By CRAIG POTTER
Rochester rookie Josh Currier ties the game with 2.1 seconds to play to force the extra period.
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — The Rochester Knighthawks kept their slim National Lacrosse League playoff hopes alive with a 9-8 overtime victory over the Buffalo Bandits on Saturday afternoon at Connors & Ferris Field at the Blue Cross Arena before 6,102 fans. The teams were playing less than 15 hours after their match ended on Friday night at the KeyBank Center with the Bandits prevailing 13-9.
“It was an entertaining game to say the least,” said Knighthawks head coach Mike Hasen. “It was tight the whole way through and it was finally nice to be on the right side of things. To get that win and to do it at home was a great feeling.”
Rochester veteran Dan Dawson scored 1:02 into the extra period for the game-winner, off assists from rookies Kyle Jackson and Dan Lomas.
“It was kind of a blind shot that ended up going in,” said Dawson, who also contributed 4 assists in the game after leading Rochester with 7 points the previous night.
The overtime period was made possible when defender Graeme Hossack scooped up a loose ball that Rochester Ratter Dhane Smith lost on a check by defenseman Scott Campbell, along the side boards following a Buffalo timeout with 18 seconds left to play and the Bandits in possession. Hossack passed the ball to rookie Josh Currier, who broke in alone on goalie Davide Deruscio and beat him for a power play goal with 2.1 seconds showing on the clock to knot the contest at 8-8.
“At this point they’re not rookies anymore,” said Dawson. “There’s no one else coming in and (they’re) here and got some games under their belts. Josh showed such character and poise and there with two defenders on him. He could really be our best player.”
Smith, once again, tallied 7 points (3g + 4a) to pace the Bandits, as he equaled his output from Friday night, but Buffalo came up a goal shy on this night.
The game seesawed the entire way with 6 ties and 4 lead changes.
Knighthawks goalie Matt Vinc recorded 44 saves, many of the spectacular variety, including a couple of breakaways, to keep Rochester in the game. He blanked the Bandits in the first quarter and turned aside the first 17 shots he faced.
“That’s my job,” said Vinc. “I made a couple saves early and it’s a lot easier to settle in when we’ve established a little lead and that’s what we did there.
“We talked in the locker room before and just had everyone buy in.”
The victory keeps Rochester’s slim playoff hopes alive with a 4-7 record for fifth place in the Eastern Conference. Buffalo dropped to 4-6.
*NOTES – The Rochester media was informed that NLL Commissioner Nick Sakiewicz would be at the game and available for interviews at halftime. However, when halftime arrived, Sakiewicz instead was interviewed on Buffalo radio station WGR, and this was AFTER he was IN Buffalo on Friday night for that game between the Knighthawks and Bandits. Could he not have held his interview on WGR then? He was in Rochester yet did NOT interview with the Rochester media, so therefore we are unable to give the public any sort of update as to what is going on with the NLL at this time…The game was the 250th for Dan Dawson…Matt Vinc moved past Knighthawks Hall of Famer Jeremy Hollenbeck for 9th place on the team’s all-time number of games played with 113. He also surpassed the 4,000-save plateau as a Knighthawk with the 46 saves in made against the Bandits on Friday night in Buffalo…Joe Resetarits extended his team-high point streak to 11 games with 2 goals and 1 assist…In roster moves, the Knighthawks activated Scott Campbell on Friday and placed Wayne Van Every on the practice squad, and on Saturday the Hawks activated defenseman John Rae and moved Quinn Powless to the practice squad…Former Knighthawk Brad Self picked up 2 assists on Saturday to go with the 6 points he earned on Friday against his former teammates in earning a split in the games…The Knighthawks next game is March 17 in Connecticut against the New England Black Wolves. The Hawks return to the BCA on March 25 against the Buffalo Bandits at 7:30 pm.
Links
Rochester Knighthawks – www.knighthawks.com
Videos
Dan Dawson OT goal – https://youtu.be/89nQdsiP3tA
Cory Vitarelli 5-3 pp goal – https://youtu.be/SSY0IzPIm48
Matt Vinc save on PK – https://youtu.be/oIVGnqqFjxA
Joe Resetarits pp 3-2 goal – https://youtu.be/9nmgMKjv5_o
Kyle Jackson pp 4-4 goal – https://youtu.be/o-j9eYHdX3M
Brad Gillies breakaway goal – https://youtu.be/aNmICS0ixw4
Joe Resetarits 6-5 goal – https://youtu.be/uoeIcPT0eSA
Cory Vitarelli 7-7 tying goal – https://youtu.be/fGdk5lz9Dhs
Josh Currier 8-8 pp tying goal – https://youtu.be/4X7aZOxTwjs
Dan Dawson interview – https://youtu.be/YzuErP4CbCY
Matt Vinc interview – https://youtu.be/hIt2tOXSwHU
Mike Hasen interview – https://youtu.be/VWOFRpTDGrM