Bandits Steal Win From Knighthawks
By: Thad Brown
Updated: April 21, 2012
The Rochester Knighthawks fell to the Buffalo Bandits tonight, 14-9,
behind a 46-save effort from goalie Anthony Cosmo. The Knighthawks and
Bandits are now tied for third in the East Division with 6-9 records.
The
Bandits clinched the last playoff spot, with one regular season game
remaining. Rochester got a hat trick from Cory Vitarelli and four points
from Cody Jamieson
(1+3). The Knighthawks broke through in the third and fourth with runs
of 3-0 and 4-0, but Buffalo used a 7-0 run over the final two quarters
to break open a 7-5 game.
Mark
Steenhuis led Buffalo in scoring (4+4). Luke Wiles (3+1), Tracey
Kelusky (2+1), Mat Giles (2+4), and Chad Culp followed. Matt Vinc took
the loss with 24 saves,
while Jake Henhawk stopped all five shots he faced.
In
the first quarter, Vinc and Cosmo were solid in net with Buffalo taking
a 2-1 lead. Buffalo put the first point on the board with a goal by
Luke Wiles at 4:39. At
4:45, Tyler Burton tied the score at one, scoring his first goal of the
season. Chad Culp added the last goal of the quarter making it 2-1
Buffalo.
Buffalo,
with solid goaltending by Cosmo, started to breakaway in the second
quarter scoring four out of five goals. Wiles and Kelusky scored for
Buffalo at 1:12 and
2:08. The Knighthawks second goal came by Stephen Keogh at 3:06, but
Buffalo went into halftime with momentum when goals by Steenhuis and Jay
Thorimbert put Buffalo ahead, 6-2.
To
start the third quarter the Knighthawks came out firing. After a Giles
goal to put Buffalo ahead 7-2, Johnny Powless, Vitarelli, and Jamieson
scored three straight
goals seconds apart to make the score 7-5.
The
Bandits weathered the storm when Wiles scored his third goal of the
game at 6:28, which was followed by a goal by Steenhuis, his second goal
of the night, making
the score 9-5. Buffalo continued to score two more goals before the
third quarter came to an end. Kevin Buchanan and Kelusky scored putting
Buffalo up 11-5.
To
start the fourth, Rochester had an opportunity to score with their
third power play of the game, but Steenhuis yet again scored, putting in
a shorthanded goal, making
the score 12-5 Bandits. Buffalo added two more goals to make the score
14-5.
Rochester
stopped Buffalo's scoring run and started one of their own. Vitarelli
started the run with a shorthanded goal at 6:14 followed goals by
Jarrett Davis and Accursi
to make it 14-8. Vitarelli added the last goal of the game as Buffalo
beat Rochester for the second time this season, 14-9.
Rochester hosts the Philadelphia Wings on Saturday, April 28th at 7:30 p.m. 
