By: Jonpaul D'agostino
ROCHESTER, N.Y. - In a down to the wire game against what used to be the original Rochester Knighthawks, the current Knighthawks fell short 19-18 to the Halifax Thunderbirds. Both teams combined for 37 goals, the most goals scored in a game this season in the NLL.
“It's never easy to lose, but you know 21 seconds left on the clock, yeah, it's tough,” Knighthawks forward Connor Fields said. “The game was a roller coaster, if you were playing, watching, it was an emotional roller coaster”
The game had appeared to head to overtime, after a tying goal in the last minute from Rochester forward Curtis Knight. However, with only seconds left in a tied 18-18 game and on a six-on-five advantage, Halifax forward Clarke Petterson took a right-handed sidearm shot that landed in the top right corner as time expired. The goal was reviewed but not enough evidence was present to overturn the winning shot.
“Offensively, you know 18 is a good number but we needed 20,” Fields said. “It's definitely a tough one, but nice to have them next week, at the end of the game you win as a team you lose as a team.”
Forward Thomas McConvey spearheaded the Knighthawks effort scoring a team leading four goals, with his hat trick goal coming 11 minutes into the second quarter. His four goals are the most in a game for him so far this season, putting him at 11 goals so far on the year.
“They don't play defense like they do in junior year, they're bigger, they're stronger, they're faster, and they do different nuances,” Forward Thomas McConvey said. “I've learned that from them, and it's helped me grow as an offensive player.”
McConvey also led Rochester with nine points after posting five assists to couple with his four goals.
Riley Hutchcraft was given the start in net for the Knighthawks and finished the night with 15 saves on 22 shots to give him a 68.2 save percentage. He was pulled early from the game in the second quarter in favor for Kevin Orleman. He recorded 20 saves on 32 shots for a 62.5 save percentage. Hutchcraft was put back into the game with 9:38 left in the final frame.
“They (Halifax) came out with a very specific game plan,” Rochester head coach Mike Hasen said, “We just tried to change a bit of momentum late. They got to Orly (Orleman) there, one, two, three, four in a row. So it's just like, let's change momentum, see what happens."
In the shots on goal department, the Knighthawks outshot the Thunderbirds 60-to-54.
The Knighthawks showed effort with two strong saves from Hutchcraft to start the first quarter off. The effort did not translate to the scoreboard immediately as Halifax forward Randy Staats kickstarted a 3-0 lead early in the first quarter with a right-handed sidearm bounce shot.
Knighthawks forward Grayden Hogg, coming off assists from Fields and McConvey, was able to put the ball in the net with a left-handed sidearm shot to put Rochester on the board.
“He's a really good player, he's a great teammate, and does a great job with the ball,” Fields said. “He does a great job without the ball too, getting each other open and himself open. In the meantime, I think he has brought a spark to us.”
Halifax brought the deficit back to three after transition player Wake:Riat BowHunter fired a left-handed bounce shot into the cage.
Rochester was able to bury one last goal before the end of the frame. Fields buried a left-handed bounce shot into the top left corner of the cage to cut the lead to two. Forwards Ryan Lanchbury and Ryan Smith were credited with assists.
The Knighthawks were able to find their rhythm in the second half, despite allowing two early goals less than two minutes in. They gave Halifax a taste of their own medicine, scoring three goals in a little over two minutes to put them down only by one 6-5.
Halifax broke the scoring streak for Rochester thanks to Staats with 7:31 left in the half. He painted the top right corner of the net on a right-handed shot over a pick in front of him.
Rochester quickly responded a little over a minute later. Fields picked up a loose ball in front of the crease and found the net on a left-handed shot while falling in the process. Smith was given an assist on the goal.
Less than a minute later, the Thunderbirds extended their lead as forward Cody Jamieson found the five-hole on a left-handed shot. Rochester answered back with two unanswered goals to knot the game up at eight apiece. Things were coming together offensively for the Knighthawks as they slowly began to create openings in the middle to cut through. Initially, the team was relying on taking shots from the perimeter.
"That's something we pride ourselves on is kind of getting through the middle and getting through the wash, we like to call it," McConvey said. "There's kind of a lull there in the first quarter, maybe that we got away from that and kind of letting them (Halifax) dictate. Kind of as the game went on, we got back to our style of play, getting through the middle and kind of dictating the play we wanted to play. That's what we need to do to be successful."
With 50 seconds left in the second quarter, Thunderbirds forward Thomas Hoggarth went through the middle and found the bottom left corner of the net on a right-handed shot.
Rochester was finally able to tie it 9-9 with only a second left in the frame. Smith, who was assisted by Hogg and Fields, fired a right-handed shot into the top right corner of the net.
The third quarter started out the way the second finished, with both teams trading goals thanks to Halifax forward Mike Robinson and McConvey. Josh Medeiros gave the Knighthawks their first lead of the night at 11-10 on a low-to-low left-handed shot through the five-hole, with an assist from transition player Mike Sisselberger.
Halifax came back with a goal 10:41 left in the third frame. Forward Dawson Theede buried a left-handed shot into the bottom left corner to tie the game back up at 11-11. However, Rochester scored two straight goals to snap the tie and take a two-goal advantage.
With 6:42 to go in the third quarter, a right-handed shot on transition that landed in the top right corner of the cage from Hoggarth got the Thunderbirds' offense into a rhythm. It was the beginning of a streak of six unanswered goals that carried into the beginning of the final quarter to give Halifax a 17-13 lead. It was the largest deficit that any team had that evening.
Transition player Ryland Rees gave the Knighthawks a shot of energy as he ended the 6-0 Halifax run. He put the ball in the top right corner of the net on a right-handed shot to make the game 17-14 under five minutes into the fourth quarter.
However, the Thunderbirds answered back in time with a goal from their own BowHunter, who landed a left-handed sidearm shot into the bottom left corner of the cage to make it 18-14. Hutchcraft was put back into the net for Rochester after the goal.
The Knighthawks however did not quit, as they scored four consecutive goals to tie the game back up 18-18.
“I think we've answered the bell a little better the past couple of games,” McConvey said. “We're still trying to get those runs.”
Halifax head coach Mike Accusri took a time out with 22.9 seconds left on the clock after the Thunderbirds created a turnover. It gave them a chance to group up, pull their goalie Drew Hutchinson to go up a man and rally to score the final game winning goal.
With the loss, the Knighthawks fall to 2-5 and are in 11th in the NLL standings. As for Halifax, they remain above Rochester in tenth with a 2-3 record.
The Knighthawks will host Halifax again this Saturday. Face-off is scheduled for 6 p.m.
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