The Rochester Knighthawks had four draft picks this year and have signed two of them to one year deals, but what does each of the picks have that can add to the team?
Taylor Northway, a transition player from Delta, British Columbia played junior lacrosse with the Delta Islanders and was then called up to play for the Coquitlam Adanacs. Being the youngest guy on the team, he will be looking up to the veteran players and take in everything that they have to say in order to have a chance at cracking the lineup. Playing with the back-to-back champions may be intimidating for such a young player and the odds of him actually cracking the lineup are not very high but if he goes into training camp ready to play the game and get business done, he could make his NLL debut this season with Rochester.
Mark White is a transition player out of Oakville, Ontario who, growing up has formed a friendship with Knighthawks forward Dan Dawson. For the past few years, Dawson has been training with White in order to help try to make his dreams of playing in the NLL come true. The two played together for the past two summers on the Brampton Excelsiors of Major Series Lacrosse. Knighthawks coach Mike Hasen worked with White when he coached Brampton in 2012.
“He’s not afraid to get his nose dirty and get that loose ball, and he pushes the ball up the floor very well. He’s a righty, too, so he’ll add some depth in that area,” said Hasen.
On Transition, the Knighthawks have Matt Hummel, Brad Self, and Jimmy Purves (given that he signs with the Knighthawks again this season) all on the left but the only righty is Joel McCready. White has a good chance of cracking the lineup given that the left side is overflowing with players. The Knighthawks are in need of someone who can take some of the slack on the right. There is also a need for someone who is not afraid to fight for loose balls and get the ball across the floor. Aside from someone who can take face offs, having a player who can get the ball across the floor quickly is important for the Knighthawks to have.
Rochester’s other two draft picks, Brandon Styres and Zac Reid have yet to sign contracts with the team. Styres, a goalie out of Six Nations, Ontario has his work cut out for him. Having signed Matt Vinc to a five year deal and Angus Goodleaf coming back as back-up, Styres probably won’t see any playing time this season. Training with the team, though, may eventually mean some playing time for him in future seasons.
Zac Reid is a transition player who has played both Junior A Box Lacrosse with the St. Catharines Athletics and NCAA with Mercyhurst University. Having played both indoor and outdoor makes him a well-rounded player who could add depth to any team. Being able to play on both ends of the field is what makes him a player that the Knighthawks should sign and utilize. He, like Mark White, is a righty on a team that has a strong left handed transition.
Since there is so much returning talent on the Knighthawks already, the odds of these rookies cracking the lineup this season are slim. Rochester needs to make their choices wisely as to who they will be signing and who they will put on the field.
The team is going to have a target on their back this season as every other team in the NLL is going to try to take down the back-to-back defending champions so having a strong veteran force on the field is going to be something that the Knighthawks will bank on.
