Game Preview - Halifax vs Rochester
Jan 24, 2024
The Halifax Thunderbirds are back in action on Saturday night as they welcome the Rochester Knighthawks to Scotiabank Centre for their first of two meetings this season. Opening face-off is set for 7:00 p.m. AT.
Head to Head
The Thunderbirds and Knighthawks faced off twice last season, with the home team coming out victorious on each occasion.
Halifax opened the season series with a commanding 17-7 victory at home last January, but Rochester answered back with a win of their own just a few weeks later, beating the Birds 16-14 in a back-and-forth contest at Blue Cross Arena.
The Thunderbirds hold a spotless 3-0 record in The Nest against Rochester. With the team needing to get back into the win column, this game against the two rivals should be a tight-checking affair.
Scouting the Thunderbirds
The Thunderbirds’ offence opened the season on a high, but the last few games have been tough sledding against a couple of world-class goaltenders. They’ve had just 19 goals over combined over their previous two outings, being held to single digits for the first time this season in their last game against Toronto.
Clarke Petterson (10G, 14A) currently paces the Thunderbirds, with Ryan Benesch (13G, 10A) and Randy Staats (9G, 14A) sitting right behind him. Staats has been on a tear since returning to the Thunderbirds’ lineup in the second game of the year. He’s currently averaging nearly six points a game over the first stretch of his season.
Captain Cody Jamieson (6G, 16A) continues to provide great play and leadership for his team. He finished the last game with three assists and a massive goal off a dunk behind the net in the late goings.
Austin Shanks was not in the lineup last game while Dawson Theede (8G, 7A) and Cole Kirst (1G, 6A) combined for just a point last game. Expect a full bounce back from the Halifax forward group in this game, especially with how big the stakes are given the current slide.
Jake Withers continues to up his play weekly, with the last game against Toronto being his best to date. He finished the game with two points to go along with 16 face-off wins, 21 loose balls, and five caused turnovers.
In goal, Warren Hill has held things down at the back for Halifax, but he’ll be in search of his third win of the year at home this weekend after coming up with 29 saves in the team’s last outing. He holds an 11.09 goals-against average and a .740 save percentage through five games this year.
Scouting the Knighthawks
Rochester boasts one of the most balanced offensive units in the league, with a good mix of young talent and established star power. Connor Fields (15G, 19A) and Ryan Smith (16G, 16A) lead the team in scoring, and they’ve also gotten great starts from trade acquisitions Ryan Lanchbury (6G, 16A) and Kyle Waters (8G, 10A) as well as 2022 first-overall pick Thomas McConvey (9G, 11A).
The Knighthawks also have a potent transition game, with several players who are able to get out and run. Matt Gilray (5G, 5A) has been a big presence in transition, with Dan Coates (4A) and Ryland Rees (1G, 3A) also stepping up this year. Former Thunderbird Brad Gillies is also a threat with the ball in his stick.
In net, Rochester will go with Riley Hutchcraft, who has taken over the crease since an early-season injury to starter Rylan Hartley. He holds a 2-2 record on the year with a 13.06 GAA and a .760 SV%.
Milestone Tracker
- Randy Staats needs one goal to reach 200 for his career...Needs six loose balls to reach 400 for his career
- Ryan Benesch needs four goals to surpass Colin Doyle for fifth on the all-time goals list (528)
- Warren Hill needs eight saves to reach 2,000 for his career
- Graeme Hossack needs two points to reach 100 for his career
- Jake Withers needs four face-off wins to surpass Bob Snider for eighth on the all-time list (1,577)...Needs 27 face-off wins to become only the ninth player in NLL history to reach 1,600 face-off wins
- Luc Magnan needs one game played to reach 100 for his career...Needs one loose ball to reach 400 for his career
- Cody Jamieson needs 10 assists to reach 600 for his career
Broadcast Info
Fans looking to catch the Thunderbirds in action this weekend can tune into the game on TSN+ in Canada and ESPN+ in the United States.