Knighthawks hosting first-place Rush on Red Wings Night
(Rochester, NY)… The Rochester Knighthawks’ game Saturday should be a hit. The Knighthawks will host Red Wings Night on Saturday, Feb. 28, with the faceoff set for 7 p.m. against the Saskatchewan Rush.
The game at Segar & Sciortino Field at The Blue Cross Arena will feature baseball-themed activities and promotions. Fans will also have the opportunity to meet Red Wings mascots, Spikes and Mittsy. After the game, kids can run the bases on the turf.
The Knighthawks (4-5) enter the matchup after their final bye week of the season. The league-leading Rush (10-1) are red hot as they became the first team in the league to reach double-digit wins last weekend, topping the Philadelphia Wings 14-6.
SCOUTING THE KNIGHTHAWKS
The Knighthawks will try to get back to their winning ways after dropping their fourth straight game on Feb. 14. In the 10-8 setback to the Ottawa Black Bears, Zed Williams and Graydon Hogg each scored two goals, while Connor Fields and Ryan Lanchbury combined for five assists. Riley Hutchcraft made 33 saves in his second start of the season. Fields enters the weekend third in the league in goals (27) and seventh in points (62), while Lanchbury is tied for sixth in assists (39). Jake Piseno leads the league in goals among defensemen with six and is tied for third in points with 10.
POSTGAME PARTY
The Knighthawks and Bud Light are once again teaming up to host a postgame party after Saturday’s game at The Distillery (1142 Mt. Hope Ave.). The event will feature appearances by Knighthawks players, food and drink specials, and opportunities for fans to win Knighthawks prizes and autographed items.
MILESTONE WATCH
- Zed Williams needs one more assist to reach 150 in his career.
- Connor Fields is one assist away from 300 in his career and eight loose-ball recoveries away from 700.
- Mike Hasen will reach 250 games coached on Saturday. He currently sits fourth all-time in NLL coaching wins with 119.
- Matt Gilray is two points away from the century mark in his career.
- Brad Gillies is two games away from 150 in his career.
SCOUTING THE RUSH
The Saskatchewan Rush enter the weekend with an opportunity to clinch a playoff spot if they win both of their games. The Rush travel to play the Buffalo Bandits at 7 p.m. Friday night. After 11 games, Saskatchewan leads the league in goals (137) and goal differential (37). Four of their forwards rank in the Top 15 in league scoring. Ryan Keenan ranks fourth with 26 goals and 40 assists, Robert Church ranks eighth with 21 goals and 37 assists, Austin Shanks is tied for 12th with 22 goals and 31 assists, and Zach Manns ranks 15th with 26 goals and 26 assists. They boast a strong unit in transition, with Jake Boudreau and Mike Messenger each exceeding 12 points this season and Jake Naso winning 66% at the faceoff dot. Defensively, the Rush have been one of the best teams in the league, allowing an average of 45 shots on goal per game. Frank Scigliano has started every game this season between the pipes and ranks first in the NLL in goaltender wins and second in save percentage (.802).
NEXT GAME
The Knighthawks will return to Segar & Sciortino Field next weekend as they host the Calgary Roughnecks at 1 p.m. on Marvel Super Hero™️Day, brought to you by Toshiba Business Solutions. The Knighthawks will wear one-of-a-kind Spider-Man: Miles Morales jerseys that will be auctioned off, with a portion of the proceeds benefiting Webster Comfort Care Home. The first 3,000 fans in attendance will receive a Legends of Lax Marvel comic book featuring Knighthawks players. Upon exit, the first 750 fans will receive a light-up yo-yo, courtesy of Toshiba Business Solutions.

