Christopher Crane, Rochester Knighthawks Correspondent
Lacrosse is Awesome©
Featured Image Photo Credit: Caroline Sherman
The Rochester Knighthawks (1-4) struggled to keep pace early and couldn’t recover in a 13-6 loss to the reigning two-time NLL champion Buffalo Bandits (3-0) on Saturday at KeyBank Center. Connor Fields led the Knighthawks with five points (2+3), while Curtis Knight contributed a multi-goal performance (2+1). Ryan Lanchbury (0+4) and Ryan Smith (1+2) also delivered multi-assist efforts for Rochester, which endured its fourth consecutive loss despite outshooting Buffalo 68-58. Thomas McConvey (1+1) and Kyle Waters (0+1) rounded out the scoring for the Knighthawks. Goaltender Riley Hutchcraft made his fifth consecutive start for Rochester, turning aside 43 of 55 shots. Kevin Orleman entered in relief and stopped two shots in three minutes of action. Final Score: Rochester-6, Buffalo-13.
The first quarter saw Buffalo come out energized by the pre-game banner-raising ceremony and quickly took control. Just 22 seconds into the game, Dhane Smith (2g, 6a) buried a feed from reigning NLL MVP Josh Byrne (2g, 9a), giving the Bandits an early 1-0 lead.
Both teams traded possessions, with Hutchcraft and Buffalo’s Matt Vinc—an eight-time NLL Goaltender of the Year—making critical saves. Late in the quarter, Byrne extended Buffalo’s lead to 2-0, converting on a setup from Smith and Clay Scanlan (2g, 1a). The Bandits outshot Rochester 13-10 in the frame.
The second quarter saw the Bandits carry their momentum going on a four-goal run in just over two minutes to extend their lead to 6-0. Byrne netted two goals during the stretch, while Ian McCay (2g), Kyle Buchanan (1g, 3a), and Tehoka Nanticoke (3g) each added one. Nanticoke finished the night leading the Bandits with three scores.
Rochester halted Buffalo’s scoring spree late in the quarter, cutting the deficit in half with three goals. Fields opened the scoring for the Knighthawks with a shot-clock-beating goal and later added a spectacular diving tally while shorthanded. Ryan Smith (1g, 2a) added a power-play goal at 10:24, assisted by McConvey and Lanchbury. However, Scanlan’s first career NLL goal restored Buffalo’s cushion, giving the Bandits a 7-3 lead at halftime.
The third quarter saw Rochester’s Curtis Knight (2g, 1a) bring Rochester within three just over a minute into the third, converting a backdoor feed from Waters and Fields. However, Buffalo responded with four consecutive goals, building an 11-4 advantage and taking control of the game.
The Bandits showcased their offensive capabilities with four different players scoring during the run. Byrne and Smith combined for six assists in the quarter, finishing the game with a combined 19 points.
The fourth quarter saw the teams trading goals to close out the 13-6 result. Rochester’s goals came from McConvey and Knight, but the Knighthawks couldn’t narrow the gap further.
Up Next:
The Rochester Knighthawks (1-4) will finish up their short two-game road trip on Saturday, Jan. 4, against the undefeated Georgia Swarm (3-0). The matchup, set for 7:30 PM EST at Gas South Arena, will mark the only meeting between the two teams this season.
The Buffalo Bandits (3-0) have a bye week before hosting the winless Toronto Rock (0-4) on Friday, January 10 at 7:30 PM EST.