Youth players from each city will square off in a 2-game series.
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — The biggest rivalry in the National Lacrosse League reaches a whole new level on Sunday, Aug. 18 when the Rochester Jr. Knighthawks face off against the Buffalo Jr. Bandits in the inaugural I-90 Cup Rivalry Series.
The first-ever event of its kind will take place at Buffalo RiverWorks and showcase the top talent from both cities as Pee Wee, Bantam and Midget teams will compete against their Thruway rivals in a 2-game series. If necessary, a decisive 10-minute mini-game will follow to determine the I-90 up Champions for that age group.
The one-day event will be a prelude to the annual Jr. NLL Tournament, which is scheduled to run from Aug. 23-25 in Oakville, ONT.
Leading the Jr. Knighthawks teams will be a mix of high-level coaches and instructors, including current Knighthawks players Shawn Evans and Frank Brown, former Knighthawk and current Halifax Thunderbirds defenseman Brad Gillies, local box lacrosse coach Cory Holbrough, and former NLL players Brett Bucktooth and Ron Cogan.
“We are really looking forward to starting this series,” said Gillies, who helped with the creation of the event. “I’ve played in a lot of great rivalry games against the Bandits as a player, so to continue this rivalry with the youth teams should be great. Plus, it will help prepare both teams for the strong competition at the Jr. NLL event.”
Pee Wees will hit the floor at 10 am, followed by Bantams at 11 am, and Midgets at 12 pm. The I-90 Cup Rivalry Series is free and open the public.