Rochester makes two player moves today
(Rochester, NY)… The Rochester Knighthawks went 1-1 on the opening weekend of the NLL preseason. On Nov. 8, they defeated the Philadelphia Wings 12-8 after falling 16-13 to the Calgary Roughnecks the night before.
During the games, the Knighthawks tested different combinations, offensively and defensively, to get a look at the seven rookies that played over the weekend. Amos Whitcomb, Clifford Gaston, Adam Thistlethwaite, Conner Fingar, Seth Martineau, Mitchell Dunham, and Nathan Kapp all got a shot to prove they could add to the team’s depth for the upcoming season.
“It’s making sure they’re incorporated playing with those (Veteran) guys to see where (and) if they can fit basically,” Knighthawks head coach Mike Hasen said about getting minutes for the rookies with the Rochester veterans after Friday’s game.
“And that’s the preseason games. That’s what we’re using them for; we’re all trying to get back on the same page. Everyone went their separate ways in May and now we gotta all come back together and get on the same page as quick as we can because Dec. 14 comes real quick.”
With Zed Williams and Connor Fields resting, it allowed other players to get more minutes over the Friday-Saturday slates.
Whitcomb (1+1) and Gaston (3+3) both got more time on the right side, while Graydon Hogg (3+3) was able to show what he could do with the ball in his stick more on the left. Brad McCulley (1+2) also got his first chance to step on the floor in Rochester colors against a different team. It ended with him dropping the gloves in the fourth quarter. Both he and Kyle Waters only played in Friday’s game.
Despite the new faces, three regulars stood out and led the offense through the weekend. Ryan Smith tallied four goals and two assists, including a first-half hat trick, on Saturday against the Wings. Thomas McConvey took more quarterbacking duties on the left side and finished the weekend with three goals and five assists. The team leader was Ryan Lanchbury, with three goals and seven assists. He looked like he picked up right where he left off last season.
“Well, it was pretty good before, so it’s only better now,” Lanchbury said about the size and physicality of the Knighthawks’ offense. “For me personally, it’s great because that matches how I want to play the game. Being more of the ball carrier looking for guys, the more these guys can get me open and in return get themselves open, the more comfortable I am drawing guys and dishing it off to them.”
Defensively and in transition, Hasen and the coaching staff had to play a lot more musical chairs to see all their new faces. Despite the multiple changes, some players stood out in transition.
Thistlethwaite scored in transition in both games while Tyler Biles added two long primary assists on Saturday. Chad Tutton continued to bring a steady presence to the back end through both games and swung into transition against the Roughnecks.
Dunham had a highlight check against Philadelphia on Saturday. Fans who were at the Toronto Rock Athletic Centre won’t be quick to forget how he made a forward fly in the preseason.
Kapp, an undrafted free agent out of Jacksonville University, took the faceoff duties on Friday and Saturday. Against Calgary, he faced an NLL regular in Justin Inacio, who was fifth in the league in faceoff percentage last year among players with at least 200 attempts. He still managed 11 wins and, on Saturday, learned from that experience to pull out a winning ratio against Nick Rowlett for Philadelphia.
Rochester split crease time between Rylan Hartley, Riley Hutchcraft, and Jackson Brown over the weekend. Hartley and Hutchcraft each played 45 minutes between the two games. Brown played 30 minutes in the second half against the Roughnecks. On Friday, Hartley made 14 saves in the opening quarter, and Hutchcraft made 10 in the second. Against Philadelphia on Saturday, Hutchcraft played the first half and allowed only three goals against. Hartley played the second half; he allowed five goals and earned the win.
Player Moves
The Knighthawks did make two roster moves on Wednesday, releasing Brown and Gareth Haigh.
Next Up
Rochester wraps up its exhibition schedule on Saturday, Nov. 22, against the Ottawa Black Bears at 7:00 p.m. at Brampton Memorial Arena.
Regular Season Openers
Rochester begins the 2025-26 NLL season on Sunday, Dec. 14, with a 5:00 p.m. matchup against the San Diego Seals. The Knighthawks then return home to Segar & Sciortino Field at The Blue Cross Arena on Saturday, Dec. 20, when they host the Philadelphia Wings at 7:00 p.m. For ticket information, please call (585) 400-HAWK (4295) or email tickets@knighthawks.com.