Sports stats



NLL Rochester Knighthawks

Three Knighthawks named All-Star starters

February 13, 2006 - National Lacrosse League (NLL)
Rochester Knighthawks News Release


(Rochester, NY)... For the second straight season, three Rochester Knighthawks have been named to the starting lineup for the East Division National Lacrosse League All-Star Team. Forward John Grant and goalie Pat O'Toole are repeat starters, while defenseman Steve Toll earned his first selection as a member of the K-Hawks. The starters for the East and West Division were announced today for the 2006 National Lacrosse League All-Star Game. The contest will be played in Toronto on Saturday, February 25th at 4:00 p.m. Eastern.

The starting lineups were determined by the combined votes of the league's general managers, league media, and fans, who voted online at the league's official website, www.nll.com. The votes of each of the three groups weighed equally in determining the starting lineups. The 12 reserves for the East and West teams will be announced on Tuesday, February 14th. Each All-Star team will have a total of 18 players, and all 11 NLL teams will have at least one player in the All-Star Game.

The East Division All-Stars will be coached by Rochester Knighthawks head coach Ed Comeau. Comeau will be assisted by Philadelphia Wings head coach Lindsay Sanderson. The West Division All-Stars will be coached by Arizona Sting head coach Bob Hamley. Hamley will be assisted by Calgary Roughnecks head coach Chris Hall.

Grant currently leads the NLL in goals (27) and is third with 45 points (27+18) in seven games. He is Rochester's all-time leading scorer with 269 goals, 287 assists and 556 points. The Knighthawks' alternate captain is a five-time NLL All-Star and played in the 2002 and 2005 NLL All-Star games. Grant was the first pick overall in the 2000 NLL Entry Draft and was named the Rookie of the Year in his inaugural season. In the summer, he also plays for the Rochester Rattlers of Major League Lacrosse.

Toll heads to the All-Star game for the first time as a Knighthawk. He played in the 2002 NLL All-Star Game and led the North All-Stars to a 14-10 victory over the South. He scored three goals and added one assist en route to Game MVP honors. Toll is tied for first in league scoring among defensemen with 15 points (5+10) in seven games. The St. Catharines, Ontario, native was acquired by Rochester last season from the San Jose Stealth for a first and second-round pick in the 2005 National Lacrosse League Draft. Toll spent the majority of his nine-year career with the Toronto Rock, where he won championships in 1999, 2000, 2002 and 2003.

O'Toole will be the starting goalie for the East Division for the third straight year. He will also be making his fourth all-star appearance, having played in the 2002, 2004 and 2005 NLL All-Star games. This season, O'Toole leads the league in wins (five) and saves (280). O'Toole is Rochester's all-time leader in wins (65) and saves (3,484). In 2002-03, he was named the NLL Goaltender of the Year, a First Team All-Pro, Team MVP and the fans' Most Popular Player.

Rochester (5-2) enters the week with the best record in the NLL after splitting a pair of games last weekend. On Friday, the Knighthawks lost to the rival Toronto Rock, 11-10 in overtime, but rallied Saturday night for a 16-14 home win against the Arizona Sting.

On Saturday, February 18th, Rochester hosts the San Jose Stealth at 7:35 p.m. at The Blue Cross Arena at the Rochester War Memorial. The contest will be carried on the B2 Networks.

Prior to the game, Knighthawks and Rattlers forward John Grant will hold a youth clinic on the BCA turf. The Knighthawks are offering a special Youth Clinic & Game Pack, which includes two 200-end tickets, a Knighthawks T-shirt, lacrosse ball and instruction from five-time All-Pro John Grant. The lacrosse clinic runs from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. and is open to kids 9 to 14 years old. All participants will receive two tickets to see the Knighthawks take on the Stealth, as well as free entry into the NLL Scoop-N-Shoot contest. For more information, call Nathan Snyder at 454-5335, extension 3006.

Check out the Rochester Knighthawks Statistics

• Discuss this story on the National Lacrosse League message board...

National Lacrosse League Stories from February 13, 2006


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