Rochester and Buffalo both enter the contest with 1-0 records.
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — The holiday edition of the Thruway rivalry will be on full display Saturday as the Rochester Knighthawks battle the Buffalo Bandits at Connors & Ferris Field at the Blue Cross Arena with a 7:30 pm start.
Both teams enter the game after impressive opening-night victories and are fighting for the early lead in the East Division.
All-Time Series: The contest is the first of four meetings this season between the western New York lacrosse rivals. Rochester leads the all-time series with a 36-26 record.
Kids Day: On Saturday, the organization will host its annual Kids Day. With the purchase of one adult ticket, two kids under the age of 12 will be admitted for free. The festivities will include inflatables, airbrush tattoos, holiday music and more. Doors will open at 4 pm. Kids Day is presented by Adventures in Climbing, Altitude Trampoline Park, Zweigle’s, Wilkins RV, Isaac Heating & Air Conditioning, Connors & Ferris and Bill Gray’s.
Broadcast Information: The game will be broadcast on 107.3 The Bull and on the iHeartRadio app. Fans can watch the contest on NLL TV (nlltv.com).
Get Your Tickets: Individual tickets can be purchased online at Ticketmaster.com, by calling 1-800-745-3000, and at the Blue Cross Arena Box Office. This season, the Knighthawks are offering a no per ticket service charge when purchasing on Ticketmaster.com. If you’re interested in discounted group ticket offers or want to learn more about mini-plan and full season ticket packages, call (585) 454-4295 to speak with a Knighthawks representative.
Scouting the Knighthawks: Rochester (1-0) enters the game after blasting the Calgary Roughnecks 17-6 on Dec. 9 to open the 2017-18 campaign. Matt Vinc turned in another stellar performance in goal, stopping 40 shots – including 18 in the third quarter. The highlight of the game, however, was the return of Cody Jamieson. “Jammer,” who played in his first full game since May 1, 2016, scored his 200th career goal and dished out three assists. The Knighthawks’ 17-goal effort was buoyed by 11 different goal scorers. Even five defensemen got in on the scoring act, which included Luc Magnan’s first profession goal. Another bright spot was the play of rookie Jake Withers. The Ohio State product, and the team’s second-overall pick, won 18-of-22 faceoffs and collected 10 loose balls in his pro debut. Fellow Buckeye Eric Fannell also had an impressive start to his career, assisting on three goals.
The Legend of Billy Dee: After spending all 15 years of his pro career with Buffalo, Smith will play in his first game against his former team. The past Bandits’ team captain made his Knighthawks debut on Dec. 9 and was part of a defensive effort that limited Calgary to six goals, which tied a Roughnecks’ record for the fewest goals scored in a game.
Milestone Alert:
Dan Dawson will pass Shawn Williams for fourth all-time in NLL history with 258 games played.
On Saturday, Scott Campbell (114) will pass Mike Hasen and move into ninth-place on the team’s all-time games played list.
Joe Resetarits is one goal shy of 100 in his career.
Cory Vitarelli needs two assists to reach 100 in his career.
Scouting the Bandits: Buffalo opened the season with a convincing 13-9 home win over the rival Toronto Rock on Dec. 8. The story of the game was the play of goalie Alex Buque, who made 55 saves in his Bandits debut. Leading 9-7 after three quarters, Buffalo outscored Toronto 4-2 in the final frame to earn its first victory of the year. The Bandits’ offense was powered by returning forward Dhane Smith (1+6), a former Rochester Rattlers forward, and three newcomers to the lineup: Josh Byrne, Callum Crawford and Jordan Durston. Byrne, who was selected first overall in the 2017 NLL Entry Draft, scored one goal and collected four assists in his professional debut. Crawford and Durston, who were both acquired in offseason trades, each contributed four points.
Knighthawks Next Game: The Knighthawks hit the road to take on the defending champion Georgia Swarm on Saturday, Dec. 30 at 7:30 pm at Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Field inside Infinite Energy Arena. The contest will be broadcast on 107.3 The Bull and on the iHeartRadio app. Fans can also watch the game on NLL TV.