[MEDIA RELEASE]
Featured Image Photo Credit: Kate Frese
(Buffalo, NY) – Another back-and-forth offensive battle came down to the final few seconds of regulation as the Buffalo Bandits (5-1) scored with eight seconds remaining to force overtime before winning in the extra frame to hand the Rochester Knighthawks (1-6) a 16-15 loss Friday at KeyBank Center.
Holden Cattoni matched a season-high with a nine-point effort on the strength of three goals and six assists to retain the team’s scoring lead while Shawn Evans finished with four goals and seven points – including the go-ahead goal with 1:49 to play – in his return to Buffalo. The two-time NLL MVP also tied former teammate John Grant, Jr. for fifth all-time in assists in NLL history and moved to within eight goals of 450 for his pro career.
Curtis Knight also had a hat trick to go along with two assists and a team-high 14 shots while Steve Fryer and Craig Wende combined for 34 saves in the loss for the Knighthawks, who remain winless on the road this season.
Dhane Smith led the Bandits with an 11-point night while Josh Byrne, fresh off a seven-goal outing last week against Colorado, scored twice and added four assists as Buffalo improved to 5-1 on the season. Chris Cloutier, who was activated off the injured reserve list earlier today, returned to the lineup and capped an eight-point night (4+4) by scoring the game-tying goal before setting up Corey Small for the eventual game-winner. Veteran goaltender Matt Vinc, a former Knighthawk in the previous organization, made 52 saves in the win for Buffalo.
GAME HIGHLIGHTS: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aym3l2sqras
After being outscored 7-3 in the opening half, Rochester came out firing on all cylinders, using a 5-0 run to take their first lead of the night. Cattoni set the tone early with a pair of goals only 14 seconds apart before goals from Phil Caputo, Turner Evans and Knight followed to put the Knighthawks in front 8-7 at the 5:30 mark.
Buffalo answered with a pair of goals 16 seconds apart, but Rochester would reel off three more before the close of the third quarter, outscoring the Bandits 8-2 in the frame for an 11-9 lead after 45 minutes of play. The eight goals were the most the Knighthawks scored in a single quarter this season.
The fourth quarter saw the teams combine for 10 goals with the Bandits scoring twice in the first three minutes to even the contest at 11-11. Knight completed the hat trick with back-to-back tallies to restore a two-goal lead for Rochester, but the home team wouldn’t go away quietly.
Cloutier bookended Evans’ third of the night at 9:13 before Smith tied the game once more for Buffalo. Not to be outdone, Evans restored the narrow one-goal lead for the Knighthawks with under two minutes to play from Cattoni and Knight.
As Rochester attempted to hold on in the final seconds, Cloutier connected on a feed from Smith that would knot the score at 15-15 to force overtime. A holding penalty to the Knighthawks 1:45 into the extra frame ultimately proved costly as Buffalo capitalized on the ensuing power-play to steal a 16-15 win.
The Knighthawks return home on Sunday, Feb. 9 when they take on the Vancouver Warriors in a midday matinee from Segar & Sciortino Field at The Blue Cross Arena. The 2:00 p.m. matchup will be the only meeting of the season between the two teams and can be heard live on 107.3 FM The Bull as well as B/R Live. Fans can stay up to date all season long with the latest Knighthawks news, stories and notes at www.rochesterknighthawks.com.
Goal Scorers
ROC: T. Evans (2), C. Knight (3), S. Evans (4), P. Caputo (2), H. Cattoni (3), C. Highfield (1)
BUF: C. Cloutier (4), G. Billings (1), C. Small (2), N. Weiss (1), J. Byrne (2), M. Gilray (1), D. Smith (4), C. Fraser (1)
Goaltenders
ROC: S. Fryer – 27/37 (L)| C. Wende – 7/13 (ND)
BUF: M. Vinc – 52/66 (W)
Shots
ROC: 66
BUF: 50
Special Teams
ROC: PP (3/3) | PK (1/3)
BUF: PP (2/3) | PK (0/3)
Three Stars
1. H. Cattoni (ROC)
2. D. Smith (BUF)
3. C. Small (BUF)