Rochester Knighthawks 13 – Vancouver Warriors 11

Vancouver got the scoring started with a goal from Kyle Killen burying the first Warrior shot of the game, but the Knighthawks quickly countered off the faceoff with Matt Gilray in transition. Turner Evans scored on the run off the bench to the give Knighthawks their first lead of the night two and a half minutes into the game, which was erased by a powerplay marker from Kevin Crowley to cap off a very active first five minutes. It took about another 5 for another goal to break through, as Reid Bowering got open in front to take the lead back, and then pushed out to a 4-2 lead in transition courtesy of Owen Grant’s first career NLL goal and then 5-2 with a bouncer from Ryan Martel. The Knighthawks were able to get one back on the final possession of the quarter at 6-on-5 with Austin Hasen burying a quick stick on the crease from Thomas McConvey.

It took a little longer for a goal in the second quarter, but it was the Knighthawks capitalizing first with an outside tally from Kyle Waters and then another one from Connor Fields on the next possession, tying the game with 8:30 left in the first half. The run continued with Fields’s second and then the first two home goals from Ryan Lanchbury to make it 8-5 Knighthawks. Adam Charalambides ended the run coming out of the under-five timeout in the half, but the Knighthawks would hold on to take the 8-6 lead into the break.

A Ryan Smith pick and roll with Kyle Waters put the birthday boy Smith on the board for the first time on the night and pushed the Knighthawks lead back up to three, but Owen Grant was able to capitalize in transition less than a minute later for his second. Vancouver got the next goal out of the under-5 timeout on a Kevin Crowley rebound, but the story was what set up the rebound, as Adam Charalambides’s shot hit Rylan Hartley square in the facemask and sent him to the ground. While not confirmed, his concussion history, most notably one which ended his 2021-22 season, definitely is a cause for long-term concern until we find out otherwise. Riley Hutchcraft entered the game in relief. The Knighthawks gave Hutchcraft a little more cushion courtesy of Austin Hasen’s second of the game and then a pick and pop of Connor Fields to Thomas McConvey. Chris Willman headed to the box after an illegal body check that put the Knighthawks on the powerplay for the first time in the game, but it was Owen Grant picking up a hat trick in transition to make it 11-9 with 4:53 to play and then killing off the two minutes. Keegan Bal cut the deficit to one in the final seconds of the quarter, putting the score at 11-10 after 3.

The Ryans, Lanchbury, and Smith, connected on a pick and roll to open up scoring in the final stanza with 9:35 to play, and then Smith completed the hat trick on a cut to the net and an on-target pass from Kyle Waters about two minutes later to make it 13-10. The Warriors wasted no time starting their 6-on-5 sets down three, but Riley Hutchcraft was able to make three solid saves on the first possession and another one up close on the next, however, the Warriors were able to break through with 2:08 to play with a low-to-high shot from Adam Charalambides. Dan Coates blocked a dunk attempt with a minute to play and then Hutchcraft saved one with 30 seconds to go, and that would be it. The Knighthawks would head into Christmas with a 3-0 record after a 13-11 victory.

Coach Mike Hasen started the holiday festivities by securing his 100th career victory, becoming the 6th coach to reach that milestone (more on the feat here). Ryan Lanchbury led the Knighthawks with 2 goals and 5 assists in his first home game with the team. Ryan Smith celebrated his 26th birthday with 3 goals and 2 assists, while Connor Fields added 2 goals and 3 assists. Riley Hutchcraft stopped 20 of the 23 shots he faced in the 24:12 he played following the injury to Rylan Hartley, who had 25 saves on 33 shots faced. The 3-0 Hawks will head to San Diego and face the Seals on Friday Night.

For the Warriors, Adam Charalambides had 2 goals and 3 assists, while Keegan Bal had a goal and 4 assists. Owen Grant registered his first 3 career goals out the back door. The Warriors will also be on the road this weekend, facing the Mammoth in Denver on Saturday Night.

Toronto Rock 13 – Panther City 10

Panther City erased a 9-5 deficit with a 5-goal run, but the Rock scored the final four goals in the last 7:24 to take a win in their first trip to Texas. Mark Matthews, who scored the first two of those final four goals 21 seconds apart, continued his hot start to his tenure with Toronto, netting 3 goals and adding 3 assists. Chris Boushy also had 3 goals and added an assist, and Challen Rogers and Dan Craig each had a goal and 4 assists. Nick Rose made 43 saves in the win. Nick Damude made 40 saves of his own despite taking the loss. Will Malcom had 2 goals and 3 assists to lead Panther City, while Jonathan Donville and Callum Crawford had a goal and 3 assists each. Toronto improves to 2-0, one of four remaining undefeated teams, while Panther City falls to 1-2.

