Rochester holds off the Georgia Storm, 12-10, to gain the franchise’s initial NLL playoff spot.
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — The Rochester Knighthawks (10-7) outscored the Georgia Swarm (8-9) 6-2 over the final 16 minutes of regulation on their way to a 12-10 win Saturday at Segar & Sciortino Field at the Blue Cross Arena.
By picking up their 10th win of the season, the Knighthawks officially secured a berth in the NLL playoffs for the first time in franchise history and snapped a season-long four-game winless streak.
Connor Fields paced the Knighthawks offense, factoring in on five of Rochester’s 12 goals. The forward scored a pair of goals to go with three assists to lead the team for the 14th time in his last 16 games. Fields became just the second American-born player in league history to score 50 goals in a season, joining Roy Colsey who reached the mark in 2001.
Additionally, by adding a team-high 15 loose ball recoveries, he’s the first player since Athan Iannucci in 2008 to record more than 100 points and 130 loose ball recoveries in the same reason. The only other player in NLL history to reach both those marks in a single season was John Tavares.
Fields also tallied his 16th consecutive multi-goal game and has recorded at least one point in 46 of his 48 games of his NLL career, dating back to his rookie season in 2019-20.
Matt Gilray (2+2), Ryan Smith (1+3) and Austin Hasen (0+4) all notched four points each while Turner Evans and Thomas Hoggarth each two goals for a multi-goal outing. Curtis Knight, Holden Cattoni and Paul Dawson each added one goal while Cattoni and Ethan Schott were credited with one assist to round out the scoring.
Knighthawks netminder Rylan Hartley (10-7) made his 17th consecutive start between the pipes, stopping 46 shots to earn the win. Hartley had double digits in saves in each quarter, including 14 in the third frame.
Shayne Jackson (2+3), Bryan Cole (1+3) and Zach Miller (0+3) all finished with multi-point efforts while Lyle Thompson (2+1), Brendan Bomberry (2+1) and Ryan Lanchbury (2+0) added two-goal outings. Jeremy Thompson (1+1) totaled two points before Adam Wiedemann, Karson Tarbell and TJ Comizio completed the scoring by chipping in an assist.
Goaltender Brett Dobson (8-6) made 32 saves in his 17th appearance of the campaign but suffered the defeat.
After allowing Georgia to take an 8-6 lead with a pair of tallies in six seconds, Rochester answered back with a four-goal run to grab a two-goal lead with just over two minutes left in the third quarter.
During the Knighthawks stretch of four goals in 8:09, four different players scored and six logged an assist.
The Swarm cut into the deficit on Lanchbury’s goal as Georgia was in-transition to close out the third quarter.
To start the final frame, both Ed Comeau and Mike Hasen used a successful challenge to keep the game a one-goal contest.
Near the midway point of the quarter, Cattoni and Hasen provided the Knighthawks with an extra-possession as they each grabbed a loose ball in the offensive zone. The duo then helped set up Evans in the middle of the zone and the forward netted an insurance marker to give Rochester an 11-9 advantage with under nine minutes to play.
Georgia attempted to make it a one-goal score in the final minute by pulling Dobson, but seconds after Hartley stonewalled a Swarm player on the goal-mouth, Gilray scored into the vacant net.
Bomberry scored with nine seconds left, but it was too little, too late as Rochester held on for the 12-10 victory.
In the opening quarter, Georgia had the first goal of the game as Cole buried Miller’s pass from just inside the restraining line at the 5:12 mark.
The Knighthawks used a three-goal run by Hoggarth, Evans, and Dawson to take a 3-1 lead after the first 15 minutes of play.
Following the break, the two clubs exchanged a pair of goals before the Swarm erupted for the game’s next five goals, taking an 8-6 cushion.
Despite seeing its lead evaporate in the first two minutes of the fourth quarter, the Knighthawks countered back to score six of the next eight goals to earn the 12-10 win.
The playoff-bound Knighthawks will close out their regular season on Saturday, Apr. 29 when they host the Philadelphia Wings for the third and final meeting of the season. The 7 p.m. face-off at Segar Sciortino Field at the Blue Cross Arena.