After 3 weeks, Connor Fields has 12 goals and 13 assists for a league-high 25 points, which is 6 ahead of Jeff Teat’s 19 points for second on the list, and the level of success that Fields has had on the floor this season is one of the many reasons that the Rochester Knighthawks have jumped out to a 3-0 record to start the 2022-23 campaign. Rochester won on the road in Albany, 14-13.

Unlike their first two games, the Knighthawks started slowly, giving up the first three goals of the game and four in the first quarter. Albany managed to extend the lead to 6-2 to start the second quarter before Fields and Matt Gilray scored a minute apart. After Albany scored twice to counter, Thomas Hoggarth found the goal column to make it 8-6 at the half.

And from there, the Knighthawks made their run. Holden Cattoni scored 27 seconds into the second half to spark a 5-goal run to flip their 8-5 deficit into a 10-8 lead. Albany fought back to end the quarter with 89 seconds of three goals only countered once by Ryan Smith. The score was tied at 11 after 3.

The middle minutes of the fourth quarter saw the final stretch of goals for the game. Justin Scott had two goals sandwiched counters from Curtis Knight and Fields, who also scored the tie-breaking goal to seal the 14-13 win.

Rochester controlled possession both with quantity, as Tyler Halls and the Knighthawks controlled 23 of the 30 faceoffs and production with the Knighthawks outshooting the FireWolves 64-41 (60.9%). Fields led the Knighthawks with 8 points (4G 4A) and added 8 loose balls. Ryan Smith had 3 goals, while Curtis Knight and Holden Cattoni each had 2 goals, with Knight adding 5 assists. Matt Gilray added a goal and 3 assists in transition. Rylan Hartley only made 28 in a lighter week of shots faced. For Albany, Doug Jamieson kept the FireWolves in the game with a 50-save effort. Justin Scott and Hiana Thompson had 3 goals each to lead the team in their first game following losing Joe Nardella to an ACL injury.

Rochester had two weeks off and will return to action tonight at home against the 2-2 Panther City Lacrosse Club.

Hop Back To The Rest of Week 3

(See more on Buffalo’s win in Toronto here)

Panther City spoiled the Vegas Desert Dogs’ inaugural home game with a 9-3 dominant win. Nick Damude made 30 saves in his 3-goals-allowed performance. Tony Malcom and Dean Fairall each had 2 goal nights. Tracey Kelusky’s club had less luck in the bookend game of the weekend as they fell to the Colorado Mammoth in Fort Worth 12-9. Zed Williams (3G 5A) and Eli McLaughlin (4G 3A) led the defending champs in scoring.

The Georgia Swarm offense busted out to a 6-goal first quarter, but the Wings defense and Zach Higgins (37 saves) settled in on their way to a 13-12 victory. Hunter Lemieux, who was drafted 15th overall and played last summer in the Upstate Collegiate Box Lacrosse League, scored the game-winning goal for his first career marker. Joe Resetarits (7 points), Ben McIntosh (6 points), and Blaze Riorden (5 points) each had 3 goals for the Wings.

Halifax followed up their 18-goal first game with a 20-11 victory on Long Island against the New York Riptide. RIT grad Drew Hutchinson had 29 saves in his first career win. Ryan Benesch led the Thunderbirds with 5 goals and 4 assists while Randy Staats and Cody Jamieson combined for 15 points. Reilly O’Connor had 3 goals and 3 assists while Jeff Teat had 2 goals and 7 assists for New York.

Photo Credit: National Lacrosse League