Christopher Crane, Rochester Knighthawks Correspondent
Lacrosse is Awesome
Featured Image Photo Credit: Trevor MacMillan
In an electrifying matchup this week, the Rochester Knighthawks (3-3) ventured north to face off against the Halifax Thunderbirds (3-3) at the Scotiabank Centre in Nova Scotia. Rochester, aiming to recover from a tough loss to I-90 rivals, the Buffalo Bandits, found themselves up against a formidable Halifax squad fresh off a convincing 14-7 win over Albany. The Thunderbirds ultimately emerged victorious, securing a 13-8 triumph. The statistics tell a tale of closely contested play, with both teams registering similar shots on goal (SOG) — Rochester at 49 and Halifax at 55. Penalty minutes were evenly matched at 13 each, but Halifax’s efficiency on power plays proved pivotal, converting 4 out of 6 opportunities compared to Rochester’s 1 out of 5. Halifax also dominated the faceoff battle, winning 16 out of 25, largely due to Jake Withers’ prowess. Goalies Riley Hutchcraft for Rochester and Warren Hill for Halifax showcased their skills, each recording an impressive 42 saves. The opening period saw Halifax seizing a 2-0 lead with goals from Clarke Petterson (3g, 2a) and Ryan Benesch (5g). Rochester’s Matt Gilray (1g) narrowed the gap to 2-1, but Halifax’s Colton Armstrong (1g) extended the lead to 3-1. Connor Fields (3g) of Rochester found the net at 2:20, making it a 3-2 game. However, Benesch secured his second goal, closing the period at 4-2 in favor of Halifax.
The second period showcased back-and-forth action until Benesch completed a hat trick, and Randy Staats (2g, 3a) extended Halifax’s lead to 6-2. Rochester’s Ethan O’Connor (1g, 1a) responded, making it 6-3, but Halifax maintained control with a goal from Staats. Ryan Smith (2g) pulled one back for Rochester, but Halifax’s power play goal from Benesch closed the half at 8-4.
Halifax continued their dominance in the third period, ending it 11-5. Petterson, Austin Shanks (2g, 2a), and R. Smith (Rochester) all capitalized on power play opportunities. Petterson’s second goal at the buzzer secured an 11-5 lead for Halifax.
The final frame witnessed a late surge from the Knighthawks, scoring three consecutive goals. Ben MacDonnell (1g) ignited the rally in his NLL debut scoring on his only shot of the game, and Connor Fields (2g) added two more, closing the gap to 11-8. Despite Rochester’s efforts, Halifax sealed the win with R. Benesch’s power play goal and A. Shanks’ empty netter, concluding the game 13-8.
GAME STATS:
Rochester Knighthawks—SOG 49; Saves 42; Sv% .764%; FO 9-25; PP 1-5
Halifax Thunderbirds—SOG 55; Saves 42; Sv% .857%; FO 16-25; PP 4-6
NEXT UP:
The Rochester Knighthawks (3-3) will head to KeyBank Center for another I-90 clash on Saturday February 3, 2024, game time 7:30 p.m. EST. Fans in the USA can see the game on ESPN+. Fans in Canada get to catch the action on TSN+.
The Halifax Thunderbirds (3-3) will head to Wells Fargo Center to face the Philadelphia Wings (2-4) on Friday February 2, 2024, game time 7:00 p.m. EST. Fans in the USA can see the game on ESPN+. Fans in Canada get to catch the action on TSN+.
Christopher Crane, Rochester Knighthawks Correspondent
Lacrosse is Awesome©