(Rochester, NY) … The Rochester Knighthawks didn’t have to look far in the 2025 National Lacrosse League (NLL) Entry Draft. President and General Manager Dan Carey and his staff focused on local connections, selecting players with ties to RIT, the University at Albany, the Upstate Collegiate Box Lacrosse League (UCBLL), and the Seneca Nation.
“I think we came into the draft with a clear plan for the areas we wanted to focus on and improve, and we felt fortunate to acquire players who fit those needs,” said Knighthawks Assistant Coach Kyle Kallay. “We got bigger, which was a priority for us, and we added guys who are going to come in, compete, and push. Ultimately, that’s what we’re looking for—finding ways to get a little bit better and take that next step to get over the hump.”
Rochester used its first pick, 24th overall, to select University at Albany defenseman Adam Thistlethwaite, who played four seasons with the Great Danes (2022-25). In 28 career college games, he posted two goals, two assists, and collected 12 ground balls. He was one of two Great Danes selected by the Knighthawks, as Rochester chose Amos Whitcomb in the fourth round.
Thistlethwaite spent the past two summers playing for Knighthawks Head Coach Mike Hasen with the Peterborough Lakers in Major Series Lacrosse. In 25 career games, he posted four goals and five assists. The 6-foot-1, 190-pound defenseman also played in parts of five seasons with the Junior “A” Peterborough Lakers, collecting 21 points (5+16) in 60 games. In 2024, the Cobourg, Ontario, native played Senior “B” ball with Ennismore, appearing in nine contests.
The Knighthawks made two selections in the third round, taking Seth Martineau with the 43rd pick and Mitchell Dunham 47th overall. Martineau is a 6-foot-6 defenseman who spent four seasons with the Junior “A” Toronto Beaches, collecting three goals and eight assists in 41 games. He also played in 10 postseason contests. The Windsor, Ontario, native also played two seasons with the Junior “B” Windsor Clippers, posting four goals and seven assists for 11 points in 27 games. He also appeared in 19 playoff games.
Dunham comes to Rochester after an impressive collegiate career at Mount St. Mary’s University and the University of Richmond (2022-25). In May, he was drafted by the Utah Archers of the Premier Lacrosse League (PLL). Dunham completed his senior season at Richmond, where he appeared in all 15 games in his lone season with the Spiders. The 6-foot-5, 220-pound defenseman ranked third nationally with 37 caused turnovers and added 48 ground balls this season. He earned First Team All-Atlantic 10 honors and was selected to the Atlantic 10 All-Tournament Team.
Before transferring to Richmond, he played three seasons at Mount St. Mary’s, where he earned consecutive spots on the First Team All-MAAC for defense (2023-24). He was selected as an Honorable Mention Preseason All-American from USA Lacrosse and Co-Preseason Player of the Year by the MAAC. With the Mountaineers, he posted one goal and 12 assists for 13 points, while collecting 187 ground balls and causing 86 turnovers.
Rochester selected its second Great Dane in the fourth round, taking Amos Whitcomb of the Seneca Nation. As an attackman at Albany, he posted 29 goals and 49 assists for 70 points in 63 games. His best season was in 2022, when he scored 17 goals and added nine assists for 26 points in 15 games. Born in Salamanca, NY, he was a standout at Salamanca High School, where he excelled in basketball, football, and lacrosse. He was a three-year captain of his lacrosse team.
The UAlbany men’s lacrosse team hosted #10 Georgetown at Casey Stadium in Albany, N.Y. on Wednesday, March 5, 2025.
In the box game, Whitcomb recently competed in the Presidents Cup with the Allegany Arrows for the second straight season. He collected one goal and 11 assists in just four games, after notching 20 points (7+13) the previous year. In addition, the 6-foot, 220-pound forward played three games with the Brampton Excelsiors of Major Series Lacrosse this summer, scoring two goals and adding two assists for a total of four points. Whitcomb is also a graduate of the Upstate Collegiate Box Lacrosse League, playing one game with the Rapids in 2024.
The Knighthawks used the 71st overall selection (fifth round) to take faceoff specialist OJ Morris from the University of Delaware. The Dublin, Ohio, native had an incredible 2025 season, garnering All-American Honorable Mention and USA Lacrosse Magazine All-American Honorable Mention honors. He was also named to the 2025 All-CAA First Team and was a 2025 Inside Lacrosse Midseason All-American.
In 2025, Morris finished second in the country and first in the Coastal Athletic Association in faceoff percentage (.686), while ranking third in the conference in ground balls per game (5.23). In his college career, he played in 34 games, collecting 152 ground balls and winning 270 of 447 of his faceoffs for a .604 winning percentage.
Rochester used its final selection to stay close to home, selecting RIT’s Clifford Gaston with the 85th pick (sixth round). In 2025, the 5-foot-9, 165-pound attackman led the RIT Tigers in scoring with 70 goals and 88 points. He earned Division III First Team All-American and First Team All-Liberty League. The RIT co-captain was also named Liberty League Offensive Performer of the Year.
Gaston is a three-time All-American, earning First Team (2024) and Third Team (2023) honors. He also helped the Tigers win the 2022 NCAA Division III Championship. In four seasons at RIT, he amassed 229 goals and 86 assists for 315 points.
The Welland, Ontario, native spent two seasons of Junior “A” lacrosse with the St. Catharines Athletics (2018-19) and two with the Toronto Beaches (2021-22). In 2022, he collected six points (1+5) in four Minto Cup games. He also played two seasons with the Junior “B” St. Catharines Spartans, posting 31 goals and 44 assists for 75 points in 28 games.
More recently, he played three summers of box lacrosse in the Upstate Collegiate Box Lacrosse League. He was a member of the Armory for two seasons. In his final season in 2024, he scored 20 goals and added seven assists for 27 points in six games. This summer, he played for the UCBLL’s Hawkeyes at the 2025 National Collegiate Box Series (NCBS) National Championships. He posted eight goals and chipped in three assists in five games.
Knighthawks fans can lock in their season tickets for the 2025-26 season by calling (585) 454-5335 or going online to www.rochesterknighthawks.com/memberships.