ROCHESTER, N.Y. — The Rochester Knighthawks were the talk of the National Lacrosse League this season after shrugging off a slow start to advance to within one win of raising the NLL Cup.
The 15-10 loss in the winner-take-all Game Three cannot diminish what this group of coaches and players accomplished. Rochester won 11 of its last 15 games and locked up second place in the East Division on the final night of its regular season schedule.
It was a season of breakout individual performances for the men in teal and purple. Here are the personal records set by the Knighthawks during the 2017-18 campaign:
Frank Brown
• Picked up his first career playoff point on 6/2/18
• Made his NLL playoff debut on 5/4/18
• Played in 10 games during his rookie season, including three with Rochester
• Made his Knighthawks debut on 3/4/18
• Appeared in seven games this season with the Georgia Swarm, recording one goal, six assists and 22 loose balls
Scott Campbell
• Posted career highs in assists (14) and points (20) in 2017-18
• Eighth in team history in games played (130)
• Played in his 200th pro game on 4/21/18
• Notched a career-high four points on 12/23/17
• Opened the 2017-18 season by tying his career high with three assists; he also picked up 100th career point on 12/9/17
Josh Currier
• Tied for the league-lead with 10 postseason goals
• Finished the playoffs with back-to-back four-goal efforts in the NLL Finals (6/2 to 6/9)
• Notched two assists in NLL playoff debut on 5/4/18
• In 2017-18, he recorded career highs in loose balls (42) and games played (16)
Paul Dawson
• In 2017-18, he tied his career high in games played (18)
• Tied career highs with two assists and three points on 4/28/18: recorded his 600th career loose ball and reached 100 games as a Knighthawk that night as well
• Tied his career high with two assists on 12/23/17
Eric Fannell
• Scored one goal in NLL playoff debut on 5/4/18
• Finished third in the NLL in points among rookies with 37
• Recorded his first career hat trick on 3/24/18
• Had the fourth two-goal game of his career on 3/4/18
• Tied his career highs in goals (two) and loose balls (five) on 2/24/18
• Notched his second straight four-assist performance on 2/17/18
• On his 24th birthday, he tied his then career high with two goals, while notching career bests in assists (four) and points (six) on 2/11/18
• Scored the first two goals of his pro career on 12/23/17
• Had a three-assist effort in his pro debut on 12/9/1
Brad Gillies
• Scored his first professional hat trick in his playoff debut on 5/4/18
• In 2017-18, he was named the winner of the team’s community service award
• Had a breakout season, registering career highs in assists (11) and points (19)
• He also tied his single-season marks for goals (eight) and games played (18)
• Tied his career high with two points (1+1) on 2/3/18
• On 12/30/17, he tied his career high with two assists and two points
Angus Goodleaf
• Named the 2017-18 winner of the Knighthawks’ Wolf Pack Award, which recognizes heart and dedication to the team
• His .798 save percentage was tied for fifth all-time in single-season team history (minimum of 50 minutes played)
• In a relief effort, he made 31 saves to earn the win on 3/31/18
Graeme Hossack
• Finished second in the NLL and second on the team with 50 loose balls during the postseason
• Established career highs in goals (seven), assists (seven), points (14) and loose balls (163)
• Tied for the NLL lead in caused turnovers (34) and third in loose balls
• Has won back-to-back Knighthawks’ Defensive MVP honors (in 2017 and 2017-18)
• Collected career-high 15 loose balls on 2/11/18
• Tied his career high with two goals as part of a career-best three-point effort on 2/3/18
Kyle Jackson
• Tied for third on the team with nine playoff assists
• Scored two goals and added one assist in his playoff debut on 5/4/18
• One of only three Rochester players to record a point in all 18 games
• Posted career highs in goals (37), assists (36) and points (73)
• Tied for the team lead in goals, and third in assists and points
• Had a career-high 11 loose balls, and scored the game-winner, on 3/4/18
• Tied his career high with five goals on 2/24/18; recorded his 100th career point
Cody Jamieson
• Led the Knighthawks with 20 playoff points, which was second in the NLL
• In the NLL Playoffs, he was also tied for third in goals (nine) and assists (11)
• Only Rochester player to record an assist and a point in all 18 games
• Finished tied for the team lead in assists with 63, which tied him for third in the NLL
• Was second on the team in points (89) and fourth in goals (26)
• Reached 600 career points on 3/24/18
• Scored his 200th career goal on 12/9/17
• Has served as an assistant captain the past six seasons (2013-18)
• Third all-time in team history in goals (225), assists (392) and points (617)
• In Knighthawks playoff history, he ranks first in assists (51) and points (85), and second in goals (33)
Luke Laszkiewicz
• Re-signed and agreed to a one-year deal with the Knighthawks on 3/2/18
• Played for the Six Nations Snipers of the Arena Lacrosse League in 2017-18, where he had 38 points (19+19) in nine games
Ian Llord
• Tied his career high by playing in 18 games
• His 71 loose balls were tied for the second most in his career
• Played in his 100th game as a Knighthawk on 4/28/18
Dan Lomas
• Voted Rochester’s Teammate of the Year for the 2017-18 season
• Made his only appearance of the season on 1/13/18 versus New England
Luc Magnan
• Recorded points in four of the team’s five playoff games
• Posted two assists his playoff debut on 5/4/18
• Set career highs in goals (two), assists (16), points (18) and games played (18)
• Collected a career-high three assists on 3/24/18
