RIT star hopeful to become next Tiger to make the jump to Knighthawks
By Craig Rybczynski
When Clifford Gaston makes his National Lacrosse League training camp debut, he will have the shortest commute of any Rochester Knighthawks player. With camp being held at RIT, the former Tigers attackman will take the five-minute commute to campus to reach Ritter Arena.
The Knighthawks have always maintained a strong pipeline to RIT. Gaston is hopeful he’ll become the next in a long line of former Tigers to suit up for Rochester. In the current era of the franchise, Taylor Jensen and Pent Eistrat made the jump to the Knighthawks, while RIT standouts Caleb Commandant and Spencer Bell were selected in the NLL Draft. The original Knighthawks franchise also featured several former Tigers, including Steve Toll, Shawn Wilkins, Eric Carlsen, Craig Whipple, as well as Brad Gillies, who played for both Rochester franchises.
“RIT is one of the top lacrosse programs in the nation and has produced dozens of professional players,” said Knighthawks President and General Manager Dan Carey. “We’re fortunate to have such top-notch talent right in our own backyard.”
Rochester stayed close to home with its final selection of the draft, taking Gaston with the 85th pick (sixth round). Gaston is among six draft picks hoping to lock in a spot on the active or practice roster.
Having played at RIT made getting drafted by the local team even more special. It took everything he had to contain his excitement when he received the call from Carey.
“It was crazy. It blew my mind, to be honest,” said Gaston. “It’s an honor, especially after being at RIT the past four years. I love Rochester more than anything. I love RIT more than anything. Going to Knighthawks games and then getting drafted by them is amazing. My heart was pounding, and I was freaking out while on the phone with Dan. I was trying to keep it cool.”
The Knighthawks were very familiar with Gaston’s lacrosse exploits. At RIT, he was a three-time All-American, earning First Team (2024) and Third Team (2023) honors. He also helped the Tigers win the 2022 NCAA Division III Championship. In four seasons at RIT, he amassed 229 goals and 86 assists for 315 points. He finished second all-time in scoring in program history.
However, it wasn’t his play for the Division III powerhouse that first caught the attention of Carey and his scouting staff. Gaston spent the past three summers competing in the Upstate Collegiate Box Lacrosse League (UCBLL), a league operated by the Knighthawks and Buffalo Bandits. The UCBLL has quickly become a proven development league, with 13 of its players having been selected in the NLL Entry Draft.
Gaston was a member of the Armory for two seasons. In his final season in 2024, he scored 20 goals and added seven assists for 27 points in six games. This summer, he played for the UCBLL’s Hawkeyes at the 2025 National Collegiate Box Series (NCBS) National Championships, posting eight goals and chipped in three assists in five games. At Nationals, his coaches were current Knighthawks defensemen Dan Coates and Taylor Jensen, and box lacrosse veteran Jordan Jarvis.
“It was amazing to play for the Hawkeyes this year and playing for (Dan) Coates,” said Gaston. “He’s obviously an amazing leader, amazing coach, and amazing captain. The week I spent with him and the rest of the coaches, I felt like I learned a great deal. The skill was at a very high level and definitely got me set and got me back into a routine of being comfortable in the box.”
The UCBLL gave Gaston the opportunity to hone his box skills, which he had developed back in Welland, Ontario.
“Cliff is a proven goal scorer at the junior and collegiate level,” said Hawkeyes head coach Dan Coates. “He sees the floor well and seems to make his teammates better around him. What sets him apart is his coachability.”
The 5-foot-9 forward joined the UCBLL in 2023 with the Armory, one of the two teams based in Rochester, along with the Hawkeyes. It was his first time playing box lacrosse since his four-year Junior “A” lacrosse career with the St. Catharines Athletics (2018-19) and the Toronto Beaches (2021-22). In 2022, he collected six points (1+5) in four Minto Cup games. He also played two seasons with the Junior “B” St. Catharines Spartans, posting 31 goals and 44 assists for 75 points in 28 games.
“It definitely helped a ton, especially playing for the Armory,” he added. “Everything was great, and it was awesome to really keep my stick in my hands throughout the year, which was huge. I grew up playing box. It was my whole life until going to the Hill Academy and playing field (lacrosse).
