The Jr. Knighthawks and Jr. Bandits will resume their rivalry on Sunday, Aug. 10, when they collide in East Aurora, NY, at the I-90 Cup. The showdown at Classic Rink is a primer for the upcoming Jr. NLL Tournament in late August.
Roots Box Lacrosse once again powers the Jr. Knighthawks. This year’s co-presenting sponsor of the Jr. Knighthawks is UR Medicine Sports Medicine.
The Western NY foes will compete for the I-90 Cup championships at the U13 (Pee Wee) and U15 levels. The U13 games are slated for 9:00 and 11:00 a.m., while the U15 teams will compete at 10 am and noon.
Teams will play a two-game series, with the winner taking home the coveted trophy. If teams split the first two games, a 10-minute mini-game will take place immediately following Game Two.
“It’s been great to continue the I-90 Cup battle going,” said Roots founder and Knighthawks defenseman Brad Gillies. “Our rivalry in the NLL filters down to the youth level, and both sides want to win. It’s a great event every year.”
The Jr. Knighthawks teams will be coached by current and former NLL players as well as other box experts. Coaches include Knighthawks players Brad Gillies and Riley Hutchcraft, as well as Upstate Collegiate Box Lacrosse League (UCBLL) coach Jordan Jarvis. In 2024, the Jr. Knighthawks won all three age groups at the I-90 Cup.
“I am excited to continue to build on the success of the Jr. Knighthawks program,” said Gillies. “Every year, we improve our competitiveness at the Jr. NLL event against strong Canadian box talent and look forward to continuing to do that.”
The Jr. Knighthawks will once again play in two tournaments. The kickoff event is the USBOXLA-sanctioned I-90 Cup, which is followed by the prestigious Jr. NLL Tournament from August 22-24, in Oakville, Ontario. Last summer, the Jr. Knighthawks sent two teams to the Jr. NLL Finals.
About Roots Box Lacrosse
Roots Box Lacrosse is a proud member of USBOXLA. The US Box Lacrosse Association (USBOXLA) is the country’s largest and most recognized box-specific governing body operating today. USBOXLA’s mission is to develop and promote box lacrosse in the United States through a unified organization that provides high-value services, programs, and benefits to its members. Founded in 2010 by current University of Denver Head Coach Matt Brown and former National Lacrosse League player Shaydon Santos, USBOXLA has grown from a small regional association to one that presently serves more than 25,000 individual members all over the US, all playing box lacrosse the right way.