The Rochester Knighthawks earned their first win of the preseason Saturday afternoon, defeating the Philadelphia Wings 12-8 at the Toronto Rock Athletic Centre. With the victory, the Knighthawks finished their preseason weekend with a 1-1 record after a 16-13 loss to Calgary on Friday night in Brampton.
Rochester’s first preseason win was powered by the Ryans — Lanchbury and Smith — who combined for four goals and five assists. The dynamic duo helped the Knighthawks seize control in the second quarter, sparking a five-goal run that sent Rochester into halftime with a 6-3 lead.
Lanchbury was in full command offensively, assisting on four straight goals — including two from fellow Burlington, Ontario, native Ryan Smith, who recorded a first-half hat trick. Smith’s final goal came in dramatic fashion, beating Philadelphia goaltender Nick Damude with one second remaining in the half. Netminder Riley Hutchcraft made seven of his 15 saves in the second quarter to help preserve the lead.
The second quarter also featured tallies from rookies Amos Whitcomb and Clifford Gaston, along with a marker from Graydon Hogg. Whitcomb opened his preseason scoring account on a breakaway pass from Tyler Biles, cutting the deficit to one at 1:43. Smith tied the game at three midway through the frame before Gaston’s rocket from the right wing put Rochester ahead for good. Hogg added another at 12:09 with a low five-hole shot before Smith’s buzzer-beater capped the 5-0 surge.
Hogg finished with two goals and two assists, while Gaston added three points (1+2) and Biles contributed a pair of helpers. Thomas McConvey had a strong second half, recording two goals and two assists, while Rylan Hartley turned aside 12 shots after taking over in the third quarter.
McConvey helped Rochester extend its lead in the second half, scoring once and setting up back-to-back goals to turn a narrow 7-6 edge into a comfortable advantage. He scored his second of the night at 10:40, then fed Gareth Haigh for a goal at 12:55 of the third. Early in the fourth, McConvey found Lanchbury in the slot for a quick-stick finish that made it 10-6.
Hogg and rookie Adam Thistlethwaite closed out the scoring in the fourth quarter, with Thistlethwaite burying a full-field breakaway pass from Biles for his second goal of the preseason.
The Knighthawks only trailed for one quarter as Damude was stellar in his 30 minutes of work, making 24 saves – including 13 in the first quarter. The Knighthawks came out firing in the first quarter but were limited to a Smith tally early in the quarter. Philadelphia responded with three straight goals, including two in a 16-second span to take a 3-1 lead.
Against Calgary on Friday, Rochester showcased a balanced offensive effort with 11 different goal scorers, led by two-goal performances from Ryan Lanchbury and rookie Clifford Gaston. Additional tallies came from Ryan Smith, Thomas McConvey, Matt Gilray, Josh Medeiros, Chad Tutton, Brad McCulley, Graydon Hogg, Gareth Haigh, and Adam Thistlethwaite.
Rochester begins the 2025-26 NLL season on Sunday, Dec. 14, with a 5:00 p.m. matchup against the San Diego Seals. The Knighthawks then return home to Segar & Sciortino Field at The Blue Cross Arena on Saturday, Dec. 20, when they host the Philadelphia Wings at 7 p.m. For ticket information, please call (585) 510-1616 or email tickets@knighthawks.com.
