TONIGHT’S GAME OVERVIEW
Coming off arguably one of their most dominant wins in franchise history, the Rochester Knighthawks (4-6) look to continue their climb up the NLL standings tonight when they host the red-hot Albany FireWolves (10-2) in the front end of a home-and-home series at Segar & Sciortino Field at The Blue Cross Arena. Fans can tune in live on Big 107.3 FM and ESPN+ with coverage beginning at 7 p.m.
SEASON SERIES SNAPSHOT
The matchup marks the first of two meetings in as many weeks between the intrastate rivals, who after getting reacquainted tonight, will exchange pleasantries again next Saturday in New York State’s Capital District. Rochester and Albany split the 2022-23 season series with each team winning on the road and the FireWolves prevailing in the most recent get-together between the two teams back on April 8 of last season. It was Rochester’s first loss against Albany after winning three straight over the FireWolves dating back to the 2021-22 season. The Knighthawks outscored their cross-town foes 45-33 in that span, including 16-7 in the inaugural meeting, and have scored at least 12 goals in each of the four games against Albany, the most against any single opponent in Rochester’s near four-year history. While the Knighthawks return home having struggled as of late, the FireWolves, meanwhile, are enjoying their best season in franchise history. On the heels of last night’s win over Vancouver, Albany has won four straight and became just the second team this season behind only league-leading Toronto to reach 10 wins, the most since relocating to Upstate New York. The Knighthawks, who have dropped each of their last three home contests, also go up against an Albany team that remains unbeaten on the road. The FireWolves, who again join the Rock as the only two teams to have unblemished records in enemy territory, have outscored the opposition 63-48 through their first five road matchups, the most recent being a 13-10 win over the defending NLL champion Buffalo Bandits to close out the month of February.
REWRITING THE RECORD BOOK IN PANTHER CITY
It was a record-setting night on several occasions for the Knighthawks, who put together their finest offensive performance of the season on their way to a 19-15 win over the Panther City Lacrosse Club this past Sunday afternoon at Dickies Arena. The win, which improved Rochester to 2-0 all-time against Panther City, snapped a six-game winless skid after opening the year with three straight wins. Connor Fields, who came into the matchup with a team-best 60 points on the season, showcased his offensive prowess, factoring in on 14 of his team’s 19 goals while setting the single-game record for assists (11) and points (14). Fields, who finished two assists shy of tying the NLL’s single-game mark, also added seven loose ball recoveries and recorded a team-high 18 shots on goal as part of a franchise-best 73-shot night for Rochester. Thomas McConvey also posted a breakout performance, scoring a team-high six goals, the most in franchise history in a single game, while also adding an assist for seven points. The rookie forward opened and closed the scoring for Rochester, whose 19 goals tied the record for most in a game. In addition to Fields and McConvey having record-setting nights, Ryan Smith (3+4) also netted a three-goal game while Curtis Knight (2+4), Dan Lomas (2+3), and Kyle Waters (2+2) both added multi-goal performances. Face-off specialist Joe Post controlled the dot with 26 face-off wins, surpassing his own record (24) which he previously established earlier this season in Saskatchewan, while also establishing a new single-game mark with 18 loose ball recoveries.
McCONVEY NAMED TOP ROOKIE FOR WEEK 14
The National Lacrosse League announced earlier this week that Knighthawks forward Thomas McConvey was named the Gatorade Canada NLL Rookie of the Week for Week 14. The 22-year-old helped the Knighthawks get back in the win column in a big way, scoring a franchise-record six goals, including the game-winner, while adding an assist for seven points in the 19-15 win over Panther City on Sunday. It marked his second seven-point effort of the season and first since Jan. 13 against Buffalo. McConvey scored twice in the opening quarter before adding three in the final frame while recording 11 shots and six loose ball recoveries. A native of Toronto, Ontario, McConvey, who has recorded at least one point in all but two games this season, is tied for second amongst all NLL rookies in goals (20) and ranks third in points (34) through his first 10 games of the campaign. He also leads all rookies with five power-play goals and ranks third in power-play assists (9) and shots on goal (73). The 6-foot-4, 210-pound forward was selected first overall by Rochester in the 2022 National Lacrosse League Entry Draft.
