After losing Game 1 of the Champion’s Cup to the Calgary Roughnecks last weekend, the Rochester Knighthawks will be fighting an uphill battle Saturday night when they host Game 2. They’ll be looking to even the series and force a tie-breaking mini-game in order to have a shot at the first-ever NLL three-peat.
The Knighthawks have enjoyed a great deal of success at home this year, going 9-1 in Blue Cross Arena (10-1 if you count the mini-game win two weeks ago against the Buffalo Bandits in the East Division Finals), so it shouldn’t be at all surprising if they can mount a comeback in this series.
Cody Jamieson has averaged four points per game (6 G, 10 A in 4 games) in the postseason after leading the NLL in scoring during the regular season (108 points). Along with Joe Walters (2 G, 8 A in the playoffs) and Cory Vitarelli (5 G, 2 A), Jamieson will be called upon to find ways to beat Calgary goaltender Mike Poulin, who made huge save after huge save in last week’s game to keep the Knighthawks at bay.
Shawn Evans is having a tremendous playoff run for the Roughnecks, scoring 11 goals and adding 16 assists to lead all postseason scorers with 27 points. Curtis Dickson (10 G, 10 A), Dane Dobbie (11 G, 6 A) and Daryl Veltman (4 G, 13 A) are all contributing big playoff numbers as well.
Both teams have roster question marks that could have a major impact on the outcome on Saturday night.
Dan Dawson was second on the Knighthawks in scoring during the regular season with 91 points and is a key figure in Rochester’s offensive unit. “Dangerous Dan” missed last weekend due to a concussion suffered in the previous round and if he can’t play in Game 2, it could seriously hurt the K’Hawks’ chances of three-peating. If he can play, however, it will add extra pressure to Calgary’s defense and won’t allow them to focus on neutralizing Jamieson.
Calgary’s faceoff specialist Geoff Snider—the all-time leader in faceoff wins—hasn’t played since a knee injury sustained in the Roughnecks’ playoff win over the Colorado Mammoth three weeks ago. His ability to dominate in that role is good for at least a goal per game due to the extra possessions he can create and his absence from the lineup makes winning that much harder. If he can suit up for the game, Calgary will gain a huge possession advantage which might put them over the top.
Game 2 of the Champion’s Cup goes at 8 pm ET in Rochester and is viewable on TV and You Tube through a number of sources. If the Knighthawks win, they force a deciding 10-minute mini-game for all the marbles to be played immediately following the conclusion of Game 2.
