The Rochester Knighthawks (2-4) snapped a four-game losing skid in a big way, scoring a season-high 16 goals in a dominating 16-9 win over the previously unbeaten Georgia Swarm (4-1) Saturday at Gas South Arena.
With the win, Rochester’s first since its season-opener, the club has earned a victory in four of its last five games against the Swarm, including its last three where they scored a franchise-best 19 goals back on March 12, 2023.
Former Swarm forward Ryan Lanchbury had a more-than-impactful return to Georgia, leading all players with three goals and nine points while he and Connor Fields (2+6) both logged six assists each. Kyle Waters (2+2), Graydon Hogg (2+1), Ryan Smith (2+1) and Taylor Jensen (2+0) all recorded multi-goal efforts. Thomas McConvey (1+2) and Brad Gillies (1+1) tallied a goal while Ryland Rees (0+1) added an assist to close out the scoring.
Goaltender Riley Hutchcraft drew his sixth straight start in the crease, making 43 saves of the 52 shots he faced while earning the win. The netminder also was credited with an assist on Rochester’s 14th goal of the night.
Face-off specialist Mike Sisselberger, who was signed earlier this week by the Knighthawks, made his NLL debut with Rochester, winning 20 of his 29 face-offs.
FIRST QUARTER
Two minutes after Georgia opened the scoring on Lyle Thompson’s first goal of the night, Rochester responded with four straight to close out the scoring in the opening quarter with a 4-1 advantage.
Curtis Knight ignited the run at the 3:55 mark from Waters and Lanchbury before Gillies gave the visitors a 2-1 lead as he buried a breakaway goal after Ethan O’Connor’s shot block caromed to the center of the floor.
The Knighthawks continued their surge as Waters buried a long-range shot with just over five minutes to play from Lanchbury. Smith concluded the frame as he netted his first of the night from Fields and McConvey to push the lead to 4-1.
Ryan Lanchbury had himself a night! He notched a 9 point night (3G, 6A), as the @RocKnighthawks defeat the Swarm, 16-9.
HIGHLIGHTS 👀 pic.twitter.com/VLiN0E7SpD
— NLL (@NLL) January 5, 2025
SECOND QUARTER
With a three-goal difference to start the second quarter, Joey Cupido cut the deficit in half in the opening minute but the two clubs each traded a pair of goals.
Lanchbury restored the Knighthawks’ three-goal advantage as he was set up by Hogg and Fields on a power-play tally while Fields connected with his first of the night three minutes later from Smith and Lanchbury.
Does anyone have quicker feet than @connorfields05? 🤔@RocKnighthawks pic.twitter.com/B1nzxgR2Hj
— NLL (@NLL) January 5, 2025
The Swarm seemed to gain momentum as Andrew Kew provided an assist on Brian Cole’s power-play goal from the top of the zone before he got some luck as his shot rang off the bar and glanced off a Knighthawks player and into the net.
Less than 90 seconds after Georgia cut the score to 6-4, the Knighthawks used an extra-attacker on a delayed penalty and a second-chance possession to reclaim the three-goal lead.
FIRST PROFESSIONAL GOAL FOR HOGG!!!!!!!!
7-4 Hawks with 2:33 left in Q2 pic.twitter.com/RNbrgChIIq
— Rochester Knighthawks (@RocKnighthawks) January 5, 2025
After Waters and Fields exchanged passes, Hogg was given the ball to the right of the Georgia net. With limited room between Swarm goaltender Brett Dobson, who entered the contest with a league-leading 4-0 record, and the net, Hogg threaded his first goal of the season with 2:33 remaining.
Rochester, which outshot Georgia in both the first and second quarters, carried a 7-4 lead into the half.
THIRD QUARTER
The Knighthawks rode the wave of momentum into third quarter as they erupted for six consecutive goals to seize control of a 13-4 cushion with 6:21 to play in the frame.
Lanchbury provided a give-and-go on Smith’s goal in the first 30 seconds of the quarter before the former Swarm forward earned the primary helper on McConvey’s first of the contest.
Ryan Smith on the doorstep!
Tune into the second half of the Week 6 Saturday Showcase ⬇️
🥍: @GeorgiaSwarmLAX x @RocKnighthawks
💻: ESPN+ (https://t.co/lSSsLZDOQK), TSN+ & NLL+ pic.twitter.com/0IcnsyocoN— NLL (@NLL) January 5, 2025
After Gillies was unable to capitalize on his second breakaway of the night, Jensen forced a loose ball turnover and notched his first goal of the season on his own breakaway opportunity.
Rochester continued its third-quarter dominance as they struck for two more goals in less than 20 seconds as Waters and Hogg both scored their second goals of the contest with Fields being credited with each secondary helper.
Jensen closed out the run as he extended the lead to nine on another breakaway with just over six minutes to go in the frame.
Cole and Brendan Bomberry trimmed the score to 14-8 prior to the end of the quarter.
Rochester is rolling 💪
🥍: @GeorgiaSwarmLAX x @RocKnighthawks
📷: ESPN+ (https://t.co/lSSsLZDOQK), TSN+ & NLL+ pic.twitter.com/hhgXFjQmZL— NLL (@NLL) January 5, 2025
FOURTH QUARTER
The clubs both scored twice in the final 15 minutes of regulation, but Georgia was unable to close the gap any further in suffering its first loss of the season.
UP NEXT
The Knighthawks return home to Segar & Sciortino Field at The Blue Cross Arena on Saturday, Jan. 11 when they host the 1-3 Halifax Thunderbirds in the first leg of a home-and-home series. Game time is slated for a 7:00 p.m. start and will be carried live on Big 107.3 FM as well as ESPN + and NLL+.
