The San Jose Stealth opened their fourth season in National
Lacrosse League competition Friday with a 14-11 loss to the
Rochester Knighthawks in front of 4,417 fans at HP Pavilion at San
Jose.
By Bob Burch Staff Writer
San Jose – The San Jose Stealth opened their fourth season in National Lacrosse League competition Friday with a 14-11 loss to the Rochester Knighthawks in front of 4,417 fans at HP Pavilion at San Jose.
The Knighthawks came into the contest with a record of 0-1, dropping a 20-15 decision to the defending champion Colorado Mammoth. The Evans brothers accounted for seven Rochester goals last weekend, four from Scott, three from Shawn.
That one game of experience may have made the difference because the Knighthawks scored three power play goals and three other tallies off set plays in the first half as the visitors swept to a 9-6 lead.
The Stealth had the lead for 25 seconds in the first half. Gary Rosyski received a behind-the-back pass from newcomer Colin Doyle while on a power play and deposited the ball inside the right post with 5:08 left in the 15-minute first quarter.
Rochester responded with Brian Croswell’s goal from the high slot at 4:43.
Rochester escaped the first quarter with a 4-2 lead. The pace quickened in the second quarter with nine goals.
Scott Evans provided three goals and one assist, Shawn Evans two goals for Rochester in the opening 30 minutes. Rosyski sparked the San Jose attack in the first half with two goals and two assists.
Two power play goals and one shorthander accounted for all of the scoring in the third quarter.
San Jose’s lone goal came off a 25-foot wrist shot from Luke Wiles, his second tally of the game with 11:07 left in the third on a San Jose extra-man opportunity.
Rochester opened the scoring in the fourth quarter with Shawn Williams’s third goal of the night at 14:02.
After San Jose killed a penalty for the first time in five attempts, the Stealth closed to 12-8 when Rosyski earned a hat trick at the 9:11 mark.
Shawn Evans earned his sixth assist of the game on a Ken Millen goal at 5:38. Millen, who finished with four helpers, added a goal with the teams 4-on-4 at 2:20 for a 14-8 cushion.
The Stealth managed a shorthander from Luke Wiles at 1:24, his third of the game. San Jose needed 12 seconds to make it 14-10 when Doyle drilled his first goal at 1:12.
Kyle Sorensen, the Stealth’s first-round draft pick this year, made a shorthander with 36.3 left for the 14-11 final. San Jose set a franchise record with three short-handed goals.
