TODAY’S GAME OVERVIEW
The high-flying Rochester Knighthawks (7-7) take aim at their fourth straight win this afternoon as they head north of the border for the first-ever meeting with the Ottawa Black Bears (5-6) at Canadian Tire Centre. The 3:00 p.m. matinee serves as the first of two get-togethers between the two teams this season and the final road matchup of the regular season for Rochester, which recently set a new franchise record for road wins. The contest 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.
SEASON SERIES SNAPSHOT
The Knighthawks get their first look at the expansion Black Bears, who relocated to Canada’s capital ahead of the 2024-25 season after four seasons on Long Island as the New York Riptide, which joined the NLL at the same time a Rochester. Today’s matchup has massive playoff implications for both teams, who are converge at a point in the season where one looks to continue its climb up the NLL standings for a chance at locking in a playoff appearance for the third straight year while the other look to snap out of a downward slide in the hopes of salvaging its season. The Knighthawks have been one of the NLL’s hottest teams since February, having won three straight and four of their last five, including three on the road, to level out their record to 7-7 and move up to seventh place in the league’s unified standings. Ottawa, meanwhile, has dropped four of its last five dating back to Jan. 31 with the Black Bears being held to fewer than 10 goals in all four losses over that span. Despite its recent struggles, however, Ottawa remains a game back of San Diego for the eighth and final playoff spot. A win today over Rochester would even the Black Bears’ record to 6-6, significantly improving the team’s chances of reaching the postseason for the first time in franchise history, including those as the Riptide. After erupting for a season-high and franchise record 21 goals in last week’s win over Las Vegas, the Knighthawks remain the highest scoring team in the NLL with 174 goals through a league-most 14 games. Ottawa, meanwhile, has scored the fewest goals in the league with 106, averaging an NLL-worst 9.64 goals per game, but has also allowed the fewest goals-against in the league (115) as well.
LAST TIME OUT
The Knighthawks overcame an early 4-0 deficit to dismantle the Las Vegas Desert Dogs by a 21-13 final this past Friday at Lee’s Family Forum. After yielding the game’s first four goals to the Desert Dogs, the Knighthawks seized control and refused to let up, at one point scoring 13 straight goals while going on an impressive 16-1 run which featured three different hat tricks from Connor Fields, Ryan Smith and rookie Graydon Hogg. The 21-goal output set a new franchise record for Rochester, which extended its win streak to a season-long three straight games and completed the season sweep of the Desert Dogg. The win was also the Knighthawks’ first-ever victory in Las Vegas and set a new franchise record for the most road victories (5) in a season. Fields decimated the competition, tying a season-high with second 11-point performance (6+5) of the season to help lead the Knighthawks past Vegas and maintain his reign atop the NLL scoring lead. Even more impressively, Fields became just the third player in league history to record more than five goals, five assists, nine loose ball recoveries and one caused turnover in a single game, joining the likes of Rhys Duch in 2011 and Dhane Smith in 2024. In addition to Fields and Smith (4+2), who scored all four of his goals on the power-play, Ryan Lanchbury (2+7), and Curtis Knight (1+6), each posted at least six points in the onslaught. Mike Sisselberger also turned in a dominant effort at the center dot, winning 24-of-38 face-offs to match his previous season-high. Smith finished the week second in the league with 36 goals, including an NLL-best 14 power-play tallies, the latter being a new single-season franchise record. Hogg scored four goals on five shots in the first half.
SCORING IN BUNCHES
Rochester became just the second team this season to score 21 goals in a single game, matching a season-high previously achieved by Calgary back on Feb. 16 in a win which also came against Las Vegas. Last week’s thrashing of the Desert Dogs marked the 106th time in league history in which a team has scored 21 or more goals in a contest. The league record for goals in a game by one team is 32, set on Nov. 24, 2001 by Montreal in a 32-17 drubbing over Calgary. That game also holds the record for total combined goals in a game with 49. Coming into the weekend, the Knighthawks lead the NLL with 174 goals, including 50 over its current three-game win streak. Rochester has also scored at least 10 goals in each of its seven wins this season, including reaching the 15-goal mark on four different occasions.
FIELDS ON THE BRINK OF HISTORY
Over the last two and a half seasons, Knighthawks forward Connor Fields has rapidly evolved into arguably one of the most dynamic and prolific scorers in the National Lacrosse League, most notably among American-born players. Entering the weekend leading the NLL in scoring with 95 points (33+62) in 14 games, Fields is just five 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 surpassed Drew Westervelt for seventh all-time in scoring amongst American players following his 11-point effort in 21-13 win over Las Vegas last week. Fields’ 443 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 seven points per game this season, Fields, who also continues to lead all forwards with 125 loose ball recoveries, is on pace to finish the regular season with his third 110-point season of his NLL career, a feat previously achieved by only three others in league history. Prior to this season, only Mark Matthews, Shawn Evans and Dhane Smith have posted three or more 110-point seasons in their respective careers. Since joining the Knighthawks prior to the 2022-23 season, Fields, who last week reached 250 career assists and 600 loose ball recoveries, has scored at least one goal and recorded at least one assist in all 49 games he’s appeared in for Rochester.
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 14 games this season, Rochester is averaging an NLL-best 81.79 shots per game while also allowing the fifth-most shots-against per game (75.14). Coming into this weekend, Rochester has outshot the opposition in 24 of its last 32 games going back to last season, including all but four on the road. Collectively, the Knighthawks also own two of the NLL’s top five shooting forwards in Connor Fields, and Ryan Smith, who rank first and fifth 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 189 shots on goal through his first 14 games game of the current season. With the addition of Smith (134), Ryan Lanchbury (122) and Thomas McConvey (115), the Knighthawks are the only NLL team to have four different players with more than 100 shots.
LLORD OF THE BLOCKS
Just a week after setting the new franchise record for the most blocked shots in a season (29), veteran defenseman Ian Llord will own the new NLL’s single-season mark on his next block, officially surpassing the feat set by San Diego defenseman James Barclay during the 2022-23 season. Llord’s 29 blocked shots are the most in the league and one more than former Knighthawks captain Paul Dawson. Additionally, the three-time NLL champion and 18-year pro ranks second amongst all team defensemen with 48 loose ball recoveries, second in caused turnovers (6) and tied for second in points (3).
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 (112). He’s also tied with Georgia’s Ed Comeau, his former head coach, for third all-time in career games coached (236). 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 31-49 record with the expansion-era Knighthawks, whom he’s led to back-to-back playoff appearances, as well as a 112-124 record all-time over his 14 combined seasons in Rochester.
