For a third straight year, the Rochester Knighthawks began the NLL Playoffs on the road and were unable to escape the Quarterfinals, suffering a season-ending 15-10 loss to the Vancouver Warriors Saturday at Rogers Arena.
Thomas McConvey (3+1) and Ryan Smith (3+2) each recorded hat tricks for Rochester, while Connor Fields (2+4) posted half a dozen points and Ryan Lanchbury led the team in points on the strength of a seven-assist night. Kyle Waters and Brad Gillies also found the back of the net on a night where the Knighthawks were given the unenviable task of trying to defeat Warriors’ goaltending great Christian Del Bianco, who picked up the win with 47 saves.
Rylan Hartley got the nod to start the game, making 20 saves on 31 shots. He played nearly 35 minutes, while Riley Hutchcraft saw the crease for 25:01, making 12 saves on 14 shots.
FIRST QUARTER
Marcus Klarich opened the postseason scoring to gain Vancouver the first lead of the night, but that was quickly erased 15 seconds later by McConvey. The second-year pro tumbled toward the crease, powering through the Warriors’ defense to solve Del Bianco and even the score inside the first three minutes of the game.
Vancouver regained the lead 6:09 into the quarter when Keegan Bal swam his way to the front of the goal to beat Hartley for the 2-1 advantage. Bal then assisted on a goal from Dylan McIntosh, scooping the ball from the top of the zone down to McIntosh, who rammed toward the top of the crease, diving and shooting to the lower corner on the right side of the target, making it 3-1.
Hartley prevented McIntosh from scoring his second of the frame with 3:10 remaining, as the Vancouver forward spun in front of the goal, sending Hartley into the splits, extending across to cover space and make the save.
Ryan Dilks capitalized on a turnover in transition, with the defensemen scoring his first goal since last season, shooting over the shoulder over Hartley late in the quarter, helping Vancouver to a 4-1 lead through the first 15 minutes.
Ryan Smith delivered for Rochester all season long — but tonight, the run came to an end. pic.twitter.com/0We6ZK9X6K
— NLL (@NLL) April 27, 2025
SECOND QUARTER
A minute into the quarter, Matt Gilray broke free for a breakaway, sprinting down the floor and taking a shot that Del Bianco had the answer for.
McIntosh continued the Warriors’ run 2:11 into the period, followed by Riley Loewen wedging the ball through Hartley to build Vancouver a 6-1 lead as Del Bianco made multiple saves prior to keep the Knighthawks at distance.
Smith ended the five-goal run for the Warriors by ripping a shot from the slot past Del Bianco to make it a 6-2 game over five minutes into the quarter. The goal also snapped a drought of over 17 minutes for the ‘Hawks.
Fields joined in on the scoring to make it a three-goal game. The MVP candidate rushed down the floor with his teammates, got to the front of the net, turned to fight off a check, then spun back and shot five-hole on Del Bianco.
McConvey put up a hat trick, but it wasn’t enough to push Rochester into the next round. pic.twitter.com/GumBDq3lyh
— NLL (@NLL) April 27, 2025
Vancouver native Kevin Crowley thwarted an extended Knighthawks run with the veteran forward clamping down in front of the goal and leaping through the air to get the ball past Hartley for the 7-3 edge.
Bal then scored his second of the night, finishing his first half with seven points.
In the final minute of the half, Owen Grant picked off a pass in the attacking zone from the Knighthawks. He then steered the ball toward Jeff Cornwall for a breakaway to score and gain Vancouver its biggest lead of the game at that point, making it 9-3.
Connor Fields has been unleashed 👀@RocKnighthawks cut the lead in half! pic.twitter.com/Rku8ZYP3Ky
— NLL (@NLL) April 27, 2025
THIRD QUARTER
Kyle Waters tried to get things going for Rochester with his goal 1:15 into the third, but was quickly matched by Grant cancelling it out for Vancouver to keep the Warriors up by six.
Fields nearly got his second of the game on a shot that squeaked underneath Del Bianco, but the goaltender recovered the roller by reaching behind himself before it crossed the goal-line. Going down the other way was Bal, who completed the hat trick with his third of the night finding the top left corner of the net.
Fields wouldn’t be denied again. Rochester’s leading scorer during the regular season cut in from the right side before finding a seam to solve Del Bianco to get the Knighthawks back within six.
They don’t call it a game of inches for nothin’. pic.twitter.com/sQJwzcWsyK
— NLL (@NLL) April 27, 2025
FOURTH QUARTER
The Knighthawks scored more than two goals in a row for the first time all game as they began their rally cry with time running out. After Fields scored late in the third, McConvey found his second of the contest inside the 90-second mark.
That was followed with a laser from the slot by Gillies just 21 seconds later, putting Rochester back in the fight as they trailed, 11-7.
Thomas McConvey would. not. give. up 💪💪@RocKnighthawks pic.twitter.com/15quHGnqol
— NLL (@NLL) April 27, 2025
The run didn’t stop there. With a delayed penalty on Vancouver, Smith took advantage with the extra attacker, twisting a shot through the top corner, whistling by the left ear of Del Bianco to inch closer.
Bal, who led Vancouver during the regular season and finished sixth in league scoring, ended the four-goal Knighthawk run. Bal tactfully dished a low shot into the goal with some traffic taking the eyes away from Hutchcraft, who appeared in relief of Hartley earlier in the half.
Smith answered back, twisting his way overtop a defenseman of the Warriors before sniping the stick side of Del Bianco to keep the game within a field goal’s reach.
Ryan Smith’s hat trick goal is a nasty twister 🤮@RocKnighthawks pic.twitter.com/jiTz3VDdXt
— NLL (@NLL) April 27, 2025
The trading of goals continued with under six minutes to play in regulation with Vancouver regaining a four-goal lead after Ryan Martel was spoon-fed the ball at the front of the net from Bal, who earned an assist to reach double-digit point totals on the game.
With the net empty and 2:37 to play, McConvey completed his first career playoff hat trick by blasting a shot from well out to go past the Warriors’ goaltender and in. Rochester continued on with its goal vacant. Del Bianco made a number of highlight saves, including one on Smith, who bobbed and weaved his way toward the front of the goal.
Del Bianco’s stop was followed by the MVP goaltender flinging the ball ahead to Reid Bowering, who found Bal for the empty-net conversion. Bowering would then score an empty-net goal of his own to seal the deal, with the Knighthawks season coming to a close via a 15-10 final in Vancouver.
Despite the upsetting loss, the Knighthawks closed out the regular season with a 10-8 record and a fifth-place finish in the NLL standings.
