(Rochester, NY)… The Rochester Knighthawks return to action on Saturday, Jan. 31, to take on the Vancouver Warriors on Military Appreciation Night. The contest is set for 7 p.m. at Segar & Sciortino Field at The Blue Cross Arena.
The first 5,000 fans in attendance will receive a Military Appreciation Night rally towel, courtesy of Native Pride. For tickets, fans can visit www.rochesterknighthawks.com or call (585) 400-HAWK (4295).
Prior to the game, local veterans will take the field to unfurl a 60-foot American flag for the playing of the Star-Spangled Banner. The American Legion Iroquois Post 1587, a veteran organization from the Seneca Nation Cattaraugus Territory (Irving, NY), will present the colors.
For the Knighthawks, the contest is the first of two matchups against the Warriors in a two-week span. Both teams enter the Week 10 matchup with 4-2 records. Vancouver earned its fourth win of the season last Saturday, defeating the Ottawa Black Bears, 12-8. The Knighthawks come into the contest versus Vancouver fresh off a bye week.
SCOUTING THE KNIGHTHAWKS
The Knighthawks lost a thrilling 11-10 contest to the Toronto Rock on Jan. 17. Despite outshooting the Rock and leading through three quarters, the Knighthawks couldn’t hold off the fourth-quarter surge by Toronto. The Knighthawks were led by Connor Fields, who scored four goals and added two assists. Ryan Lanchbury was just behind him with two goals and three assists. Kyle Waters and Ryan Smith each tallied four assists, while Smith added a goal as well. Matt Gilray notched 12 loose-ball recoveries, which was his first time hitting double digits this season. Rylan Hartley played the full 60 minutes and made 35 saves.
SCOUTING THE WARRIORS
Vancouver enters the contest with a 4-2 record after earning a 12-8 road win in Ottawa. The Warriors led the game 9-2 just over 20 minutes into the game and were able to hold off the Black Bears’ comeback efforts. The Warriors are led in scoring by Keegan Bal with 36 points, while Curtis Dickson and Jesse King are tied for second with 24. Adam Charalambides is just behind them with 22 points. Dickson and Bal are tied for the team lead in goals with 13 each. The team’s defense has been one of the best in the NLL so far this season. They are led by goaltender Christian Del Bianco, who has the second-best save percentage of any starter in the league at .830, and the second-best goals-against average at 8.76. The Warriors have allowed the fewest goals in the league this season, with 54 against through six games. Their defensive group is built with a strong mix of veterans and young players entering their prime.
MILITARY TICKET OFFER
The Knighthawks are offering all United States Military Veterans, Retired, Active Duty, Reserve, and National Guard service members one complimentary ticket to the game. Ticket requests must be made prior to game day. To receive your free ticket, please provide valid identification at The Blue Cross Arena will call, such as a Department of Defense (DoD) Common Access Card (CAC), Veteran ID Card (VIC), or a DD-214. Additional tickets are available at a discounted rate. Click here to order.
QUILTS OF VALOR
Military Appreciation Night’s first event is the Quilts of Valor ceremony at 3 p.m., which will take place near the eternal flame in The Blue Cross Arena. The mission of the Quilts of Valor Foundation is to award service members and veterans quilts of thanks, comfort, and healing. The recipients are nominated each year to receive these one-of-a-kind Quilts of Valor.
VETERANS GAME
The Shootout for Soldiers game, featuring a team of veterans, will again take place at halftime. Throughout the game, the Knighthawks will recognize veterans and active-duty military members.
MILESTONES
• Zed Williams is one away from 300 career regular-season points. He’s also five assists away from the 150 plateau.
• Mike Hasen needs one more win to reach 120. He would be the fourth coach in NLL history to reach that number.
• Matt Gilray is three points away from 100 in his career.
• Brad Gillies needs six more loose-ball recoveries to reach 500.
NEXT GAME
The Knighthawks will head west to battle Vancouver on Feb. 7 at 10 p.m. EST at Rogers Arena. It will be the first of three times this season that Rochester plays an opponent in back-to-back games.

