Saturday night, Rochester and Philadelphia meet
at Comcast Spectacor’s First Union Center in a matchup that
is growing into a bitter rivalry. The Knighthawks, one of only
two teams to win in Philly last season, are looking to be the
respected team the Wings have been over their 13-year history
that has included five championships. Rochester was defeated in
last year’s championship game, a fate similar to their post-season
trip to Philadelphia in their inaugural season (1995). The K’Hawks
were World Champs in 1997. The Wings lead the all-time regular
season series 5-4, including a late 1998 regular season game both
teams and the Rochester fans remember which Philadelphia won in
overtime after the Knighthawks had tied the game with less than
one second left in the fourth quarter.
Rochester Knighthawks at Philadelphia Wings,
Saturday, 7:30 p.m., First Union Center
Broadcast Info.: TV:
Wings - Comcast SportsNet (live)
Radio: Knighthawks - WYSL-AM (1040) & WBER-FM (90.5)
& online at wber.monroe.edu
Records: Rochester (2-0),
Philadelphia (1-1)
Key Players: Rochester -
Goalie Pat O’Toole has a league-leading .818 save percentage,
making coach Paul Day’s decision a little easier. Veteran
netminder Steve Dietrich, in his sixth year as a Knighthawk and a
two-time Second Team All-Pro, underwent off-season surgeries on
both knees. John Grant, Jr., the first player selected in the NLL
Draft last September, is the only rookie in the league currently
leading his team in scoring.
Philadelphia - In last week’s game in Pittsburgh,
goalie Dallas Eliuk, pro indoor lacrosse’s all-time leader
in saves, went over 3,000 for his career (regular season). The 35-year
old, in his tenth pro season (all with the Wings), has a .761
save percentage this season, good for fourth in the NLL. Teammate
Kevin Finneran also hit a milestone in last week’s outing,
playing a record 97th consecutive game (regular season and
playoffs combined). He will be honored for that accomplishment
prior to this weekend’s game.
Notable: A win by the Knighthawks would tie the team
record (1998) for longest winning streak from the start of a
season...The game in Philadelphia last season between these two
teams was the one which ended Dietrich’s season, when he
suffered a knee injury in the first quarter...The last eight pro
indoor lacrosse championships have included one or both of these
teams...It will be “WWF Night” at the First Union
Center, with contests, video taped messages from WWF Superstars,
and giveaways. Fans who attended Monday night’s WWF Raw is
War can use those tickets to save three dollars on a lacrosse
ticket Saturday night...The television broadcast will be replayed
Sunday night (January 30) at 11:59 p.m. on Empire Sports Network
and again on the New England Sports Network on Tuesday (February
1) at 3 p.m.
Tickets: At the First Union
Center and all Ticketmaster locations throughout the Delaware
valley.