The Rochester Knighthawks are either this good, or the Syracuse Smash are this bad.

Either way, the Knighthawks left the Onondaga Community War Memorial last night knowing that their season-opening 16-6 victory before an announced crowd of 5,213 is one they can be satisfied with because they earned it by executing every facet of the indoor game.

Additionally, they can boast that last night's score was indicative of the teams on the floor. The Knighthawks ran their offense with clarity and precision, and their defense with muscle and grit.

The Smash, meanwhile, could do nothing but run around the floor and hope for unsettled situations to capitalize on because their game plan afforded them little.

"We saw a team that likes to run," said Ross Cowie, the Syracuse goalie who was chased in the second period after Rochester built a 7-2 lead. "They're a disciplined team. They have a system and are a very unselfish team."

That much was evidenced by Rochester's scoring distribution. Nine different players scored in the first half and the defense, anchored up front by the ever-aggressive Regy Thorpe, helped the Knighthawks carry an 11-2 lead into halftime.

"It was really important to start off on the right foot," said Duane Jacobs, who had one goal and three assists. "Our depth really showed tonight. We spread the ball and the goals around."

Casey Zaph's goal just 50 seconds into the game started the momentum for Rochester, which opened the lead to 5-2 by the end of the first quarter. After Paul Gait's goal tied it at 1-1, goals by Rusty Kruger, Jeremy Hollenbeck, Cory Bomberry and Hollenbeck made it 5-1 before Gait's second goal with 36 seconds left in the quarter closed the gap.

Mike Hasen's goal 57 seconds into the second quarter opened a string of six unanswered goals for the Knighthawks.

Rochester's efficiency on offense and its ability to kill off nine first-half penalties helped, but it was the play of goalkeeper Pat O'Toole that was the defensive story for the team.

He made numerous easy saves that he credited to his defense.

"Our guys made them shoot from far out," said O'Toole, who finished with 54 saves to earn MVP honors. "When you're pressured and you can't get that extra step (to shoot), I get those shots right in my belly and it makes me look good."

Gait, a former Knighthawk and one of the game's best scorers, admitted that the play of O'Toole was frustrating.

"I was putting them on the corners, switching up and doing all kinds of things," said Gait, who finished with two goals. "He was on fire."

The play evened in the second half, but the deficit was too much for the Smash. Del Halladay's goal cut the Rochester lead to 11-3, but Casey Powell (3 goals, 2 assists) responded with a pair of goals and Tim Soudan scored at 9:08 for a 14-3 lead.

The Smash opened the fourth quarter with another Halladay goal, but Jacobs and Kruger (3-2) tallied again before Bruce Alexander closed the scoring with his goal at 12:57.

The six goals allowed ties a franchise record set by goalie Steve Dietrich, a cheerleader on the bench last night, who allowed just six to the Buffalo Bandits in January of 1998.

"Our defense really showed hard work tonight," said Rochester coach Paul Day. "One of the biggest things on defense is to take control of the ball on the offensive side. You play good ball control and you don't have to play as much defense.

"We also played well for four quarters. The consistency and the focus was there."

Day was most pleased with his defense because it not only held the Smash to six goals, but it helped the team overcome 11 of Syracuse's 14 power-play opportunities. Day, however, was not the only one who noticed.

"We're more grittier this year," said Jacobs. "Pat Cougevan gives us size and Casey Zaph gives us more determination and grit. We're a very deep team this year and that's the difference."

BOX SUMMARY
                                  1  2  3  4     TOT
Rochester Knighthawks (1-0)       5  6  3  2  --  16
Syracuse Smash (0-1)              2  0  2  2  --   6

ROCHESTER KNIGHTHAWKS         SYRACUSE SMASH 
               G - A   PTS                   G - A   PTS
Kruger         3 - 2     5    P Gait         2 - 2     4
Powell         3 - 2     5    Alexander      1 - 3     4
Grant          1 - 3     4    Halladay       2 - 1     3
D Jacobs       1 - 3     4    Oudemool       0 - 2     2
C Malawsky     1 - 3     4    Seremet        0 - 2     2
Hollenbeck     2 - 1     3    Klodzen        1 - 0     1
Co Bomberry    1 - 2     3    Arbuckle       0 - 1     1
Teat           1 - 2     3    M Millon       0 - 1     1
Mearns         0 - 3     3
Soudan         1 - 1     2
Hasen          1 - 0     1
Zaph           1 - 0     1
MacArthur      0 - 1     1

Shots on goal           51    Shots on goal           60
Saves made by           54    Saves made by           31
   O'Toole (6)       54          Collins (11)      20
                                 Cowie (5)         15
Power Play Chances       4    Power Play Chances      14
Power Play Goals         2    Power Play Goals         3

*** STATS OFFICIAL BY VERIFY WITH K'HAWKS WEB SITE ***