The Rochester Knighthawks have matched the New England Black Wolves’ qualifying offer and have re-signed restricted free agent Stephen Keogh to a four-year contract agreement pending league approval. As per the league’s rules, the Knighthawks had 72 hours to match the offer in order to retain the right-handed forward.
Keogh was selected by Rochester second overall in the 2011 NLL Draft after a standout career at Syracuse University. He scored 26 goals and 32 assists in his rookie year. The next season, Keogh struggled, appearing in just 12 games and scoring 13 goals and 11 assists. He bounced back in 2014 with a breakout season, scoring 33 goals and adding 38 assists to help the Knighthawks win their third-straight championship. Keogh would bring plenty of winning experience to a young Black Wolves team hungry for proven players.
New England is undergoing a serious reconstruction of their roster. They made a handful of deals that left them with 10 selections in the recent 2014 NLL Entry Draft. Among their selections were a pair of righty forwards: Quinn Powless with the 8th overall selection and Matt Crough with the 15th pick.
The 2015 NLL season starts on Friday, Jan. 2 at Mohegan Sun Arena as the Black Wolves host the Buffalo Bandits to open the league’s 29th year. Rochester opens the season at home against the Toronto Rock on Saturday, Jan. 3 at Blue Cross Arena.