Georgia Swarm 15 – Colorado Mammoth 8

The Swarm bounced back from a disappointing trip to Vancouver, rattling off 3 goals in the first three minutes on their way to a 15-8 victory over the Mammoth, sweeping their season series. Shayne Jackson had a goal and 6 assists to lead the way for the Swarm, while Lyle Thompson added 2 goals and 4 assists. Seth Oakes continued his hot start with 4 goals and an assist. Jordan MacIntosh had 2 goals and 3 assists out the back door. Brett Dobson outdueled Dillon Ward with 42 saves to Ward’s 35. The Mammoth’s offense had a full-man unit each putting up 3 points each, with Connor Robinson scoring 3 goals (Kelly 2G 1A, Gibson, McLaughlin, and Kinnear 1G 2A). Georgia improves to 2-1 headed into their trip to Buffalo on Friday Night to face the Bandits, while the Mammoth are one of 3 winless teams.

Week 5 Preview

Georgia Swarm (2-1) @ Buffalo Bandits (1-1) – Friday, December 29, 7:30pm (ESPN+ and WNLO)

The Bandits host their Winterfest game on Friday Night, with the Bandits looking to build off their pre-holiday win against the Seals back on the 16th. Buffalo won both meetings last season, first an 18-9 win in Duluth on January 7, and then an 11-9 win the following Saturday at home. The big difference between the two meetings was the goaltending, as the second of the two games was Brett Dobson’s first career start. Since then he has a 10.79 GAA and .779 SV% between the pipes for Georgia. The trio of Lyle Thompson, Andrew Kew, and Shayne Jackson leads the Swarm offense early on as they did last season, with Seth Oakes and Brendan Bomberry also finding the net routinely through 3 games.

The Swarm’s last win against the Bandits came on March 9, 2019.

Rochester Knighthawks (3-0) @ San Diego Seals (1-1) – Friday, December 29, 10:00pm (ESPN+)

San Diego will play host to what is looking to be the marquee matchup of the weekend, as the Seals will look to be the first team to slow down the Knighthawks at the finish line for the first time this season. Connor Fields will bring his 22 points in 3 games with him for his return to San Diego for the first time since being traded to Buffalo during the COVID pause. He had 20 goals and 29 assists in his 14 appearances for the Seals, including 3 goals and 3 assists in the only other matchup between the Knighthawks and Seals, which took place the weekend before COVID.

As with the Knighthawks forwards, the Seals’ top 4 are also off to a strong start through two games, with Curtis Dickson, Austin Staats, Wes Berg, and Dan Dobbie each averaging over 4 points per game. With two high-powered offenses and strong physical defenses, the goaltending matchup between Chris Origlieri and Riley Hutchcraft will be key, as will the faceoff matchup between Joe Post and Trevor Baptiste.

Philadelphia Wings (1-2) @ Halifax Thunderbirds (2-0) – Friday, December 29, 6:30pm (ESPN+)

The Thunderbirds will be hosting a Teddy Bear Toss to raise money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Canada as they look to improve to 3-0 with the banged-up Wings coming to town. The Thunderbirds have won all 4 previous matchups since moving to Halifax, with the last Wings win over the franchise coming February 1, 2019.

New York Riptide (0-2) @ Toronto Rock (2-0) – Saturday, December 30, 4:00pm (TSN and ESPNU)

The Riptide’s quest for their first win of the season doesn’t get easier to close out the new year, as they will head to Hamilton to look to slow down Mark Matthews and the Toronto Rock, who scored 37 goals in their two matchups last season. New York’s lone win in four tries against the Rock came in a 14-13 win on February 26, 2022.

Las Vegas Desert Dogs (1-2) @ Calgary Roughnecks (0-2) – Saturday December 30, 9:00pm

The Roughnecks return to the teal turf for their first home game of the 2023-24 season, and they are still looking for their first win after road losses to Rochester and San Diego to open the season. They and the Desert Dogs split the season series last year, with both teams winning their home matchups, including a 12-7 Roughneck victory coming at the Saddledome on April 14.

Vancouver Warriors (1-2) @ Colorado Mammoth (0-2) – Saturday, December 30, 9:00pm

For the Mammoth, they get their first chance to face a team that isn’t the Swarm. Of course, the team they will be hosting on Saturday Night is the team that defeated the Swarm for their first win of the season. Vancouver and Colorado split their home games last season, with the Mammoth winning the last matchup in Denver 12-5 on April 8.

Albany FireWolves (3-0) @ Saskatchewan Rush (1-2) – Sunday, December 31, 8:00pm

The hottest team in the NLL travels to Saskatoon for the hottest party in town on New Year’s Eve, being hosted by the Rush. The 17-5 victory for the Rush in their last game against Vegas helped out the confidence level in their locker room and will certainly help them in that department with the young FireWolves looking to head into 2024 with a 4-0 record. Albany won the lone matchup between the two teams by a 10-5 score on January 8, 2022. The then-Black Wolves won the last time the franchises met in Saskatchewan, with New England winning that one as well by a 12-8 score.

As part of looking to keep that strong start going, the FireWolves made a move this week to add another veteran body to the mix, sending 2023 second-round forward Carson Moyer and a 2025 second to Colorado for defenseman Anthony Joaquim and a 2025 third. Joaquim was drafted initially by the Black Wolves 8th overall in 2017, playing 13 games his rookie year before the Wings selected him in their 2018 expansion draft.

Photo Credit: Micheline Veluvolu/ Rochester Americans