A nine-point night from Connor Fields (2+7) coupled with 42 saves from Rylan Hartley helped the Rochester Knighthawks to fly high at the end of their three-game road trip, topping the Calgary Roughnecks by a 15-10 final Saturday night in their inaugural visit to WestJet Field at Scotiabank Saddledome.
The win, which caps a 2-1 road swing for the Knighthawks, keeps Rochester unbeaten against the Roughnecks (4-0) dating back to its inaugural 2019-20 season.
Behind Fields’ efforts were a pair of seven-point outings from Ryan Lanchbury (1+6) and Thomas McConvey (5+2), the latter of which also led the Knighthawks with five goals and 11 shots.
Kyle Waters posted a pair of goals and assists against his former team, while Matt Gilray (1+2), Ryan Smith (2+1), Curtis Knight (1+1), and Chad Tutton (1+1) all posted multi-point outings. Brad Gillies, Tyler Biles, and Graydon Hogg each contributed to the stat sheet with assists.
Hartley’s third start of the season gains him his second win of the 2024-25 NLL season, while Cam MacLeod picked up the loss in goal for the Roughnecks, making 29 saves.
FIRST QUARTER
The Knighthawks jumped out to a 4-2 lead through the opening 15 minutes that was sparked by a three-goal run to begin the game.
Smith scored twice in the frame, nabbing the team the first and last goal of the opening quarter, but the highlight play came on Waters’ conversion that made it 3-0 almost 10 minutes in. The former Roughneck looked weightless as he flew through the air from behind the goal, driving the ball around the post and in on Calgary’s MacLeod for the 3-0 lead.
The Roughnecks responded with back-to-back goals to cut their deficit to one, but Smith’s late conversion came with 2.2 seconds left in the quarter, flicking the ball over the shoulder of MacLeod for the 4-2 advantage.
LOOK AT THE HANG TIME KYLE WATERS GETS 😱😱@RocKnighthawks x @NLLRoughnecks
Streaming live on ESPN+ (https://t.co/fkDiG1Z8zB), TSN+ and NLL+ pic.twitter.com/DDDfkbBKWX
— NLL (@NLL) February 23, 2025
SECOND QUARTER
Rochester dominated in the second quarter, outscoring Calgary by a 6-2 margin.
The ‘Hawks struck twice inside the first three minutes of the quarter, beginning with Lanchbury going five-hole 56 seconds into the second. Less than a minute later, McConvey fired a laser through MacLeod, forcing Calgary to change goaltenders and bring in Gowah Abrams.
Curtis Knight turns on the jets and finishes the transition run with a diving goal!@RocKnighthawks up 9-5. pic.twitter.com/ck8woIdAD8
— NLL (@NLL) February 23, 2025
The switch proved uneventful as 56 seconds into Abrams’ appearance, Fields fired a highlight-reel goal to the back of the net. Collecting a pass from the corner, Fields stood in the deep slot of the attacking zone, then flicked his stick behind his back, posting a shot that eluded Abrams to build Rochester a 7-2 lead.
Curtis and Haiden Dickson would try to aid the Roughnecks’ rally, but it was quieted by another goal from McConvey and Knight. McConvey completed his hat trick just as the clock bled out in the second quarter. With 0.1 to play and during a four-on-four sequence, McConvey quickly shuffled the ball underneath the left leg of Abrams at the side of the net, putting the ‘Hawks into double digits as they carried a 10-4 lead into halftime.
— Rochester Knighthawks (@RocKnighthawks) February 23, 2025
THIRD QUARTER
McConvey didn’t stop in the first half. In the opening minute of the third, the second-year pro vaulted a shot from the middle of the attacking zone for his fourth of the night.
A pair of Calgary goals put them back within four, but Waters pushed back for Rochester when he trotted toward the front of the goal to receive a pass from Lanchbury that he would bury, making it 12-7.
Curtis Dickson blasted a shot by Hartley from just on top of the offensive zone to push the game to 12-8.
It was a HUGE night for @RocKnighthawks‘ Thomas McConvey! 5 goals & 2 assists in a 15-10 W.
McConvey highlights 📽️ pic.twitter.com/0VGcvOgyOb
— NLL (@NLL) February 23, 2025
FOURTH QUARTER
Fields, who leads the league in shots by a considerable margin, blasted his second goal through early in the quarter, giving him eight points on the night. Fields joined Smith as the only other Knighthawk to reach 25 goals on the season.
In transition, the Knighthawks broke free for an odd-man rush, with Tutton streaking down the right side before shelving the ball into the goal, building Rochester’s lead back to six.
Calgary scored its second power-play goal of the game 8:27 into the fourth, but McConvey again retaliated with his fifth goal of the night as Rochester continued pressing its foot on the gas pedal.
Things got physical late with Tyler Biles dropping the gloves against Roughnecks’ defenseman Bennett Smith in the final minute of the contest with the getting the better of the exchange.
Tempers flare late in Calgary 😡 pic.twitter.com/uRfihEd9P1
— NLL (@NLL) February 23, 2025
UP NEXT
The Knighthawks return to the Flower City for the first time in over a month as they host the Albany Firewolves on Friday, Feb. 28 for Native American Heritage Night and Marvel Superhero Night at 7:00 p.m. The first 3,000 fans will receive a Legends of Lax Marvel comic book, featuring Knighthawks players.
