The defending champion Rochester Knighthawks announced today the signing of Josh Kacprzak, Mark Farthing, Miller Rusbridge, Ben VanEvery and Chris Courtney to one-year contracts. VanEvery’s contract is pending league approval.
The quintet of players will attend the team’s Training Camp the weekend of Saturday, November 24th to Sunday, November 25th at Total Sports Experience in Gates.
Courtney brings NLL experience with him to camp, having played in the NLL in 2008. He was the 27th overall pick in the 2007 NLL Entry Draft by the Minnesota Swarm. The defender from Hagersville, Ontario appeared in two games during his rookie season. In his debut on January 11, 2008 against Toronto, he scored a goal and secured eight loose balls, playing with current Knighthawks and former Swarm players Craig Point, Travis Hill, Ryan Cousins and Andy Secore.
After a four-year absence from the NLL, Courtney is trying to make a comeback. The 24-year old, nicknamed “Bubba,” began the summer with the Six Nations Slash of the Senior “B” Can-Am League before being called up to the Six Nations Chiefs. He also won the Creators Cup with the Ohsweken Demons. He appeared in all 14 regular season games, totaling three goals, 11 assists and 46 penalty minutes.
VanEvery returns to Rochester after serving as a backup to former goaltender Pat O’Toole. In 2009, the Brantford, Ontario product played in three games, collecting 26 saves in 44 minutes. He posted a .788 save percentage and averaged 9.57 goals-against average. Originally drafted in the 2007 NLL Draft by Chicago, VanEvery won the 2007 Minto Cup the Junior “A” Six Nations Arrows. That season, he was crowned a Junior “A” All-Star and won the Bob Melville Memorial Trophy given to the top goaltender in the league. He was also a member of the 2012 Canadian Lacrosse League champion Ohsweken Demons.
The next signing hails from Rochester and was a high school football and lacrosse standout at the Aquinas Institute. In 2012, Kacprzak suited up for the Newton Golden Eagles of the Senior “B” Can-Am League. He spent the previous two seasons with the Rochester Greywolves. He totaled 21 points and 60 penalty minutes with the Greywolves in 2010 and 2011. He was honored as a Can-Am League All-Star in 2011 and 2012.
Kacprzak graduated from the New York Institute of Technology in 2010, where was an All-East Coast Conference Honorable Mention his senior year. The defender led the Bears with 14 caused turnovers as a junior and 12 as a senior. He collected 64 ground balls in his two seasons with NYIT.
The defending champion Knighthawks also signed Mann Cup champ Mark Farthing. In 2012, he played for the Peterborough Lakers alongside current Knighthawks Brad Self and Cory Vitarelli. The defenseman has played for the Lakers’ Major Series Lacrosse team since being called up in 2010. He also played in 59 games over four seasons with the Junior “A” Peterborough squad (2007-10). Farthing was originally selected in the sixth round of the 2010 NLL Entry Draft by the Colorado Mammoth.
The Peterborough, Ontario native suited up with the Brampton Inferno. The Inferno fell one game short of playing for the inaugural CLax Championship. They dropped a one-point decision to the eventual champions, the Ohsweken Demons. He scored 10 goals and notched 18 assists in 14 regular season games. He led the team with three shorthanded goals.
Rusbridge already has experience playing for Rochester Head Coach Mike Hasen. For the past two seasons, Rusbridge has played for the Brampton Excelsiors, who are coached by Hasen. In 2011, the Excelsiors won the Mann Cup. Rusbridge played with the Peel Avengers in the 2012 CLax season. He also played for the Senior “B” Oakville Titans, formerly located in Wellington, since 2010. The Guelph, Ontario native also has a Minto Cup victory under his belt, having won the title with current Knighthawks Cody Jamieson and Craig Point with the Six Nations Arrows.
