Iroquois Nationals Announce Bowhunter Cup Roster

The Iroquois Nationals have announced their roster for the Third Annual Bowhunter Cup, which will take place at The Blue Cross Arena on Saturday, October 13th at 8:00 p.m. The Iroquois Nationals will take on the United States in the International Exhibition at the home of the National Lacrosse League Rochester Knighthawks.

“We look forward to an exciting game, between two highly talented teams with stacked rosters,” said Iroquois Nationals General Manager Gewas Schindler. “We are very fortunate to have so many Native Iroquois Rochester Knighthawks players on our roster. I would like to thank (Knighthawks Owner/GM) Curt Styres and the Knighthawk staff for making this possible.”

The Iroquois team will be coached by Knighthawks Hall of Famer Duane Jacobs. The Assistant coach is Ron Henry of the Buffalo Bandits. The Nationals roster includes over a dozen players with ties to the Knighthawks and the nearby Buffalo Bandits.

The Knighthawks will have six players and one coach from the 2012 World Championship team in the Iroquois lineup that night. Cody Jamieson, the 2012 NLL Championship Game MVP, leads an offense that includes Johnny Powless, Craig Point, Alex “Kedoh” Hill, and current Knighthawks Assistant Coach Andy Secore. The defense/transition position will feature Knighthawks Sid Smith and Travis Hill.

Jamieson finished last year’s world indoor championships with All-World Team and Most Valuable Transition Player honors. Powless will play in his first Bowhunter Cup after completing his rookie season in the NLL with a Champion’s Cup. The 19-year-old forward also won the 2012 winner of the NLL’s Sportsmanship Award and was an All-Rookie Team member. “Kedoh” Hill enters the game after an impressive summer in which he earned the Major Series Lacrosse Rookie of the Year. Point enters his sixth season in the NLL and fifth with the Knighthawks in 2013. In 2012, he averaged over three points per game in the playoffs and the regular season. Secore last played for the Iroquois Nationals at the 2011 FIL World Lacrosse Championships and will make his return to the turf for the Nationals in the Bowhunter Cup.

The Iroquois will rely on two Knighthawks from the 2012 NLL Championship team in Smith and Hill. Smith was the team captain of the Iroquois team that won silver in Prague at the 2011 FIL World Indoor Lacrosse Championships. He earned All-World Team and Most Valuable Defensive Player honors. Hill played for the Iroquois Nationals at the 2007 and 2011 World Championships.

The Bandits have five players on the Iroquois roster, which includes the goaltending tandem of Angus Goodleaf and Mike Thompson. The game is the final contest for Thompson, who retired from the NLL this offseason. The Iroquois will also feature Buffalo second-year pro Jeremy Thompson, and veterans Brandon Francis and Tom Montour.

The Iroquois also have NLL stars Jeff Shattler and Brett Bucktooth, who both played for the silver-medal Iroquois Nationals at the 2011 FIL World Indoor Lacrosse Championships. Shattler, who plays for the Calgary Roughnecks of the NLL, finished the tournament with 10 goals and 11 assists. Bucktooth of the Washington Stealth will join the potent offense as he plays in his third Bowhunter Cup for the Iroquois.

Tickets are currently on sale and can be purchased at all Ticketmaster outlets, ticketmaster.com, at The Blue Cross Arena Box Office or by calling 1-800-745-3000. Individual tickets range in price from $18 to $30, while group seats are $13 to $22. Knighthawks and Buffalo Bandits season ticket holders will receive special individual pricing.

The Iroquois Nationals are 4-1 all-time against the United States in indoor competition. In last year’s Bowhunter Cup, the Iroquois Nationals edged Team USA 14-13 at Oneida Indian Nation’s Turning Stone Resort Casino at the Event Center. The win evened the series at one win apiece. In the inaugural Bowhunter Cup in 2010, USA earned its first ever win over the Iroquois Nationals, a 13-11 victory, at the War Memorial at Oncenter in Syracuse.