The Rochester Knighthawks (8-7) followed the playbook from their win in Las Vegas a week prior, dominating from start to finish on their way to dominating 18-8 win in over the Ottawa Black Bears (5-7) in their inaugural visit to Canadian Tire Centre Saturday afternoon.
A week after putting up 11 points in the win over Vegas, Connor Fields nearly duplicated the effort, becoming the just the first American-born player in NLL history to post three consecutive 100-point seasons thanks to a five-goal, 10-point showing. Fields, who reclaimed the NLL scoring lead, also finished with 19 shots on goal, coming up just two short of his own single-game franchise record.
Ryan Lanchbury (1+7) finished the day second in scoring for the Knighthawks, with Ryan Smith (2+4) and Kyle Waters (2+3) not far behind.
Additionally, Thomas McConvey, Graydon Hogg, and Chad Tutton each scored twice, while Josh Medeiros and Matt Gilray also found the back of the net. Tyler Biles, along with rookie Jake Piseno, each posted assists.
Rylan Hartley was masterful in goal, making 49 saves to secure the win for Rochester, which has now four straight and five of it last six games since Feb. 1.
The Knighthawks tied their second-highest output from a game this season at 18, doing so against an Ottawa team that entered the contest allowing the fewest goals against in the NLL. The 10-goal differential also set a new mark for the largest margin of victory in team history. The win pushes the Knighthawks above .500 for the first time all season as the team continues yielding a playoff spot in the league’s unified standings.
FIRST QUARTER
Rochester pushed up the floor in transition less than two minutes into the contest after picking the ball off in its defensive zone. On the rush, Gilray raced into the attacking end of the floor before threading the ball by Ottawa’s Zach Higgins for the 1-0 lead on his sixth goal of the season.
Jeff Teat responded under a minute later for the Black Bears, flicking his shot past Hartley to quickly even the score. Travis Longboat followed with a bouncer that went underneath Hartley to get Ottawa its first lead of the contest.
With a delayed penalty coming, the ‘Hawks punched back during six-on-five play. Fields hovered atop the zone before throttling a shot to the top right corner of the goal for his 34th of the season. Seconds later, Waters took advantage of a loose ball, with he and Smith hounding Higgins at the front of the net while avoiding the crease. A rebound off Smith’s shot rattled off the end boards and back into the hands of Waters, solving a dispositioned Higgins for the 3-2 edge.
EFFORTLESS! Kyle Waters makes this behind-the-net dunk look SO casual 😎@RocKnighthawks pic.twitter.com/H4cMpnlIw4
— NLL (@NLL) March 15, 2025
The run continued with Fields finding his second of the game, followed quickly by Waters also getting his second in highlight fashion. The heavyweight forward collected a pass from behind the goal, then dove through the air to swing the ball in front and into the back of the goal.
McConvey reached the quarter-century mark for goals late in the quarter at the side of the net, going over the shoulder of Higgins, before Fields then completed his first-quarter hat trick for his 36th goal of the season, slamming the ball past Higgins with 1:28 to play.
The goal was a milestone marker for Fields, who reached triple digits in points on the season, making Fields, an East Amherst, New York native, the first American-born player in NLL history to have three consecutive 100-point seasons. He’s also just the second player ever to have a trio of 100-point seasons, joining Buffalo’s Dhane Smith, who hit the mark in 2022, 2023, and again in 2024.
Ottawa managed to score with 3.9 seconds remaining to end the six-goal run from the Knighthawks, who carried a 7-3 lead into the second quarter.
Connor Fields’ hat trick goal is also his 100TH POINT of the season!
This is Fields’ 3rd straight season to hit the century mark.@RocKnighthawks pic.twitter.com/ZYfcYoa8yf
— NLL (@NLL) March 15, 2025
SECOND QUARTER
A new quarter began a new run for the Knighthawks, with Smith finding the net for his first of the game in the first minute of the new frame, followed by a shorthanded goal from Tutton, who leaped through the air during an odd-man rush, dropping the ball over top of Higgins, who was down to his knees on the play.
