postseason. Rochester has eliminated the Wings from postseason the past two years.

Knighthawks News: Rochester enters the game after an impressive 8-6 win over the Minnesota Swarm on December 28th. Joel McCready scored two fourth-quarter goals in 38 seconds to give Rochester the lead for good. He finished with career highs with two goals, three assists and five points. Dan Dawson also had a big night, scoring two goals and adding four assists. In goal, Matt Vinc turned aside 45 shots to earn the win. Back-to-back Championship Game MVP Cody Jamieson chipped in one goal and two assists.

Philadelphia Freedom: Dan Dawson, who was acquired from Philadelphia before the start of the 2013 season, has 10 goals and 14 assists in four games against his former team. That includes a four-goal, two-assist effort in the Knighthawks' 10-8 win over Philly in the 2013 East Division Semifinals.

Milestone Watch:

- Joel McCready is on an eight-game goal streak.

- Cody Jamieson needs seven goals to reach 100.

- Johnny Powless needs seven points to reach 100.

- Joe Walters needs six points to reach 100.

- Brad Self needs four points to reach 150.

- Paul Dawson has played in 98 NLL games.

'Vno' leading the NLL: Matt Vinc owns the top goals-against average (6.00) and save percentage (.882). Vinc is the only three-time winner of the NLL's Goalie of the Year award.

20/20 Vision: Rochester's last three games with 20 or more goals scored - all wins - have come against the Wings (3/29/08, W 20-12; 1/14/12, W 22-12; 2/8/13, W 20-10).

Donner to enter HOF: Prior to the game, the Knighthawks will induct the team's founder and first owner, Steve Donner, as the 12th member of the Knighthawks Hall of Fame. During his tenure, Rochester won two titles (1997 and 2007) and reached six Finals. The Knighthawks have grown from an expansion team in 1995 into a cornerstone franchise of the NLL with four championships, including the past two Champion's Cups, to their credit. Rochester is 4-1 in games played on its Hall of Fame Night.

Philadelphia notes: The Wings opened the 2014 season with a convincing 17-13 road win against the Buffalo Bandits. The game was the head coaching debut for Blane Harrison. Kyle Buchanan led all scorers with an eight-point effort (3+5). Not far behind was Jordan Hall, who scored five goals, including four straight in the second quarter, and added two assists. Tracey Kelusky also chipped in six points (2+4) against his former team. Evan Kirk made 39 saves to earn a victory in his Wings' debut. Evan is the younger brother of Knighthawks assistant captain Mike Kirk. The game in Rochester is the first of two games this weekend. On Sunday, Philadelphia will make its home debut at 4:00 p.m. against the Buffalo Bandits.

Next Game: On Saturday, January 18th, the Knighthawks will host the Toronto Rock at 7:30 p.m. at The Blue Cross Arena. Tickets are currently available by calling the Rochester Knighthawks' office at (585) 454-4295.

Check out the Rochester Knighthawks Statistics

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