In the first major battle in the short history of the Central Division, the Rochester Knighthawks held off several furious Albany Attack rallies Saturday night, winning in the state capital by a 17-14 score.

The two teams entered this game with a combined record of 9-2, a record diminished from perfection only by a Knighthawk overtime loss early in the season and the fact that these two teams already played once this season. The winner not only would own the best record in the Central Division, but in the entire league, as well.

The Knighthawks shot out to a 4-0 lead six minutes into the first quarter with goals from Marshall Abrams, Curt Malawsky, Tim Soudan and John Grant. Josh Sanderson finally put Albany on the board, and Cam Woods followed suit to bring the Attack within two. Cory Bomberry and Nick Trudeau traded goals before the end of the quarter to make the score 5-3 in favor of the Knighthawks after fifteen minutes of play.

The second quarter began with Grant and Curt Malawsky both scoring their second goals of the night, giving Rochester back their four-goal lead. Gary Rosyski cut that lead to 7-4 but Grant quickly bumped the lead back to four. Albany’s Dan Teat scored the last goal of the half and the Knighthawks took an 8-5 lead to intermission.

Third quarter action began with Rosyski scoring a shorthanded goal for the Attack. Bomberry answered that and the Knighthawks were ahead, 9-6. Rosyski and Jamie Grimoldby brought the Attack within a goal at 9-8 for the first time in the game. Bomberry made it 10-8 and Sanderson found the back of the net for the second time to make it 10-9. Soudan scored Rochester’s last goal of the period before Rosyski and Brian Biesel ended Albany’s scoring and tied the game at eleven.

Curt Malawsky got the lead back for Rochester early in the last quarter. Trudeau tied the game for the last time at twelve. Two quick goals from Derek Malawsky and another from Shawn Williams put the Knighthawks up 15-12 and the game almost out of reach for the Attack. Mike Regan and Rosyski were able to pull the Attack back within one, at 15-14, but a late, record-tying penalty would cost them the opportunity to tie it up again. Albany’s Jim Moss was assessed a two-minute penalty, a ten-minute misconduct and a game misconduct, adding up to twenty-two minutes. Added to the two minute minor he received earlier in the game, he tied the league record for most penalty minutes in a game, set by former Knighthawk Pat McCready against the New York Saints on 14 March 1998.

Grant scored his fourth goal of the night on the resulting power play, pulling the Knighthawks ahead 16-14, and with one second left in the game, Knighthawks goalie Pat O’Toole became the first goalie in league history to score a goal twice in his career, following his bomb last season against Ottawa, with Rebel goaltender Derek Collins halfway between his bench and his goal.

Rochester emerges from this game with a 6-1 record, and Albany fell to 4-2, a game and a half behind Rochester in the fight for the division title.

John Grant (four goals, four assists) and Curt Malawsky (three goals, four assists) paced the Knighthawks while Gary Rosyski (five goals, three assists) and Josh Sanderson (two goals, six assists) led Albany’s scoring. O’Toole stopped forty-three of fifty-seven shots for the Knighthawks. Attack goalie Rob Blasdell stopped forty-two of fifty-eight shots.

BOX SUMMARY
                                      1  2  3  4     TOT
Rochester Knighthawks (6-1)           5  3  3  6  --  17
Albany Attack (4-2)                   3  2  6  3  --  14

ROCHESTER KNIGHTHAWKS         ALBANY ATTACK
               G - A   PTS                   G - A   PTS
Grant          4 - 4     8    Rosyski        5 - 3     8
C Malawsky     3 - 4     7    J Sanderson    2 - 6     8
D Malawsky     2 - 3     5    Trudeau        2 - 1     3
D Jacobs       0 - 4     4    Beisel         1 - 2     3
Co Bomberry    3 - 0     3    Regan          1 - 2     3
Soudan         2 - 1     3    Teat           1 - 2     3
Hasen          0 - 3     3    Woods          1 - 2     3
Abrams         1 - 1     2    Grimoldby      1 - 0     1
O'Toole        1 - 1     2    Blasdell       0 - 1     1
Williams       1 - 1     2    Cochrane       0 - 1     1
Sweet          0 - 2     2    Fannell        0 - 1     1
Cougevan       0 - 1     1    M Ladouceur    0 - 1     1
Turner         0 - 1     1    Moss           0 - 1     1
                              Santos         0 - 1     1

Shots on goal           61    Shots on goal           57
Saves made by (GA)      43    Saves made by (GA)      44
   O'Toole (14)      43          Blasdell (16)     44
Penalties               10    Penalties               14
Penalty Minutes         20    Penalty Minutes         52
Power Play Chances       8    Power Play Chances       7
Power Play Goals         6    Power Play Goals         3
   Co Bomberry        2          Beisel             1
   Grant              2          Regan              1
   C Malawsky         1          Rosyski            1
   O'Toole            1
Shorthanded Goals        0    Shorthanded Goals        2
   (None)                        Rosyski            1
                                 Woods              1
Loose Balls             68    Loose Balls             76
   Hollenbeck         8          Fannell           15
   Zaph               7          Teat               7
   Sweet              6          Woods              6
   Turner             6
Faceoffs Won            15    Faceoffs Won            20
   Co Bomberry  (11- 9)          Fannell      (20-15)
   Thorpe       ( 3-10)
   Soudan       ( 1- 1)

   *** STATS OFFICIAL BY VERIFY WITH ALBANY ATTACK ***