Rochester looks to get back on the winning track against the Rush.
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — The Rochester Knighthawks return home on Saturday, Feb. 11 to host the Saskatchewan Rush at 7:30 p.m. at Connors & Ferris Field at the Blue Cross Arena. The game is the second and final meeting between the two teams.
Kids Day: The Knighthawks will hold their Annual Kids Day, which features inflatables, laser tag, face painters, balloon animals and air brush tattoos. Admission to the pregame event, which starts at 4:00 p.m., and the game are free for kids 12 and under with the purchase of an adult ticket. The offer is limited to three kids tickets for every adult ticket purchased. Fans must have a ticket to enter.
Broadcast Info: The game will be broadcast on 107.3 The Bull and is available on the iHeartRadio app. Fans can also watch the contest on NLL TV (nlltv.com).
Scouting the Knighthawks: Rochester ended its three-game road trip on Feb. 3 with a visit to Mohegan Sun Arena. The Knighthawks rallied to force overtime, but fell 10-9 to the New England Black Wolves. Rochester scored six of the last seven goals of regulation, which included Joe Resetarits’ tally with 39 seconds to play, to send the game into the extra session. He finished the game with four points, while Stephen Keogh led the way with five. Dan Dawson, Kyle Jackson and Cory Vitarelli also chipped in three points each. Matt Vinc was outstanding in goal again, making 47 saves. Two Knighthawks reached milestones as Paul Dawson played in his 150th game as a Knighthawk, and Jarrett Davis appeared in his 100th as a pro.
Rookie Leaders: Rochester has three of the top point-producing rookies in the National Lacrosse League this season. Kyle Jackson is second among first-year players with 20 points, which leads the Knighthawks. Josh Currier is third with 17 points, while Dan Lomas is tied for fourth with 12.
Goaltending Duel: The contest features two of the top goalies in the NLL in Matt Vinc and Aaron Bold. Rochester’s Matt Vinc, who has made 96 saves over the past two games, is second in the league with a 10.79 goals-against average. Saskatchewan’s Aaron Bold is a close third with an 11.00 goals-against average. Vinc is also tied for first with a .798 save percentage, while Bold’s .785 is fourth in the league.
Milestone Alert:
• Sid Smith, who has played in 113 games, trails Knighthawks head coach Mike Hasen by one game for seventh best on the team’s all-time games played list.
• Dan Dawson (353) is just two points away from passing Duane Jacobs for sixth all-time in team history.
• The Knighthawks are only five wins away from reaching the 200-win plateau as a franchise.
Scouting the Rush: After starting the season 0-2, the Rush have returned to form and won three straight games. Last week, Saskatchewan defeated the Calgary Roughnecks, 15-11, to move into a tie for first place in the West Division. Mark Matthews enters the game in fourth place in the NLL with 36 points.
Brother against Brother: RIT products and brothers Graeme and Matt Hossack could go head-to-head Saturday. Graeme is in his second season with the Knighthawks, while Matt is in his rookie season with the Rush. Graeme has established himself as one of the league’s premier defensemen. Meanwhile, Matt made his professional debut last Saturday and scored his first NLL goal.
Knighthawks Next Game: Rochester remains at home to battle the rival Toronto Rock for the third and final time this season on Saturday, Feb. 18. The season series is tied at one win apiece, with Rochester winning the last meeting, 9-8 on Jan. 28.