It’s early in the season, but it’s not too early to call Rochester the most improved NLL team.
“There’s a new vibe, a new culture, in our dressing room,” veteran forward Dan Dawson said of the 2-0 Knighthawks.
They missed the playoffs the last two years and scored a league-low 175 goals last season. That was 27 fewer than the next-weakest offense. They averaged just 9.7 goals a game.
“We were pretty pathetic,” Dawson confessed.
Losing star forward Cody Jamieson in the first game for the duration was a factor, and losing veteran forward Cory Vitarelli siphoned some gas from the offense’s tank, too. They are back, and that’s a factor in the improvement through two games — wins of 17-6 over Calgary and 21-11 over Buffalo for a 19-goals-a-game clip — but there is more to this story of Rochester resurgence.
Not to be underestimated is the decision to hand the offensive coaching reins to former players Mike Accursi and Marshall Abrams. They are having a major impact.
“They are putting people in position to be successful,” Dawson said. “Offense is like a chemistry experiment, and up front right now players are complimenting each other. We had a terrible shot selection last season, and our approach this year is to be extra-aggressive early in the shot clock.”
The roster rebuild is looking good with young players such as Graeme Hossack, Kyle Jackson and Josh Currier making significant contributions, and rookies such as Eric Fannell and Jake Withers fitting in seamlessly. Withers has won 30 of 41 faceoffs.
“Withers is giving us 10 to 15 extra possessions a game, which translates into more goals,” Dawson said. “And our shot selection is better. It’s about getting inside, getting to dirty areas and being aggressive. Last year we were too passive, including myself. And we’re pushing transition a lot more, too.”
Right-handed shooters Dawson, Currier and Joe Resitarits have been pouring in goals. They combined for seven against Buffalo.
“I’ve always loved playing with Joe over the years, including summer ball in Brampton,” Dawson said. “And Josh is young, so he’s only going to get better. We love our chemistry on the right side.”
Jamieson, Vitarelli, Jackson and Fannell shoot from the left side. It’s a potent combination. They combined for nine goals against the Bandits.
Former Buffalo captain Billy Dee Smith has added some toughness on the defense.
“Billy Dee played a smart game against his former team,” Dawson said. “He never let his emotions get to him. In the past, that might have happened. He’s a savvy veteran who knows where to be on the floor. In a recent conditioning session we did, he blew by everybody. He’s smart with the mileage he has on his body.”
As always, Matt Vinc is superb in the nets. Rochester won by 10 despite Buffalo’s 66-50 advantage in shots on goal.
“Vino is playing with a lot of confidence,” Dawson noted. “He’s the backbone of our team. He’s been playing outstanding.”
The challenge now is to keep a good thing going.
“It’s so important to get off to a good start, which we lacked the last two years,” Dawson said. “That was our goal — to start the season strong. We’re definitely excited about where we’re sitting right now, but it’s early.”
GOALS, GOALS, GOALS
Saskatchewan’s Ben McIntosh leads all goal scorers with 10 after getting five in each of his team’s two games.
McIntosh, 26, of Coquitlam, British Columbia, is in his fourth NLL season after being a two-time NCAA all-American at Drexel. McIntosh was the first overall draft pick in 2015 and was NLL rookie of the year with 37 goals. He scored 36 in his second season and 32 last winter. He’s well on his way to obliterating that number.
Mark Matthews of the Rush, who scored six times in a 24-11 home win over New England on Saturday, and Vancouver’s Logan Schuss have each scored seven goals. Rochester’s Dan Dawson and Kyle Jack son have six each.
FIRST NLL GOALS
Rochester’s Eric Fannell and Jake Withers and Georgia’s Zed Williams scored their first NLL goals during the weekend.
Fannell beat Buffalo goalie Alex Buque with an overhand shot from the middle of the Bandits zone that found a bottom corner of the net to give the Knighthawks an 8-3 lead in the second quarter. Fannell, 23, a 6-foot-2 lefty from St. Catharines, Ontario, via Ohio State, added a second goal on a fourth-quarter shot from a distance in his team’s 21-11 victory. Fannell was the sixth overall draft pick in September.
