Despite Curtis Knight (3+3) and Holden Cattoni (3+1) each turning in a hat trick for the Rochester Knighthawks (1-1), the home team was unable to respond from a fourth-quarter surge by the rival Buffalo Bandits (2-0), who scored six times in the final frame on their way to a 12-8 win Saturday at Segar & Sciortino Field at The Blue Cross Arena.
SCORING SUMMARY |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
OT |
FINAL |
Buffalo |
3 |
0 |
3 |
6 |
— |
12 |
Rochester |
0 |
4 |
2 |
2 |
— |
8 |
The contest was the first of three scheduled meetings between the two teams and the first of two in Rochester this season. In the game, the intrastate rivals combined for four different lead changes, 20 goals and 110 shots.
PHOTO GALLERYAfter being held without a goal in the season-opener against the New York Riptide, Knight had a team-high six-point performance while Cattoni, the reigning Offensive Player of the Year Cattoni, finished with his second straight hat trick to go with an assist. Rookie forward Ryan Smith had a game-best four-assist night for his first NLL points of his career while fellow first-year player Charlie Bertrand turned in a three-point night (1+2). Shawn Evans (0+2) and Jeff Wittig (1+1) both had a pair of points in the defeat to complete the scoring.
Goaltender Evan Kirk (1+1) earned his second straight start for the Knighthawks and the former NLL Goalie of the Year made 42 saves on 54 shots faced, but suffered the loss.
WATCH: GAME HIGHLIGHTS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5m97oxUgb80
Connor Fields had a team-high six-point game (4+2), including both the game-tying marker midway through the fourth as well as setting up the eventual game-winning goal at the 7:02 mark of the final quarter. Kyle Buchanan (1+3), Dhane Smith (1+3) and Chase Fraser (0+4) each added four points while Chris Cloutier (2+1) and Josh Byrne (0+3) both produced three points apiece. Tehoka Nanticoke (1+0), Ian MacKay (1+0), Steve Priolo (1+0) and Matt Spanger (1+1) all rounded out the scoring on night.
Veteran goaltender Matt Vinc made 48 saves for his 121st career win, the most in NLL history. A seven-time NLL Goaltender of the Year, Vinc spent eight seasons with the previous Knighthawks franchise from 2011 to 2018, while backstopping the team to three straight NLL championships in 2012, 2013 and again in 2014. Vinc, who’s also an eight-time NLL All-Pro Fist-Team selection opened the first quarter by stopping all 17 shots he faced before making 16 saves in the final 15 minutes of regulation.
The Knighthawks opened the fourth quarter with Cattoni scoring a power-play goal from Smith and Knight to grab a 7-6 lead. The tally with 9:41 to play in regulation served as Rochester’s first goal with the man-advantage on five chances.
WATCH: MIKE HASEN POST-GAME
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HcpeZ13mHBg
Unfortunately for the home team, Buffalo went turned a one-goal deficit into a 12-7 advantage as they scored six unanswered goals in just over seven minutes of play.
Rochester added one more goal late in the contest as Cattoni recorded his third of the night and 100th of his NLL career to cap off the scoring on the night.
Things did not start off well for the Knighthawks as they were held off the scoresheet in the first quarter despite registering 17 shots.
WATCH: CURTIS KNIGHT POST-GAME
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JnPTW5Rvk3g
In the second frame, Rochester’s offense erupted for four straight goals to carry a 4-3 cushion into the break. Of the four markers, Knight had the natural hat-trick in 8:20 to help the Knighthawks to the one-goal lead.
Following the half, Wittig pushed Rochester’s lead to 5-3 just 1:25 into the quarter but the Bandits responded with three straight to take a 6-5 lead with 6:05 to play. Buffalo appeared to score its seventh of the night, but after Knighthawks head coach Mike Hasen challenged the goal, the call was reversed but a Knighthawk was whistled for checking from behind.
WATCH: CHARLIE BERTRAND POST-GAME
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DeY95VAfC24
On the ensuing power-play, Bertrand had the ball just to the left of the goal-crease, and as he made his was in front of Vinc, he split a pair of Bandits before firing it past the netminder, evening the score at six going into the final quarter.
Rochester opened and closed the scoring in the quarter, however, they were sandwiched between six straight Buffalo goals. The Knighthawks finished the last quarter outshooting the Bandits 18-13 and 56-54 for the entire game but they ended up falling 12-8.
WATCH: RYAN SMITH POST-GAME
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=haeRcoiB8KM
The Knighthawks make their way to New York State’s capital region on Saturday, Dec. 18 for an intrastate showdown against the Albany FireWolves at the Times Union Center. The 7:00 p.m. matchup will be the first of two meetings between the two teams this season and will be carried live on 107.3 FM The Bull as well as ESPN+.
Rochester’s next home game is slated for Saturday, Jan. 8 when they host the Calgary Roughnecks for the only time this season.
On Saturday, the Knighthawks fell to the Bandits 12-8 at Segar & Sciortino Field.
▪️ Forward Curtis Knight w/ a 6 PT night
▪️ Rookie Charlie Bertrand w/ second multi-point game of the year
▪️ KHawks on the cusp of something greatIt’s all right here in your Rochester Rehash ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/XrBnoyjZ70
— Suzie Cool (@SuzKewl) December 14, 2021