TONIGHT’S GAME OVERVIEW
The Rochester Knighthawks (5-7) are finally back on home turf for the first time in over a month as they return from a season-long three-game road swing to host the intrastate rival Albany FireWolves for the only the only time this season at Segar & Sciortino Field at The Blue Cross Arena. The Empire State showdown is slated for a 7:00 p.m. start and will be carried live on Big 107.3 FM as well as ESPN+ and NLL+. The contest will also be available to viewers on NLL+, a free direct-to-consumer streaming platform which provides instant global access to all 126 live regular-season games and every playoff matchup as well as increased access to highlights, full game replays and exclusive league content.
HOW THE TEAMS MATCHUP
The all-time series has historically been one-sided in favor of Rochester, which has won all but one of the six meetings between the two teams, including both matchups last season which came over back-to-back weeks. Following their two-game sweep of Albany last season, the Knighthawks have outscored the FireWolves 92-67 in the five games in which they’ve been victorious, including a 16-7 win in the inaugural meeting between the two teams during the 2021-22 campaign. The Knighthawks are also unbeaten in Albany since that win, which to date remains the most lopsided victory in franchise history. Rochester has also scored at least 11 goals in each of the six games against Albany, the most against any single opponent in its near five-year history. While the Knighthawks have seemingly returned to their winning ways having alternated wins and losses since the turn of the new year, the opposite can be said for a FireWolves team which has endured its fair amount of adversity this season. A year after finishing with a franchise-best 11 wins on their way to an appearance in the NLL Finals last spring, Albany has plummeted to the bottom of the league standings, having won just three games all year and owning a league-worst 1-4 record on the road. Despite their recent struggles, however, Albany did find its way back to the win column by way of an11-6 victory over Philadelphia during Week 13, snapping a three-game skid in the process. Rochester, which enters the matchup with the ninth-best power-play in the NLL after converting on 22-of-51 opportunities for a 43.1% success rate, goes up against an Albany team that leads the league with nine shorthanded goals, including three each from Alex Simmons, the reigning NLL Rookie of the Year, John Piatelli and Will Johansen.
LAST TIME OUT
A nine-point night from Connor Fields (2+7) coupled with 42 saves from Rylan Hartley helped the Knighthawks to fly high at the end of their three-game road trip, topping the Calgary Roughnecks by a 15-10 final Saturday night in their inaugural visit to WestJet Field at Scotiabank Saddledome. The win, which caps a 2-1 road swing for the Knighthawks, keeps Rochester unbeaten against the Roughnecks (4-0) dating back to its inaugural 2019-20 season. Behind Fields’ efforts were a pair of seven-point outings from Ryan Lanchbury (1+6) and Thomas McConvey (5+2), the latter of which also led the Knighthawks with five goals and 11 shots. Kyle Waters posted a pair of goals and assists in his return to Calgary against his former team, while Matt Gilray (1+2), Ryan Smith (2+1), Curtis Knight (1+1), and Chad Tutton (1+1) all posted multi-point outings. Brad Gillies, Tyler Biles, and Graydon Hogg each contributed to the stat sheet with assists. Hartley’s third start of the season gains him his second win of the 2024-25 NLL season, while Cam MacLeod picked up the loss in goal for the Roughnecks.
LLORD OF THE BLOCKS
A week after setting the new franchise record for blocked shots in a season (26), veteran defenseman Ian Llord is now in pursuit of another record, needing just four more blocked shots to surpass the NLL’s single-season mark set by Las Vegas defenseman James Barclay, who had 29 during the 2022-23 season. Llord, who last week bested the previous mark set by fellow defenseman Ethan O’Connor during the 2023-24 campaign, is one of only two Rochester defensemen to appear in all 12 games this season. In addition to leading the team with 26 blocked shots, the 18-year pro also ranks second amongst all team defensemen with 45 loose ball recoveries, third in caused turnovers (5) and tied for second in points (3). A three-time NLL champion, Llord also played parts of seven seasons with the original Knighthawks franchise.
