BUFFALO – Despite a huge fourth quarter, the Rochester Knighthawks could not make up the distance the Buffalo Bandits created in the first three quarters as the Bandits hung on for an 11-10 win at the First Niagara Centre Saturday night.
The Bandits led 1-0 after the first quarter but opened that up to a 6-2 lead by the half. Bandits’ goals were scored by Dhane Smith, Shawn Williams, and two each by John Tavaras and Joe Resetarits. For the K-hawks, it was Joel McCready and Cody Jamieson.
The game continued to slide in Buffalo’s direction in the third quarter where Williams scored his second of the game, Tavares notched his third and fourth, and Mark Steenhuis added another for the Bandits. Jamieson accounted for the lone Knighthawks goal to make it 10-3 for Buffalo with 15 minutes left.
But the ‘never-say-die’ Knighthawks exploded in the last quarter with seven goals, which included five goals in the last four minutes, scored by Scott Self, Cody Jamieson, Stephan Keogh, two by McCready, Johnny Powless and Joe Walters.
“At the end of the day, we came back and we had a chance so that’s good on our end,” said Knighthawks Head Coach Mike Hasen. “But we just need to look to get better in practice and go from there.”
Bandits’ goaltender Anthony Cosmo turned aside 46 of the 56 shots the Knighthawks threw at him. Matt Vinc and Angus Goodleaf shared the loss for Rochester.
The Buffalo win put the Bandits in first place in the East with a 4-1 record displacing the Knighthawks who are now 3-1, one game behind.
The Edmonton Rush play host to not only the Rochester Knighthawks, this coming Saturday, Feb. 1st, but to kids from three neighbouring reserves near Edmonton Knighthawks stars Cody Jamieson and Craig Point will be meeting with the children as part of the “Arrows Express Sports Walk With Us program Powered by Under Armor” for at risk youth. 10 boys and 10 girls will get lacrosse sticks and receive a lesson from the Knighthawks stars before attending the game. The Walk With Us program aims to encourage youth to get a good education and find themselves through lacrosse.
[Knighthawks Joel McCready and Stephen Keogh celebrate a goal late in the fourth quarter while checking the clock to see how much time they had left to complete the comeback. It was not enough and the K-hawks suffered their first loss of the season. (Photo courtesy Knighthawks)]
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