Powless gets club ready for Cobras...
By SAL MAIORANA
Knighthawks coach, Barry Powless
Water bottles were being drained at an unprecedented pace last Tuesday night during the Rochester Knighthawks’ weekly practice.
Coach Barry Powless, greatly disappointed by his team’s performance last Saturday during a 15-14 loss to the New York Saints, conducted what many players said was the toughest workout they had gone through since the team’s inception.
“I think they realize that’s the route I’m going to take,” Powless said at the conclusion of the grueling two-hour session. “If it takes us practicing the same way we’re going to play the following Saturday, then we’re going to run them. They’re going to look forward to the games. We’re not giving them any slack at all.”
Powless knows that his team threw away a game it should have won last week, and Tuesday’s drudgery was a not-so-subtle reminder that a similar effort will not be tolerated tonight when the Knighthawks host the expansion Charlotte Cobras at the War Memorial.
“The guys have to put their minds to it and be focused on doing the job,” Powless said. “We certainly didn’t do it last Saturday against New York. We came out flat.
“Maybe guys were reading their press clippings about how they were supposed to win, but what they have to realize is they have to do it. There’s no switch that you turn on and off like a light. They have to come to the game prepared to play.”
Paul Gait
Powless was not alone in his thinking. Several Knighthawks admitted they didn’t put forth their best effort, and they can only hope the damage wasn’t too severe.
“It could come back to haunt us because in a short season like this, you have to win the games you should win and we should have beaten New York,” said Duane Jacobs.
“I think our ballclub just thought we had to show up and we’d win, that doesn’t work in this league. It definitely brought guys down a couple of notches.”
If the Knighthawks are focused and ready to play, they should have little trouble wiping out the Cobras. Charlotte’s roster contains 21 Major Indoor Lacrosse League rookies who are still trying to find their way in the indoor game.
With that in mind, Powless is going to rest superstar Paul Gait. Gait, who has never missed a MILL game in his six-year career, continues to be bothered by a back injury. Powless also is playing two rookies — former Syracuse University standouts Mark Fietta and Roy Colsey.
His reasoning is that because Charlotte is undeniably the weakest team in the league, Colsey and Fietta can use this game to learn the game. Neither has played indoor lacrosse before this season.
“They’ll (the Cobras) be ready to play and by no means are we taking them lightly,” Powless said. “But we want to get these guys (Colsey and Fietta) in game situations to execute what we’ve been practicing. I’m confident in the guys we’re putting into the lineup.”
One aspect the Knighthawks need to execute is playing better defense. Goalie Steve Dietrich has been bombarded with 175 shots (119 on goal) in two games. “I think our team is thinking too offensive-minded,” Jacobs said. “Last year we took care of our own end first and went from there. We got ground balls, played tough defense, and that’s where our success came from. I think that’s what we have to get back to starting Saturday night.”
Two players who should help in that area are Tom Emmick and Irondequoit native Matt Kerwick, both five-year veterans who will be making their season debuts tonight. Kerwick is a solid two-way player, while Emmick is a physical force in the defensive end.
GAME NOTES:
Cobras-Knighthawks
When: 8 tonight at the War Memorial.
Radio: WHAM 1180-AM.
Last meeting: Charlotte is an expansion team, so this is its first meeting with Rochester.
Knighthawks update: Paul Gait will not play due to a nagging back injury. Also sitting out will be Mike Benedict, Jim Blanding and Jeremy Hollenbeck. In their places are Roy Colsey, Mark Fietta, Tom Emmick and Irondequoit’s Matt Kerwick. … Knighthawks have been outshot 119-90, but have a 31-26 edge in goals and a 155-140 advantage in ground balls. … Chris Driscoll leads team in scoring with 5-7-12. … Goalie Steve Dietrich has save percentage of 78.2…. The lines will be: Emmick, Driscoll, Rex Lyons, Brian Lemon and Regy Thorpe; Kerwick, Colsey, Tim Soudan, Cam Bomberry, Peter Parke; Fietta, Matt Riter, Randy Mearns, Duane Jacobs and Brian Silcott.
Cobras update: Lost first two games in team history, both to Boston by lopsided scores of 17-4 and 19-9. … Twenty-one of 23 players on roster are MILL rookies. Only forward Chris Bates and goalie Dwight Maetche have MILL experience. Bates had 2 goals and 3 assists for Philadelphia in the Wings’ 15-14 championship game victory over Rochester last April. … Pat McCready, who is the son of former Buffalo coach Buff McCready, leads Cobras in scoring with 4-1-5 while Ryan Wade is 2-1-3. First-round draft pick Matt Ogelsby leads in ground balls with 24. Maetche has a save percentage of 71.2.
