The Rochester Knighthawks have a chance to become the first team in NLL history to win three consecutive Champion’s Cup titles. Looking at their current roster, it is hard to argue they do not have a strong chance of doing so.
The Knighthawks feature a deadly offense that posted 179 goals last season, second best in the eastern division behind the Toronto Rock. The offense is led by two time NLL Champion’s Cup MVP, as well as recent Mann Cup MVP, Cody Jamieson. The Six Nations product led Rochester in all major offensive categories with 28 goals and 61 assists for 89 points. Assisting Jamieson in the scoring department is Dan Dawson. In his first season with the Knighthawks, Dawson finished second behind Jamieson in regular season scoring with 75 points. The duo tied for the team lead in playoff scoring with 14 points each.
This dangerous offensive duo is joined by a steady supporting cast of contributors. This includes the likes of Cory Vitarelli and youngster Johnny Powless, both of whom have had back-to-back seasons totaling over 20 goals and 40 points. Mike Accursi and Joe Walters combined for 70 points this year. Walters also stepped up in the post season with 12 points in three games, trailing only Jamieson and Dawson for the playoff scoring lead. After being limited to 12 games this year, Stephen Keogh saw his production drop from 58 to 28 points from 2012 to 2013.
While Rochester’s offense is threatening, the phrase “defense wins championships” definitely holds true for the Knighthawks. Rochester’s back end allowed just 165 goals against last season, lowest in the league.
Anchoring the defense is goaltender Matt Vinc. Vinc led all netminders in goals against average with 10.17 and saves with 662 while posting eight wins. The Canisius College grad was crowned NLL Goaltender of the Year in 2013, his third time receiving the honor in the past four years.
From the net out, a steady mixture of hard nosed defense and athleticism make for a solid Knighthawks D-core. Captain Sid Smith holds down the fort on defense, leading the team in forced turnovers with 16. Smith is joined by other defensive stalwarts Mike Kirk, Scott Self, Dylan Evans and Rory Glaves.
The Knighthawks defense also features transitional minded players with the ability to push the ball up floor. This group is led by Brad Self, who finished the season with 22 points and a team leading 96 loose balls.. After missing the 2012 campaign due to work commitments, Joel McCready was a welcomed force in transition averaging one point per game. Other transitional threats include Scott Campbell, Tyler Burton and Jimmy Purves.
On the heels of back-to-back NLL titles, the Rochester Knighthawks are in the midst of building a dynasty. With just three selections in the recent entry draft and a strong returning core, Rochester seems content on keeping their championship roster in tact, and for good reason.