SHOOTING GALLERY
Coming into this weekend, the Knighthawks currently rank eighth in the NLL in total shots for (835) but continue to pace the league in average shots per game (83.50). The only team averaging more than 80 shots per game, Rochester has outshot the opposition in eight of its first 10 games this season, including all but one game at home. The Knighthawks have also topped the 60-shot mark on four occasions, highlighted by a franchise-best 73 shots in last Sunday’s win at Panther City. Rochester is 3-5 this season when outshooting the opponent and 3-5 when finishing with 50 or more shots. Connor Fields set the franchise record for the most shots in a game with 21 in the 17-14 loss at San Diego on Dec. 29, besting the 18 he had against Calgary on Dec. 2. Only San Diego forward Austin Staats (155) has more shots on goal than Fields (151), who’s averaging just over 15 per game entering the second half of the season.
POST TAKES CENTER STAGE
Tonight’s matchup will also be a battle at the center dot as it features two of the NLL’s top four face-off specialists in Rochester’s Joe Post and Albany’s Joe Nardella. Post, a Canandaigua native, has been nearly unbeatable at the center dot this season, winning 189 face-offs on 302 attempts for a 62.6% success rate. His 189 wins, which as of last Sunday are a new single-season franchise record, rank fourth in the NLL while his 110 loose ball recoveries are also fourth-most. Post’s 26 face-off wins last week against Panther City set the new single-game mark, besting the 24 he had earlier this season in Saskatchewan. Dating back to his rookie season, Post, who played his collegiate lacrosse at nearby St. John Fisher University, has won 252-of-433 career face-off attempts, good for a 58.2% efficiency rate.
BIRDS OF A FEATHER FLOCK TOGETHER
After emerging as one of the most dynamic and productive scoring duos in the NLL a season ago, Connor Fields and Ryan Smith have again taken the league by storm in 2023-24. The forwards have combined for 60 goals and 138 points through Rochester’s first 10 games, making them the third-best point-producing twosome in the league. Only Buffalo’s Josh Byrne and Dhane Smith (149) and San Diego’s Wesley Berg and Austin Staats (144) have produced more points this season. After this weekend, they could potentially be the second pair of teammates (Berg and Staats) in the league to each have at least 30 goals and 70 points just beyond the halfway point of the season. In addition to leading the Knighthawks with 45 assists and 74 points, Fields continues to pace all NLL forwards with 88 loose ball recoveries. Coming into the weekend tied for third in overall scoring following his 14-point effort last Sunday against Panther City, Fields is inching closer to capturing his second straight 100-point season, a feat that only one other American-born player (Joe Resetarits) in NLL history has accomplished. Fields, who was named a Second Team All-League selection in 2022-23, has scored two goals or more in 26 of his 27 career games as a Knighthawk dating back to last season. Smith, meanwhile, leads the Knighthawks and is tied for fifth in the NLL with 31 goals. The third-year pro has scored three goals or more in eight of his first 10 appearances this season, including a career-high five against Buffalo back on Feb. 3. Smith, who was named to the NLL’s All-Rookie Team following the 2021-22 campaign, is one goal away from 100 and needs just two more points for 200 for his career.
SCOUTING THE FIREWOLVES
After winning just three games all last season and finishing in the basement of the Eastern Conference, the FireWolves have miraculously gone from worst to first as one of the NLL’s most formidable teams this season. Playing its second game of the weekend, Albany is off to its best start in franchise history, opening the season with six straight wins, duplicating the efforts of the Knighthawks last season, and makes its lone trip to Rochester riding a four-game win streak. Albany, whose only two losses have come in back-to-back games, have yet to be defeated on the road this season, outscoring the opposition 63-48 through its five road contests. Much of Albany’s first-half success can be easily attributed to the play of third-year goaltender Doug Jamieson, who boasts a perfect 10-0 record and remains the only netminder across the NLL without a loss so far this season. His 10 wins tie him for the league lead with Toronto’s Nick Rose while his 9.99 goals-against average is second-best amongst all goaltenders.
