After a brief stop at home, the Rochester Knighthawks hit the road once again. This time they will visit Mohegan Sun Arena, as they take on the New England Black Wolves at 7 pm on Saturday.
Head-to-Head: The contest is the first of three meetings against New England. The last time these two teams met, Rochester defeated the Black Wolves, 15-11, on May 4 in the 2018 East Division Semifinals.
Broadcast Info: The game will be broadcast on 107.3 The Bull and the iHeartRadio app. Fans can watch the contest on B/R Live and locally on CW Rochester.
Scouting the Knighthawks: Rochester (2-5) played back-to-back games against East Division opponents last weekend. On Feb. 2, the Knighthawks completed the two-game stretch by battling the Georgia Swarm for four hard-fought quarters. In the end, however, the Knighthawks fell 16-12 to the Swarm at Connors & Ferris Field at the Blue Cross Arena. Rochester was led by a seven-point performance from Cody Jamieson (1+6) and a 5-point night (4+1) from Austin Shanks. Cory Vitarelli also added three goals and one assist. In goal, Warren Hill was spectacular in a relief effort, making 42 saves. Defenseman Oran Horn made his professional debut for the Knighthawks.
Rochester brings back Damude: On Wednesday, the Knighthawks brought goaltender Nick Damude back to the team after an impressive stint with the Peterborough Timbermen of the Arena Lacrosse League. In four games this season, the 20-year-old had a 2-0 record and a 10.80 goals-against average, which was second best in the league. The Knighthawks took Damude in the fourth round (40th overall) of the 2018 NLL Entry Draft. This past season, he posted an 11-6 record and a 7.12 goals-against average with the Junior “A” St. Catharines Athletics. His .816 save percentage was second best in the Ontario junior loop, while his 533 saves were tied for third.
Knighthawks acquire Keogh: Rochester bolstered the right side of their offense Monday by reacquiring star forward Stephen Keogh from the Colorado Mammoth. In return, Rochester sent a second-round pick in 2019 and a third-round selection in 2021 to the Mammoth. With Colorado this season, the 31-year-old posted three goals and three assists in four games. Keogh spent parts of three seasons in Denver after being traded to the Mammoth from the Knighthawks in February of 2017. With Colorado, he played in 29 games and collected 47 goals and 45 assists for 92 points. Keogh returns to Rochester where he played parts of six seasons (2012-17). In 77 games in the Flower City, Keogh notched 120 goals and 123 assists.
Scouting the Black Wolves: New England enters the game in fourth place in the East Division with a 3-3 record. The Black Wolves have dropped their last two games, which included a 10-8 setback on Friday to the Georgia Swarm. Reilly O’Connor powered the offense with his third six-point night of the season. Callum Crawford, who posted 5 points, moved within 2 points of reaching 900 in his career. The forward leads the Black Wolves in goals (16), assists (18) and points (34).
Next Game: Rochester will host its oldest rival, the Buffalo Bandits, on Friday, Feb. 22, as it throws it back to the first decade of Knighthawks lacrosse on Party Like it’s 1995 Night. The fans can celebrate the freshest decade of all as they enjoy the musical hits from the ‘90s and other special themed promotions. The organization will also bring back the members of the 1995 team. Faceoff is set for 7:30 pm.