Rochester cuts 9 players as more roster moves will come by Friday.
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — The Rochester Knighthawks announced that they have released 9 players from their training camp roster. The team’s roster trim included the releasing of Andrew Suitor, Jordan Dance, Wayne Van Every, Craig Wende, Brock Farmer, Cody Ward, Chad Levick, Logan Holmes, and Trevor Stacey.
Suitor, Dance, and Van Every all played for the Knighthawks last season. The veteran of the group is Suitor, who appeared in 12 games last season and collected three points (1+2) and 43 loose balls. In 2017, the 28-year-old was honored as the Knighthawks Wolf Pack Award winner, which honors dedication and commitment to the team.
The Orangeville, Ontario native was acquired on Aug. 15, 2016 from the New England Black Wolves. In seven seasons in the National Lacrosse League, the transition man has posted 45 goals and 40 assists, and scooped up 520 loose balls. He spent parts of five seasons with Minnesota and two with New England. In 2017, Suitor arrived in Rochester and the former NLL Transition Player of the Year had a big impact with the Knighthawks.
“‘Suits’ is a class act; he gave us 100 percent every time he stepped on the floor,” said Knighthawks head coach Mike Hasen. “He’s a great player and a great teammate, and makes everyone around him better.”
Dance appeared in three games in his rookie campaign and collected three assists, while Van Every contributed two goals and three assists in his first four games as a pro.
The Knighthawks will make several more moves before Friday’s NLL roster cut down day. The training camp has been one of the most competitive camps in recent years, which has created some tough decisions for the Knighthawks’ lacrosse staff.
“There were not many penned-in names,” said Hasen after this weekend’s games. “There were a lot of little battles we needed to see. A lot of credit goes to the guys because they came in here, competed and tried to earn those spots. The guys who move forward earned those spots.”