Christopher Crane, Rochester Knighthawks Correspondent
Lacrosse is Awesome©
Featured Image Photo Credit: Steve Hiscock
The Rochester Knighthawks (2-0) headed out on the road to the Sasktel Centre on Saturday December 9, 2023, where they would face the Saskatchewan Rush (0-2). Both teams came out of the gates like a high school track meet and the game would end the same way with the score staying close throughout the contest. Notables from the matchup were Rochester’s Connor Fields (4g, 7a) with an 11-point outing giving him at least two goals per game over 19 straight games; and teammate Ryan Smith (3g, 3a) adding six points of his own. Newly acquired Knighthawks Ryan Lanchbury (2g, 2a) would also contribute with a four-point night; Turner Evans contributed as well (4a); and Thomas McConvey (3g, 1a) would score his first three NLL career goals after his first outing last week. Rochester’s goalie Riley Hutchcraft who tallied his first-career NLL win last week versus Calgary, would end up earning his second and his first career start for the Knighthawks. To help Rochester to the win Hutchcraft made 36 saves on 50 shots faced. The Knighthawks were also dominant at face-offs as Joe Post (17 LB) would set a single-game franchise record by winning 24 faceoffs. In the end, the Rochester Knighthawks would walk away with their second victory of the season. Final Score: Knighthawks 16—Rush 14.
The Rush would jump out to a 2-0 lead with Zach Manns (3g, 3a) opening the scoring at 11:02 with teammate Nathaniel Kozevnikov (1g) tallying his score at the 7:11 mark of the period. Saskatchewan kept Rochester out of the net for three minutes before they would answer back. Connor Fields netted his first of four on the night at 4:36 on a power play opportunity off a holding call on Ryan Barnable. New acquisition Ryan Lanchbury would team up with Fields to notch his first goal as a Knighthawks at 2:08 to make it a 2-2 game. Both teams would go back and forth for the remainder of the period, until the Rush defense forced a Knighthawks turnover allowing Jake Boudreau (2g, 2a) to capitalize and record a score with :03 left in the frame to give Saskatchewan a 3-2 lead at the end of one.
Saskatchewan would extend their lead in the second when Robert Church found the back of the net at 13:25 on a power play opportunity due to a checking from behind penalty against Ryland Rees which put Saskatchewan ahead 4-2. A minute later, Rochester would answer back with a three-goal run. Knighthawks Ethan O’Connor (1g) got it started at 12:24 making it a 4-3 game. The next two Rochester tallies would come 11 seconds apart. Fields netted his second at 9:49 and Thomas McConvey notching his first of three scores on the night at the 9:38 mark putting Rochester up 5-4. But Rush’s Boudreau would get a pass from Mike Messenger to tie it up at 5’s at 7:42. The Knighthawks would tally two more with 5:22 remaining, Fields notched his hattrick; and with 3:18 to go, Ryan Smith netted his first of three to put them back up by two 7-5. Saskatchewan would tie the game once more with two tallies of their own in the closing minute of the second. Clark Walter (2g, 1a) found the back of the net for the first of two on the night at 1:19 making it a 7-6 contest. Then Church would tie it up with :02 in the half. Score at the end of two: Knighthawks 7—Rush 7.
The teams would match goal for goal in the third with the first coming just under three minutes in and the remaining six coming in the last five. The Rush would take back the lead for the first time since the first period. Mike Triolo (1g, 3a) would find net to give Saskatchewan an 8-7 lead at 12:12. Both teams would go back and forth over the next several minutes of play before the Rush made it a 9-7 game on a score from Walter with 5:45 left. But Rochester would answer back with a three-goal run, two of which were back-to-back power play tallies. Knighthawks Smith and McConvey would be the ones to capitalize on the power play opportunities with 5:19 and 2:53 remaining to tie it back up at 9-9. Fields would then net his fourth of the night at 2:31 to put them up once again, 10-9. Manns would tie it up once again at 10-10 when he found the back of the net with 1:44 to go. This time it would be the Knighthawks to score the buzzer beater. With :03 left on the ticker, Lanchbury tallied a hat trick on the night to put Rochester up once again. At the end of the third, Rochester held the lead 11-10.
Both teams would go back and forth in the fourth, tallying scores allowing both teams to exchange the lead a few more times. Getting things started was Saskatchewan. With 1:24 off the timer, Mike Messenger (1g, 1a) would find the net to tie the game at 11-11. Twenty seconds later, Rochester would once again score the go ahead goal when Austin Hasen (1g, 1a) would tally his only score of the night at 13:16. But the Rush weren’t done yet and would tally the next two, the first from Patrick Dodds (1g, 2a) and the next from Manns to make it 13-12 game at the 3:29 mark. Once again, Rochester would tie it up 13-13 at 4:05 with McConvey notching his hat trick. Both teams went back and forth again over several minutes of play unable to find twine, before the Rush’s Ryan Keenan (1g, 3a) would capitalize on a power play opportunity with 5:09 left putting them back up 14-13. But the Knighthawks would dig deep and tally off the last three. Smith notched his hat trick on the night with teammate Kyle Waters (1g) netting his only score on another power play opportunity for Rochester making it 15-14 with 2:30 left in the quarter. After the Rush pulled their netminder for the 6 on 5 man advantage, Rochester added an insurance goal with :36 left in regulation. The final Knighthawks tally would come from the defense when Brad Gillies scooped the loose ball and dish to Mitch Ogilive (1g) up the floor for an empty netter to secure the win. Final Score: Knighthawks 16—Rush 14.
STATS:
Rochester Knighthawks—SOG 56; Saves 36; Sv% .720%; FO 25-33; PP 4-6
Saskatchewan Rush—SOG 56; Saves 40; Sv% .714%; FO 8-33; PP 2-4
Rochester -Saskatchewan Game Highlights 12/9/23
STARS OF THE GAME:
Connor Fields-Rochester Knighthawks: 4g, 3a
Ryan Smith—Rochester Knighthawks: 3g, 3a
Zach Manns-Saskatchewan Rush: 3g, 3a
NEXT UP:
The Rochester Knighthawks (2-0) have a bye-week before returning to action on Saturday December 23, 2023, when they play host to the Vancouver Warriors (0-1) at 7:00 p.m. EST at Blue Cross Arena. Fans in the USA can see the game on ESPN+. Fans in Canada can catch the action on TSN+.
The Saskatchewan Rush (0-2) will be back in action on Friday December 15, 2023, at 10:00 p.m. EST when they head to Michelob Ultra Arena and will face the Las Vegas Desert Dogs (0-1). Fans in the USA can see the game on ESPN+. Fans in Canada can catch the action on TSN+.
Christopher Crane, Rochester Knighthawks Correspondent
Lacrosse is Awesome©