The teams will compete in Sterling, VA., this weekend.
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — The Rochester Knighthawks might have the weekend off, but the Jr. Knighthawks will be hard at work as they compete in their first box lacrosse tournament of the season. The PeeWee, Bantam and Midget teams will take part in the 4th annual Capital Box Lacrosse Classic in Sterling, Va.
The Jr. Knighthawks will play in the prestigious tournament from Sunday, Jan. 15 to Monday, Jan. 16 at the Dulles SportsPlex. The teams, who will be coached by Knighthawks players Brad Gillies, Dan Lomas and Luke Laszkiewicz, are guaranteed to play four games each against competition from around the United States and Canada.
“I’m very excited to coach the kids this weekend,” said Gillies. “It’s the first time many of them are playing a real box lacrosse game, so it’s going to be a great experience.”
Gillies is in his second season with the Knighthawks after finishing his four-year career at RIT. This past August, Gillies coached the PeeWee team at the 2016 Jr. NLL Tournament. Now serving as the Director of the Knighthawks Academy, he has he been instrumental in building and expanding the Knighthawks’ box lacrosse footprint in western and central New York.
Lomas, who was a second-round pick of the Knighthawks in 2016, joins Gillies as a member of the Knighthawks Academy. This weekend, he will go behind the bench for the first time with the Jr. Knighthawks. The Burlington, Ontario native has a wealth of experience as a three-time All-American at High Point University. He also starred with the Junior “A” Burlington Chiefs.
“I’m really excited to get involved with the Jr. Knighthawks,” said Lomas. “Coaching youth lacrosse players has always been something I’ve taken pride in because of their willingness to learn and desire to improve. Lacrosse has blessed me with more than I could have ever imagined. I can’t wait to get going with the next generation and aid them in their journey to get better every day.”
Laszkiewicz, who played collegiately at Robert Morris, wrapped up his career ranked second in the nation in goals per game (3.53) and fifth in points per game (4.60) in 2016. He finished second in school history in goals (125), eighth in assists (42) and third in man-up goals (18). He also won a Minto Cup with the Junior “A” Whitby Warriors.
“I am very excited to help out with coaching the Jr. Knighthawks,” said Laszkiewicz. “It is a great way to further the box game in the U.S. We have a young coaching staff, but I think that will help us connect with the kids, and keep them interested in playing box for years to come.”
The Knighthawks selected their three tournament-bound teams from the Rhino/Blaze Box Development program. In November, the Knighthawks announced a partnership with Rhino Lacrosse and The Blaze Upstate Lacrosse Club to grow the game of box lacrosse in the Rochester area.
“It’s a great start and we can continue to build off of this,” said Gillies. “Being able to select a group of kids from a successful box lacrosse training program and take them into real, live game action can only help the program and help these kids get better.”
To learn more about the Jr. Knighthawks, go online to www.knighthawks.com