• Tied his career high with two assists on 2/11/18
• Posted a then career-high two assists and two points on 12/23/17
• Scored his first career goal on 12/9/17
Adam Perroni
• Made his NLL playoff debut and collected one assist on 5/4/18
• Played in one regular season game during his rookie season in 2017-18
• Made his professional debut on 3/17/18
• Knighthawks’ second-round selection (14th overall) in the 2017 NLL Entry Draft
Quinn Powless
• In 2017-18, he played in a career-high nine games
• Tied his career high with two goals on 2/11/18
• Rochester was 8-1 with him in the lineup
Joe Resetarits
• Tied for third in the NLL in postseason assists with 11
• Posted six points (2+4) in the East Division Semifinals on 5/4/18
• One of only three Rochester players to record a point in all 18 games
• Named the Knighthawks’ Offensive MVP for the first time in his career
• Set the NLL single-season record for points by a U.S.-born player with 100 on 4/28/18
• Led the Knighthawks with career highs in points
• Tied for the team lead in goals (37) and assists (63)
• Finished fourth in the league in points and tied for third in assists with teammate Cody Jamieson and Toronto’s Rob Hellyer
• Reached 300 career points on 3/24/18
• Collected a career-high 11 assists and 14 points, and tied Derek Malawsky’s team record for assists in a game on 2/24/18
• Posted seven assists and eight points on 2/11/18
• Tied his career high with four goals on 2/10/18
• Notched the 100th goal of his pro career on 12/23/17 as part of an eight-point night (3+5)
Brandon Robinson
• Signed a one-year deal with the Knighthawks on 5/17/18
• Acquired on 8/10/17 from the New England Black Wolves in exchange for Adam Bomberry and the Black Wolves’ 14th overall selection in the 2017 NLL Entry Draft
Austin Shanks
• In the postseason, he was tied for third in the NLL in goals (11) and fourth in points (18)
• Scored four goals in his NLL playoff debut on 5/4/18
• Finished second in the NLL in points among rookies with 52
• Was third on the Knighthawks in goals (27), and fourth in assists (25) and points
• Posted a career-high five goals on 3/24/18
• Had the fifth two-goal game of his career on 3/4/18
• Had a career-best six assists and seven points on 2/11/18
• Scored two goals in his pro debut on 1/12/18
• Knighthawks’ first-round selection (fifth overall) in the 2017 NLL Entry Draft
Eric Shewell
• Appeared in four postseason games
• Made his NLL playoff debut on 5/4/18
• Played in three rookie season games
• Notched an assist in his pro debut on 1/12/18
Billy Dee Smith
• Tied his career high by playing in four playoff games
• Played in his 200th NLL game on 2/11/18
• Has racked up the most penalty minutes in NLL history with 669
• Signed a one-year deal with the Knighthawks on 9/13/17
Sid Smith
• In 2017-18, he set career highs with six assists and 18 games played
• On 12/30/17, he tied his career high with two assists and two points
• Team captain for six seasons (2013-18)
• Tied for fifth all-time in team history in games played (138)
• Eighth in team history with 622 loose balls
Matt Vinc
• Second in NLL history in saves (7,118) and first in postseason saves (979)
• Second in league history in minutes played (10,960)
• Won his sixth team MVP award in 2017-18
• First in team history in postseason saves with 749
• Tied for sixth all-time in team history in games played (138)
• Second in team history in saves (4,915)
• On 4/13, he became only the second goalie in NLL history to record 7,000 career saves
• Played in his 200th career game on 3/24/18
• Made a career-high 55 saves on 12/23/17
Cory Vitarelli
• Tied for fourth all-time in team history in goals (169)
• Tied for fifth in playoff goals with 21
• In 2017-18, he posted a career-high 20 assists and played in a career-best 18 games
• Finished third on the team with a career-high 93 loose balls and fifth in points (45)
• Played in his 100th professional game on 2/24/18
• Tied his career high with three assists on 2/11/18
• Collected his 100th career assist on 12/23/17; tied his career high with three assists and six points
Jake Withers
• Set the team playoff records with 56 loose balls and 88 faceoff wins
• Collected a team NLL Finals record 20 loose balls on 6/9/18 in Game Three
• Won 15 faceoffs and chipped in two assists in his NLL playoff debut on 5/4/18
• Knighthawks’ 2017-18 Rookie of the Year
• Sixth on the team’s all-time faceoff wins list (279)
• In 2017-18, he led the NLL in faceoff wins and a .670 faceoff winning percentage to become the first rookie in league history to have the best faceoff percentage (minimum of 200 faceoffs won) since Geoff Snider in 2007
• Set the NLL rookie faceoff record and the team single-season faceoff wins mark
• Second on the team with 148 loose balls
• Won a career-high 25 faceoffs on 3/31/18 to set a team rookie record
Mike Hasen (Head coach)
• Tied Paul Day for the most wins in franchise history with 75
• Led the Knighthawks to the NLL Finals for the fourth time in his career
• Team’s all-time playoff leader with 15 victories
• His 15 wins are third best in NLL postseason history
Mike Accursi (Assistant coach – Offense)
• In his first season as an assistant coach, he helped the Knighthawks reach the NLL Finals
• He made his seventh trip to the NLL Championship
• Was inducted into the Knighthawks Hall of Fame
Pat O’Toole (Assistant coach – Defense)
• Advanced to the NLL Finals for the 10th time in his career
Marshall Abrams (Assistant coach – Offense)
• In his first season as an assistant coach, he helped the Knighthawks reach the NLL Finals
• Advanced to the NLL Finals for the third time in his career
Jason Johnson (Assistant coach – Defense)
• He made his fourth trip to the NLL Finals