Withers made it 12-5 late in the second quarter. The 23-year-old native of Peterborough, Ontario, via Ohio State, won a faceoff, sped into the Bandits’ zone and whipped in a bouncer to make it 12-5. Rochester selected him second overall because of his faceoff proficiency, and the pick is paying off, as Withers has taken 41 draws and won 30.
Williams pulled in a breakaway pass from goalie Mike Poulin and beat Colorado goalie Dillon Ward to put George up 8-5 in the third quarter. The Mammoth dowsed his appreciation of the feat by scoring the next six goals to pull away for a 14-11 win so the game won’t be one of Williams’ favorite memories. The 22-year-old Virginia grad from Silver Creek, N.Y., was drafted fourth overall.
WEEK 4
(All times EST)
VANCOUVER (0-2) at NEW ENGLAND (1-1), Friday, 7:30 p.m.
Vancouver lost its home opener 15-8 to Colorado on Dec. 8 and lost 15-12 in Calgary on Dec. 15. It’s a bummer of a start, given the optimism generated last season, when the Stealth won their last three regular season games to make the playoffs for the first time in four years playing out of the Langley Events Centre.
New England won its home opener 13-11 over Georgia on Dec. 8 and was blown away 24-11 by Saskatchewan in its home opener Saturday. A 1-1 start isn’t bad, considering the Black Wolves were 0-3 out of the gate last season, but the Slaughter in Saskatoon suggests the Champion’s Cup will remain out of their reach.
The lone meeting last season was the last game of the regular season, April 29, and Vancouver won 17-16 on the road on a Cory Small goal in the seventh minute of overtime.
This will be the first of two meetings this season. They’ll square off again Feb. 24 at the LEC.
COLORADO (2-0) at CALGARY (1-1), Friday, 9 p.m.
Colorado won 15-8 at Vancouver on Dec. 8 and won its home opener 14-11 over Georgia last Saturday. The Mammoth weren’t supposed to be this good with injured veteran defensemen Danny Coates and Cam Holding on the shelf, but with Dillon Ward in the nets, anything seems possible.
Calgary lost 17-6 at Rochester on Dec. 9 and beat Vancouver 15-12 in its home opener Dec. 15.
This will be the first of three meetings. Calgary won both its home games against Colorado last season, while Colorado won at home 18-9 when they last met last March 3.
BUFFALO (1-1) at TORONTO (0-2), Saturday, 7 p.m.
Buffalo beat Toronto 13-9 in its home opener Dec. 8 and was bombed 21-11 in Rochester last Saturday. The Bandits had a 1-5 start last season, so they shouldn’t be moping, although it’ll be a struggle to make the playoffs if goaltender Alex Buque is going to be this inconsistent.
Toronto had a bye last weekend. After losing their opener in Buffalo, the Rock were crushed in their Dec. 16 home opener 17-9 by Saskatchewan. Four days later, the Rock traded veteran lefty forward Stephan Leblanc to New England for transition runner Sheldon Burns. Toronto had a 5-2 start last season. Concern mounts.
This will be the second of three meetings. Toronto won two of three last season. Buffalo’s lone win was 13-8 in Toronto last April 14.
ROCHESTER (2-0) at GEORGIA (0-2), Saturday, 7:05 p.m.
Rochester plays its first road game after winning at home 17-6 over Calgary on Dec. 9 and 21-11 over Buffalo last Saturday. After a 2-6 start last season, the Knighthawks’ big victory margins make them the league’s most improved team.
Georgia, the last team to stage a home opener, lost 13-11 at New England on Dec. 8 and blew an 8-5 lead in losing 14-11 in Denver on Saturday. No reason for alarm yet although 0-2 is worrisome given the 4-0 start last season.
“We’ve got to get back to what we do really well, which is moving our feet and swinging the ball and getting in and out of the middle,” head coach Ed Comeau said.
This will be the first of three meetings.
“We’ve got an enormous task ahead of us,” Dawson said. “They’re not a 0-2 team. We all know that. It’ll be a great measuring stick for us.”
Last season, Georgia won the first two and Rochester won the third 9-8 in Georgia on April 29, with both teams using backup goalies, since the Knighthawks had already been eliminated from playoff contention and the Swarm had already clinched first place overall.
BYE: Saskatchewan Rush (2-0) are off until Jan. 6, when they play in Georgia.