The Bantam team wins its first game in the 2-day event.
The Rochester Jr. Knighthawks Bantam team ended their first day of competition at the 4th annual Capital Box Lacrosse Classic with a 5-2 victory. The two-day tournament at the Dulles SportsPlex, which kicked off Sunday afternoon, features teams from around the northeast United States.
“It was great to finish the day off with a win,” said Jr. Knighthawks coach and Knighthawks defenseman Brad Gillies. “The guys worked hard all over the floor and it paid off with a win.”
The Jr. Knighthawks are being coached by Knighthawks players Brad Gillies, Dan Lomas and Luke Laszkiewicz. The Knighthawks sent PeeWee, Bantam and Midget teams to the event in Sterling, Va.
“It was an awesome day,” said Lomas. “The PeeWee team played some very skilled opponents which helped them learn a lot. I enjoyed seeing how interested they were in the box game. The Bantams came out fast and played with a ton of intensity. I had a blast coaching these kids and learning more about them.”
The Jr. Knighthawks PeeWee team had the honor of opening the tournament as they battled the Capital North Stars (Greater DC Area) and Team 91 Bandits Blue (Long Island). The Jr. Knighthawks will resume play Monday with a 5:10 pm. tilt against Cannons Select Box (Southern Md.). Laszkiewicz, who is behind the Jr. Knighthawks bench for the first time, cannot wait to get back to work Monday.
“It was a blast to coach the Jr. Knighthawks,” he said. “We faced some stiff competition with the PeeWee age group. They battled hard and I’m sure learned a lot. The Bantam group got off to a great start with some stud goaltending. Both teams were a joy to coach. You can tell Brad has a connection with these kids and I am looking forward to doing the same.”
The Bantam team is back in action on Monday with a pair of morning games. The Jr. Knighthawks will take on the New England Black Wolves by 3D at 8:00 a.m. and will then meet the 3D Mid-Atlantic 2021 (Loudon Co., Va.) at 10:00 a.m.
The Midget team will open play with three games Monday, which includes the 9:00 a.m. opener against the Capital North Stars. The Jr. Knighthawks will then return to the floor at 11:00 a.m. to play Lax Factory Elite (Frederick, Md.). The final round-robin game has the Jr. Knighthawks battling Alexandria Box (Alexandria, Va.) at 1 p.m.
To follow the Jr. Knighthawks, go online to www.madlaxevents.com/boxclassic.