Gaston played at the Hill Academy for three seasons (2018-20), competing with the prep team in 2019 and 2020. The prep school in Caledon, Ontario, is the No. 1-ranked boys’ lacrosse program in Canada and consistently among the top teams in North America. At the Hill, he played with future NLLers Dyson Williams, Josh Zawada, Matt and Cam Acchione, Matt Wright, and Jack Follows. He also played with Knighthawks forward Graydon Hogg and played under Rochester assistant coach Kyle Kallay.
“Cliff was a great player and an even better teammate,” said Hogg. “He brought energy and toughness to every game and was the kind of guy who could instantly light up the locker room. It was rare to see him without a smile on his face and a positive attitude. I really enjoyed playing alongside him at The Hill, and I’m excited to be teammates again.”
“He’s a relentless competitor, plays bigger than his size and has a nose for the net,” said Kallay, who coached Gaston for two years.
Named the 2020 Hill Academy Offensive Player of the Year, Gaston took his field lacrosse talents to Rochester, joining powerhouse RIT. The Tigers were fresh off their first national championship when Gaston arrived on campus in 2021. At RIT, he played for two former Rochester Knighthawks, Jake Coon and Shawn Wilkins.
“I thought this would be the best place for me, knowing that there were so many Canadians and their play style was nearly like a box play style. How the ball was distributed was great,” said Gaston. “You truly feel like you fit perfectly into an offense. I got to keep it in my strong hand the whole time. It’s very productive and that’s how it is in that offense, which was just amazing.”
He joined a program with a heavy Canadian influence, joining over 20 players from north of the border during his freshman year. Gaston finished fifth on the team with 47 points and helped the Tigers to a 22-1 record and a second straight national title.
“It was amazing, especially to do it in my freshman year,” said Gaston. “I was happy to contribute in any way possible on such a great team. I feel like I learned a great deal from the leaders on that team, such as Ryan Barnable and Quinn Commandant. I feel like I learned so much from the early part of my career and was able to apply later in my career, which was huge. Being comfortable among the team and being welcomed right away was also very helpful. Having such an amazing team culture created such a great environment that was easy to play in.”
(Mikaela Engstrom/RIT Sports Network).
Gaston capped off his college career in 2025, leading the RIT Tigers in scoring with 70 goals and 88 points. He earned Division III First Team All-American and Liberty League Offensive Performer of the Year honors. The RIT co-captain was also named First Team All-Liberty League.
RIT Head Coach Jake Coon, who has coached over 30 players who have gone on to play pro lacrosse, had high praise for Gaston.
“Cliff Gaston is a good pick up,” he said. “He has the potential to play in the league. He’s tough and can finish.”
“Cliff’s a great teammate,” added Jensen, who played two seasons with Gaston at RIT. “He’s full of grit and tenacity. He’s very quick and can shoot from almost anywhere, but he’s also a great facilitator. His presence on the floor would bolster any team’s offense, and the effort he can put in transition is something that’s very sought after. He’s a very versatile player and I’m excited to see what he can do come training camp.”
Gaston began preparing for the Knighthawks’ training camp shortly after being drafted. He made the short drive to Ritter Arena to get ready for the next chapter of his lacrosse career.
“I want to make sure that I’m doing as much as possible,” he said. “I’ve been shooting a bunch. We live five minutes away from the Ritter box, so I’m going to shoot there every day I can. At least five times a week, I try to get shots up and have my stick in my hand every day, even if it’s just 15 minutes of wall ball. I think we’ll build up by trying to get to the gym as much as possible. I have access to the gym at RIT. I’ve been there a bunch.”
What he can’t learn on the turf or in the gym, he can learn from a former Tiger and current Knighthawk.
“I’ve been talking to other teammates that I’ve had, like Taylor Jensen,” said Gaston. “I’ve talked to him a bunch, and he’s kind of given me a bit of a rundown, which I think is huge. I have a great deal of respect for him for helping me in that way and making me feel a little more comfortable. It can be nerve-racking knowing that you’re going to play with some of the best players in the world, which is truly amazing and exciting. When it comes to training camp, I am just going to be happy and have fun. It’s such an amazing game that we play, and the ability to play it is a privilege.”