(Rochester, NY)… The Rochester Knighthawks topped the Buffalo Bandits 12-9 Saturday night in front of a record crowd at Segar & Sciortino Field at The Blue Cross Arena.
Coming off a Friday night win over the Philadelphia Wings, the Knighthawks had a tall task. They had to go home and host the defending champs with less than 24 hours of rest. The Rochester Knighthawks delivered.
“We were able to build off of what we did last night, our sticks were sharp, our feet were well adjusted, and we were ready,” said Knighthawks head coach Mike Hasen. “Any time Buffalo comes in here, the building gets really loud, there’s a lot of orange. It’s nice to really watch them go home early here tonight. It’s been a while.”
Before Saturday, the Knighthawks were 1-8 in the regular season against the Bandits. There is one very big difference between those Knighthawks teams and this on – Zed Williams. He closed out the first quarter with a natural hat trick, and the Knighthawks never looked back.
He connected from the inside and the outside. The most impressive was a long shot from near the restraining line that he sent five-hole on Bandits’ goalie Matt Vinc to give them their first lead of the night. After he scored his third, the Knighthawks never allowed Buffalo to make it closer than two.
The Knighthawks were led by a seven-point effort from Thomas McConvey (3+4). His second-half hat trick was instrumental to the Knighthawks holding their lead. Williams (3+2) was just behind him with a first-quarter hat trick. Connor Fields posted his 400th point as a Knighthawk on William’s first goal and added another two goals and two assists for a five-point tally. Ryan Smith (2+3) also notched five points while Ryan Lanchbury added three (1+2).
Rylan Hartley got the start in goal, making 42 saves, with 13 coming in the fourth quarter to earn the Knighthawks their second-ever win against Buffalo.
Both teams found their footing on the power play, but after five minutes, tied at one, the feeling-out process was over. Williams scored his first goal just eight minutes in, and then scored the third five minutes later.
“You can feel it in the locker room when you’re on the road, everyone has a real, genuine care, and it’s been nothing but love and compassion. You need that in the sport of lacrosse,” Zed said about playing back-to-back games. “I’ve always felt good after a back-to-back. I don’t know why, but I’ve always felt like my legs were underneath me.”
Williams didn’t create the only three-goal run of the half, though. Kyle Waters scored an absolute beauty with a catch-and-shoot shovel shot on the crease from Lanchbury, who scored the next one himself down low. Smith capped off the run with a big swing in transition. He shot out the front door and caught a pass from Jake Piseno in stride to make it 7-3.
The third was all Rochester as it scored the quarters’ only goal, as McConvey scored his first of three goals. The Knighthawks shut out the Bandits in the frame, and Hartley only had to make eight saves.
Smith opened the fourth with a quick goal 24 seconds in. He sent a missile over Vinc’s left shoulder from outside and once again gave Rochester a four-goal cushion. McConvey scored two more late. The first was the game-winner, creating his own space for the shot. He gave Rochester the four-goal cushion back, 11-7, and they were able to hold on.
“We got seven, eight, or nine great O-guys up there, so defenses are kind of in a bind with who to stop,” McConvey said about his scoring chances in the fourth. “It’s just being opportunistic. If they try to take something away, someone’s going to be open. Whoever it is, we’ve got their back.”
The Knighthawks went 2-0 on a back-to-back weekend for only the second time in franchise history, but never against an opponent that matched up to the NLL champion Bandits. With the win, Rochester moves to 4-1 and sits second in the league’s standings.
They now turn their focus to the Toronto Rock, who they host on Saturday, Jan. 17 at 7 p.m. at Segar & Sciortino Field.