In-between those goals were multiple sprawling saves from Hartley, including a post-to-post on a stop against Teat at the net-front.
🆙 and OVER for Chad Tutton on the transition run!@RocKnighthawks pic.twitter.com/PlEja08B0k
— NLL (@NLL) March 15, 2025
Smith continued the run, making it 10-3 on his 38th goal of the season, deking through a collection of Black Bears while curling to the front of the net. The goal, like Fields’, was a milestone marker for Smith as the fourth-year Knighthawks reached 300 professional points.
He and Tutton played tag with goals again, as the latter chased Higgins out of goal for Ottawa while subsequently building the Knighthawks an eight-goal lead. Hogg solved new Ottawa netminder Cameron Dunkerley, shoveling the ball by for the 12-3 advantage and building Rochester’s run to five unanswered in the quarter.
Highway robbery from Rylan Hartley on Larson Sundown’s dunk attempt! pic.twitter.com/BibeVh7v4Y
— NLL (@NLL) March 15, 2025
Fields then swatted his fourth goal of the night through on a studder-step move on the line of the offensive zone. In doing so, Fields evaded pressure from Ottawa’s defense and blasted it through for Rochester’s second six-goal run of the game.
McConvey would go on to extend the run to seven, but Teat ended the dry spell for Ottawa with their fourth goal of the game and first in nearly 13 minutes for the Black Bears. With that, the ‘Hawks entered half up by 10 with a 14-4 lead.
Graydon Hogg goes HORITZONAL for the goal 👌@RocKnighthawks keep rollin’ in the 3rd.
💻 ESPN+ (https://t.co/JbGiJFIjFK), TSN+, NLL+ pic.twitter.com/XK8Alet6Eb
— NLL (@NLL) March 15, 2025
THIRD QUARTER
The second half began with Hogg’s second of the day after a scoreless opening five minutes of the game.
Ottawa’s Larson Sundown went shortside on Hartley in response to Hogg’s goal. Sundown would score again, walking down the center of the floor for a shot that found the top right corner of the goal, decreasing Ottawa’s deficit to single digits.
After scoring twice, Hogg put his helping hands to work with a feed to Medeiros, who crashed the net to thread the ball in-between the legs of Higgins, who returned to the goal for Ottawa, putting the ‘Hawks back up by 10 entering the fourth.
Dirty pass, dirty finish 🤮 Hogg & Medeiros connect for @RocKnighthawks‘ 16th goal of the game. pic.twitter.com/5xrkjoKXjb
— NLL (@NLL) March 15, 2025
FOURTH QUARTER
Sundown completed the hat trick by getting Ottawa its seventh goal of the game to start the fourth quarter.
After dishing six assists, Lanchbury got in on the scoring while the ‘Hawks were on a two-man advantage. During the power-play sequence, Fields continued to head fake a pair of Black Bears until they finally bit, opening a passing lane for Fields to find Lanchbury positioned at the side of the net for Rochester’s 17th goal of the game, marking the third time this season that the Knighthawks have scored more than 16 goals and doing so for a second week in a row.
Fields again hurled a shot through from distance, stepping in from the deep slot to score his fifth goal of the game past the midway point of the quarter.
Ottawa got the final goal of the game, but a strong 60 minutes from Rochester got the team through Ottawa with ease for the 18-8 final.
With his third goal of the game and fifth point overall, @RocKnighthawks forward Connor Fields becomes the first American-born player in @NLL history to record three straight 100-point seasons. pic.twitter.com/8JQwp4wZW4
— Knighthawks PR (@KnighthawksPR) March 15, 2025
UP NEXT
The Knighthawks will play the remainder of their regular season slate back home at Segar & Sciortino Field at The Blue Cross Arena. Following a bye week, the three-game homestand opens on Saturday, March 29 as the San Diego Seals make their inaugural visit to Rochester for a 7:00 p.m. showdown with playoff implications likely in play. The matchup will be carried live on Big 107.3 FM and ESPN+ in addition to being available to viewers on NLL+, a free direct-to-consumer streaming platform which provides instant global access to every game as well as increased access to highlights, full game replays and exclusive league content.
