Compiled by Craig Potter
Today’s SportsROC Report includes stories on the Rochester Red Wings come-from-behind win to end a 3-game skid, the Buffalo Bills potential kick returners, the Western New York Flash preview of their game at Frontier Field Saturday, the Rochester Rattlers who will play in the MLL All-Star game Saturday, and a look at 2 Buffalo Sabres hopefuls in their Development Camp.
The Rochester Red Wings snapped a 3-game losing with a come-from-behind 8-7 victory over the Lehigh Valley IronPigs on Thursday night in Allentown.
Trailing 4-1 in the fourth, Jorge Polanco drew a walk, then scampered home on Adam Brett Walker‘s double to cut the deficit in half.
Rochester pulled to within a run in the fifth after Wilfredo Tovar drew a 1-out walk, stole second, took third on an error, and raced home on Darin Mastroianni‘s single.
The IronPigs upped the lead to 7-4 in the bottom of the inning, chasing Red Wings starter Pat Dean with 2 homers for 3 runs. D.J.Baxendale came on to retire the side. He ended up getting credit for the win (2-0).
The Wings erupted for 4 runs in the sixth to knot the count at 7-7. Doubles by Daniel Palka, Walker, and Logan Schafer accounted for 2 runs. With the bases loaded, a walk to Mastroianni force home Schafer, then a wild pitch plated John Ryan Murphy with the tying run.
Rochester took its first lead of the game in the seventh when rookie slugger Palka smacked his second solo home run of the game.
In a roster move on Thursday, OF Daniel Palka was transferred from Double-A Chattanooga, and to make room for him RHP David Martinez was released. Palka (24, 6-foot-2, 220 lbs.) made his appearance known when he led off the second inning with a home run over the fence in right-center field. He added a second solo blast in about the same spot in the seventh to put the Wings ahead for the first time. Palka belted 21 homers for Chattanooga this season, which is why he was added to the Red Wings roster.
Rochester (51-38) leap-frogged over Lehigh Valley (50-38) into second place in the North Division, and also picked up a game on division leader Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (54-34) as the Wings trail the Yankees by 3.5 games.
The Red Wings open a 3-game series in Scranton on Friday night, before heading into the 3-day all-star break on Monday.
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From buffalobills.com, Special teams are the forgotten art in football. Its impact can win or lose the game. There are the game-winning field goals or the possible game-losing mistakes like bobbled punt returns. In the return game it’s vital to have that athlete who can catch the vertically spinning ball and make the most yards to benefit the offense.
Going into the 2016 season, Buffalo has no designated returner. Last year, Leodis McKelvin and Percy Harvin were the primary guys, however, both are no longer with the team. Now it’s up to Rex Ryan and special teams coordinator Danny Crossman to decide who will play the pivotal role in kick starting the offensive unit.
So far into the offseason, the Bills have placed wide receivers Marquise Goodwin and Walter Powell, cornerback Javier Arenas and running back Mike Gillislee under the kick. Each of which, bring explosive speed, agility and playmaking ability, but have different qualities.
Javier Arenas
The six-year pro has seen plenty of punts and kickoffs in his day. Arenas tallied up 106 punt returns, adding up to 1,035 yards returned, and 73 kickoff returns, for 1,541 yards. The former second-round pick did not have elite speed coming out of college. He relies on elusiveness. Arenas has a lot of competition when it comes to being a cornerback. His roster spot becomes much more attainable with his ability as a return man. Yet, there is no shortage of competition there.
Marquise Goodwin
In recent weeks, Goodwin had been making headlines in the local market for the Olympics in Rio. But having fallen short of qualifying for the Olympic team in the long jump, he’ll be at camp competing for a kick return role right from the start. Still a young player at 25, he can still pull away from coverage players in the open field. There’s always security when it comes to Goodwin in the return game. In his three years with the Bills and 24 total games played, he returned 22 kicks and has not fumbled once. With his stern grip, he has proven over that time he can handle the ball.
Walter Powell
Powell isn’t a household name in western New York. He hasn’t found a home in the NFL just yet. Buffalo is his third team he’s been to in as many years. After joining the Bills late in 2015, he was the returner after losing others to injury. It was a small sample size of two games and seeing four returns, one punt, three kickoffs, but his averages showed potential. In the three kickoff returns, he averaged 25.7 yards and has proven he has the eyes to see the hole and the feet to match. With Powell, he has a difficult uphill climb for a roster spot with the Bills. Powell and 12 others are competing for those selective five to seven wide outs, and like Arenas, his may come by way of special teams.