FIELDS CHASING DOWN HISTORY
Over the last two and a half seasons, Knighthawks forward Connor Fields has rapidly evolved into arguably one of the most dynamic and elite scorers in the National Lacrosse League, most notably among American-born players. Entering the weekend ranked fourth in scoring with 77 points (25+52) in 12 games, Fields is just 23 points away from becoming the first-ever American player in league history to reach the 100-point mark in three consecutive years. A two-time Second Team All-Pro selection, Fields recently surpassed Kevin Buchanan for eighth all-time in scoring amongst American players following his nine-point effort las week in the 15-10 win over Calgary. Fields’ 425 career points are also third-most among active American-born players, trailing only Toronto’s Tom Schreiber and Philadelphia’s Joe Resetarits, a former Knighthawk in the previous organization. Averaging nearly six and a half points per game this season, Fields, who also continues to lead all forwards with 111 loose ball recoveries, could potentially move into seventh all-time among the NLL’s top American-born players, sitting just eight points back of Drew Westervelt.
SHOOTING GALLERY
The Knighthawks, who closed out the 2023-24 regular season leading the NLL in shots per game with 81.44 and were the only team that averaged more than 80 per contest, are again at the top of the league in terms of shooting efficiency in 2024-25. Through the first 12 games this season, Rochester is averaging an NLL-best 81.42 shots per game while also allowing the third-most shots-against per game (76.08). Coming into this weekend, Rochester has outshot the opposition in 22 of its last 30 games going back to last season, including all but four on the road. Collectively, the Knighthawks also own two of the NLL’s top seven shooting forwards in Connor Fields, and Ryan Smith, who rank first and seventh in the NLL, respectively. Fields, who averaged nearly 15 shots per game last season on his way to establishing a new league record (267), remains on pace to duplicate the effort with an NLL-best 162 shots on goal through his first 12 games game of the current season. Fields (162) and Smith (112) are also one of only two duos in the NLL to each have more than 100 shots this season, joining Albany’s Alex Simmons (122) and Tye Kurtz (109).
HASEN ON THE MOVE
Leading the Knighthawks into their fifth season of the expansion-era is an all-too-familiar face in head coach Mike Hasen, who recently surpassed Troy Cordingley for fifth all-time in career coaching wins (110). He’s also tied with Georgia’s Ed Comeau, his former head coach, for third all-time in career games coached (234). Last season, Hasen became just the sixth head coach in NLL history to reach 100 career wins, doing so by way of a 13-11 win over Vancouver on Dec. 23. One of the most decorated coaches in league history, Hasen is certainly no stranger to Rochester, having previously served as head coach of the former Knighthawks franchise from 2011 to 2019. In nine seasons behind the bench with the original Knighthawks, Hasen guided Rochester to an 81-75 regular season record while leading the team to six playoff appearances. Hasen’s most successful run at the helm of the Knighthawks came from 2012-14 when he made National Lacrosse League history by leading Rochester to an unprecedented three straight Champion’s Cups. He remains the only NLL bench boss to accomplish the feat. Hasen, who was named the NLL’s Coach of the Year in 2011 following his first season behind the bench, boasts a 29-49 record with the expansion-era Knighthawks, whom he’s led to back-to-back playoff appearances, as well as a 110-124 record all-time over his 14 combined seasons in Rochester.
HOMECOMING OF SORTS FOR WILLIAMS
Albany’s lone visit of the season should feel like more for of a homecoming of sorts for rookie forward Dyson Williams, who for a decade called Rochester his second home while his father and NLL Hall of Famer Shawn Williams was a member of the original Knighthawks franchise. The first overall pick in the 2023 NLL Entry Draft, Williams has taken his first season in the NLL by storm, leading all rookies with 25 assists and 39 points while being tied for second with 14 goals. Williams also leads all first-year players in power-play scoring with 14 points on the man-advantage and 84 shots through 11 games this season. Williams played his college lacrosse at Duke University, where he was a two-time All-American and finished third in NCAA with 212 career goals. Williams captured a silver medal with Team Canada at the 2023 World Field Lacrosse Championship and is also a teammate of Connor Fields with the Utah Archers of the Premier Lacrosse League, helping the team win its second straight league title in 2024.
