The Jr. Knighthawks head north of the border this week to compete in the prestigious Jr. NLL Tournament in Oakville, Ontario, from August 16-18. Youth teams representing cities around the National Lacrosse League will battle for the coveted NLL Cup.
Current and former NLL players and other box experts coach the Jr. Knighthawks teams. Coaches include Knighthawks players Brad Gillies and Riley Hutchcraft, Upstate Collegiate Box Lacrosse League (UCBLL) coach Jordan Jarvis, and Roots Box Lacrosse coach Cory Holbrough.
“It’s always a great experience going up to Jr. NLL,” said Jr. Knighthawks director and coach Brad Gillies. “The event is top-notch, and the competition is really strong. It is a special event for the kids. Every time we leave, it’s an experience the kids enjoy.”
The Jr. Knighthawks will compete for championships at the U13 (Pee Wee), U15 (Bantam), and U17 (Midget) levels. The Jr. Knighthawks are presented through a partnership between Roots Box Lacrosse and the Knighthawks. This year’s co-presenting sponsors of the Jr. Knighthawks are UR Medicine Sports Medicine and Zweigle’s.
The Rochester teams will try to build on last year’s success. In 2023, the U17 team was recognized as the Gatorade Canada Team of the Tournament for its hard work and passion for lacrosse. They also finished second, while the U15 Jr. Knighthawks placed third. The U13 just missed reaching the postseason, falling one win shy of the semifinals.
“I am super excited,” said Hutchcraft. “The kids got a taste of what it takes to get to those Sunday games. That is going to drive them to get past that this year. They have had a whole year to work with Brad’s program (Roots) and prepare them to capture the Cup on Sunday.”
The Jr. Knighthawks begin play Friday morning when the U17 Jr. Knighthawks take on the Jr. Black Bears at 11:00 a.m. on the red field at the Toronto Rock Athletic Centre. Fans can follow the teams and get all the scores by going to Pointstreak at bit.ly/jrnll24.
This year, the event will include a Friday Skills Competition and a Saturday All-Star Game. The inaugural All-Star Saturday Night at the Jr. NLL Tournament will feature a three-period All-Star Game, with players from American NLL franchises facing players from Canadian NLL franchises when the “Eagles” take on the “Beavers.” Each age group will play a mini-All-Star game consisting of one 20-minute period as part of one 60-minute game. This event will be held at the Toronto Rock Athletic Centre at 7:15 p.m.
The Jr. Knighthawks enter the tournament with confidence after sweeping the I-90 Cup against the Jr. Bandits and capturing the championship in all three age groups.
“Playing always brings a team together, and something as competitive as our rivalry with the Bandits only helps both our teams prepare for the Jr. NLL,” said Holbrough. “We learned a lot about each other and how we move, think, play on ball or off ball, and how to work as a unit defensively. It was fun to watch the growth throughout the (I-90) Cup and see our kids gel throughout the day.”