Mike Gillislee
Last but not least is Mike Gillislee. Gillislee has that enigma feel to him. Buffalo went into last season with security in knowing Lesean McCoy is the starter and Karlos Williams is the backup. But then injury struck One Bills Drive, like many other NFL teams. The enigma comes through the sudden shock and awe. In just five games, one started, he ran 47 times for 267 yards, averaging 5.7 yards. Stellar stats that only put into question, ‘Can he fit into the healthy Bills roster?’ Now as a possible return man, he has become multiverse. It adds to Gillislee’s resume as a football player and if he can find holes within the short two seconds from snapping the ball to getting the handoff, who says he can’t find the gap after catching a punt?
It’s a deep field of prospects, some with NFL experience and some with return potential. Weeding it out figures to happen when each of these candidates get their shot in the preseason.
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Four Rochester Rattlers were named to the Major League Lacrosse (MLL) All-Star team for the 2016 game that will be played on July 9 in Orange County, CA.
Goalie John Galloway, defender Joel White, attack Ned Crotty, and midfielder and Penfield native Kyle Denhoff will be playing in the game starting at 7 p.m. (EST) on CBS Sports Network.
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The Western New York Flash (7-4-0) will hope that their offensive success carries over to Frontier Field on Saturday at 7 p.m. as they play host to Seattle Reign FC (4-3-4). It marks the return of soccer to the stadium for the first time since 2005.
The Flash have not played Seattle yet this season, but will play them twice in two weeks as the Flash will travel out west next week for the second half of a home-and-home series.
The Flash have been firing on all cylinders on offense, scoring nine goals in the past two games. Forward Jessica McDonald followed up a four-point game against Boston with two assists in the 2-0 win over Chicago. Fellow forward Lynn Williams scored her sixth goal of the year, moving her to the top of the league in goals scored, and newcomer Lianne Sanderson scored her first goal just 37 minutes into her first start with the Flash. Katelyn Rowland got her second win of the season in net after making four saves and recording a clean sheet.
Seattle enters the match on the heels of a 2-0 home victory over Boston in Week 11. Nahomi “Naho” Kawasumi scored a brace in her return to the team. Haley Kopmeyer replaced Hope Solo in net for Seattle, as Solo left to join the United States National Team for training in Colorado. Kopmeyer made three saves in the win.
After 11 matches, the Flash are in sole possession of second place in the NWSL table with 21 points, sitting five points behind undefeated first-place Portland Thorns FC. Seattle sits in fifth place with 16 points, but can make a move into fourth with a win and a Chicago loss or tie.
This year marks the 20th anniversary of the first soccer game played at Frontier Field. To commemorate this, Rochester soccer legends will be honorary captains pre-game, will do the coin toss, and will be part of a special Q&A at halftime hosted by Jeff DiVeronica of the Democrat & Chronicle. Guests include Frank DuRoss (original Rhinos owner), Steve Donner (original Rhinos owner), “Soccer Sam” Fantauzzo, Doug Miller (leading goal scorer in Rhino history), Craig Demmin, Mike Kirmse, Yuri Lavrynenko, and Tommy Tanner (former Rhinos Captain).
The match kicks off at 7 p.m. at Frontier Field. The first 500 fans in attendance will receive a free soccer pack courtesy of RTS, and there will be post-game fireworks for all in attendance. Tickets are available at wnyflash.com/tickets and a live stream of the match will be available on youtube.com/NWSL
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From sabres.com, A pair of defensemen are looking to prove themselves at this year’s camp: fifth-round pick Devante Stephens and seventh-round pick Ivan Chukarov.
Stephens concluded his second season with the Kelowna Rockets of the Western Hockey League having scored 11 points (2+9) in 72 games. One year after helping the Rockets to a WHL championship, he played 18 playoffs games as Kelowna advanced to the league semifinals.
“He’s a nice big body and moves pretty well for a big body,” said Sabres assistant coach Bob Woods, who coaches in the WHL for the past two seasons. “Probably just working on his passing and his puck skills as most young guys do and once he gets that ironed out I think he has a chance to be a real good player.”
Chukarov, meanwhile, concluded his first season at the University of Massachusetts after spending the prior two seasons in the North American Hockey League. He played in all 36 games for UMASS and said that the step up in competition had him better prepared for the rigorous practices at development camp.
“Going from the North American League to Hockey East is a big jump, but I feel like playing in every game allowed me to really improve my game a lot and develop my high-speed intensity and feel a lot more comfortable,” he said. “I’m able to keep up pretty good.”
As a late-round pick, Chukarov says he’s placed an added emphasis on taking complete advantage of the opportunities in front of him this week.
“I feel like I’m kind of in the shadows here so I feel like by coming here and making a big impact maybe I can jump out a little bit and show what I can do,” he said. “I’m just here to learn, try to soak in as much as I can and improve as much as I can as well.”