Rochester falls to the Georgia Swarm, 14-9, in the final preseason game.
The Rochester Knighthawks wrapped up their preseason schedule Sunday afternoon at the Toronto Rock Athletic Centre (TRAC), falling 14-9 to the Georgia Swarm. After opening the preseason with a 10-6 win over Philadelphia, Rochester finished its exhibition schedule with a 1-1 record.
Similar to last night’s contest, Rochester poured it on in the second half. The Knighthawks mounted a furious comeback over the final two quarters on the strength of a 5-0 run to get within two at 10-8. The second-half comeback bid was typical of a Knighthawks’ team.
“That’s a positive aspect of our team,” said Kyle Jackson, who had a fourth-quarter goal. “It’s the drive that we have. We are never out of a game, and we proved that today.”
Rookie Dylan Riley sparked the rally with back-to-back goals, which was followed up by tallies from Luke Laszkiewicz, Cory Vitarelli, and Pat Saunders. Riley, who was the Knighthawks’ fifth-round selection, was tied for the team lead in points with three (2+1). Mike Burke (0+3) and Austin Shanks (0+3) also collected three-point efforts.
Shanks, who was an NLL All-Rookie Team member last season, had a hand in Rochester’s first three goals. His final assist was on Saunders’ first goal of the night, which cut the Georgia lead to 4-3 at 3:12 of the second quarter.
In goal, Rochester starter Angus Goodleaf logged almost 25 minutes, while Warren Hill saw 20 minutes of action. Rookie Charles Claxton finished the contest, playing the entire fourth quarter.
Sunday was one last opportunity for some of the young talent to impress the lacrosse staff. The Knighthawks played all 29 players on their roster this weekend to evaluate before Monday’s 1 pm deadline to set their roster.
“They came in and competed, and that’s what we asked of them,” said Knighthawks head coach Mike Hasen. “It was such a short camp, so it’s going to be really tough. We have to go with our gut and make the decisions that are the best for the team.”
Rochester opens its historic 25th season on Saturday, Dec. 29 when it hosts Philadelphia at 7:30 pm at Connors & Ferris Field at the Blue Cross Arena. That evening, the Knighthawks, in conjunction with iHeartMedia, Inc., will honor their All-Time Team.