ROCHESTER – It is going to be the Six Nations owned Rochester Knighthawks up against the Calgary Roughnecks for the 2014 Champions Cup this year in a new two-game final format beginning in Calgary May 24th and returning to Rochester for the second game May 31st.
The Knighthawks, who won their first Cup in 2007, will attempt to become the first team in league history to win three-straight titles after taking the prize in 2012 and 2013. After losing to the Bandits in the first game of the Eastern Finals 12-8, the Knighthawks evened the series 1-1 Saturday night in Rochester with a 13-8 win to force a tiebreaker mini-game following regulation time, which they won 2-1 to earn another berth to the Champions Cup Final.
Cody Jamieson did what he has become noted for in tight situations by scoring 8 points on 10 shots on goal to lead the Rochester offense, Saturday night. Johnny Powless also had a good outing, scoring three and assisting on two more.
Rochester’s Cory Vitarelli scored at 3:16 of the first, assisted by Jamieson, to get the game started. Buffalo responded by reeling off the next three. Rochester answered with three of their own, but the Bandits stole a late quarter goal to even the game at 4-4 to that point.
The Knighthawks took charge of the second quarter and the game by out scoring the Bandits 6-1 to take a 10-5 lead into the second half.
Both teams tightened their defense in the third quarter, only allowing one goal at each end of the Blue Cross Arena and two each in the 4th quarter.
The second period was the game changer as the Knighthawks won it 13-8, which forced a 10-minute mini-final tiebreaker which ended tied at 2-2. That meant all the marbles were on the table for a sudden death OT period, in which Viarelli scored to win the series.
In the West, the Roughnecks, after a Game One overtime win over the Edmonton Rush in the West Finals, dropped Game Two, but rebounded in the 10-minute tiebreaker game to win the Battle of Alberta series.
