The Rochester Knighthawks (1-2) built a two-goal lead through 30 minutes, but failed to carry their momentum into the second half as they dropped a 10-7 final to the Vancouver Warriors Friday night at Rogers Arena.
Ryan Lanchbury (3+0) and Ryan Smith (3+0) carried the offense for Rochester, each scoring hat tricks. Josh Medeiros scored the other goal for the Knighthawks, while Turner Evans (0+1), Connor Fields (0+2), Thomas McConvey (0+3), Graydon Hogg (0+1), Brandon Slade (0+1), and Matt Gilray (0+1) all posted assists.
Goaltender Riley Hutchcraft made his third start of the season, stopping 46 of the 55 shots he faced. Aden Walsh played all 60 minutes for Vancouver, making 42 saves on 49 shots to secure the Warriors’ first win of the season.
FIRST QUARTER
Rochester opened the scoring on the road less than four minutes into the contest. In transition, Rochester newcomer Medeiros sprinted down the floor, hanging to the right side before blasting the ball past Walsh for the 1-0 lead. Keegan Bal would respond to even the game for the Warriors later in the frame, tying it at one apiece going into the second quarter.
First of the game ☑️
First as a ‘Hawk ☑️
AND shorthanded… ☑️Josh Medeiros’ night is off to a GREAT start in Vancouver! pic.twitter.com/uI8wAMaVAP
— Rochester Knighthawks (@RocKnighthawks) December 14, 2024
SECOND QUARTER
The Knighthawks scored three of the four combined goals in the second, starting with a power-play conversion from Smith just 27 seconds in. Smith would go on to record his second hat trick of the season and leads the Knighthawks with eight goals to start the 2024-25 campaign. Lanchbury doubled Rochester’s lead when the second-year ‘Hawk studder-stepped at the center of the attacking zone, then hammered a shot through traffic and into the back of the net.
Bal would net his second of the contest from the left side, moving his feet to shrug off Rochester’s defense before solving Hutchcraft with a shot, but Lanchbury responded just over two minutes later midway through the quarter with his second of the contest, eventually sending Rochester to halftime with a 4-2 edge.
THIRD QUARTER
The back-and-forth affair continued early the third quarter. After Vancouver netted a power-play tally under 90 seconds into the frame, Smith lugged the ball into the attacking zone, then powered his way through the defense for his second of the night. Each of Smith’s three goals came on the man-advantage, which Rochester went 3-for-6 on for the night.
Owen Grant put Vancouver back within a goal off an interception where he was sprung for a breakaway to beat Hutchcraft five minutes into the quarter. Grant’s goal was part of a six-goal third that made the difference in Friday’s game.
Bal completed his hat trick with one of four power-play goals scored by Vancouver, before Kevin Crowley and Josh Cornwall scored 44 seconds apart in the final five minutes of the frame to get Vancouver its first lead of the night.
Smith would complete his hat trick with a goal jammed in at the net front with 3:18 to play in the quarter, tying the game, 7-7, before Jonathan Peshko scored in the final minute to put the Warriors back on top for the remainder of the contest.
Ryan Smith posted a 🧢 hat trick 🧢 for @RocKnighthawks in a 10-7 loss to Vancouver on Friday night.
Check out his clips here ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/hmq2MbyD2l
— NLL (@NLL) December 14, 2024
FOURTH QUARTER
Reid Bowering and Cornwall scored the only goals of the fourth, with Cornwall’s coming in the final seconds on an empty net to conclude a three-goal run allowing Vancouver to rally past Rochester.
UP NEXT
The Knighthawks return home to Segar and Sciortino Field at the Blue Cross Arena Saturday, Dec. 21 for a 7:00 p.m. contest as they host the Saskatchewan Rush. The game marks the first of two meetings between the teams this season and will be carried live on Big 107.3 FM as well as ESPN + and NLL+.
