The Rochester Knighthawks earned a playoff spot for the tenth straight season by beating the Philadelphia Wings, 13-8, in front of 8,715 fans Saturday night at the Blue Cross Arena.

Shawn Williams earned Game MVP honors with six goals. Keith Cromwell led Philadelphia with two goals and two assists.

With both teams in the tenuous position of needing a win tonight to qualify for postseason play, the game had a definite playoff feel to it.

Rochester opened the game with quick goals from Williams and Derek Malawsky before Philadelphia's defense stiffened up.

The Wings scored their first of the game from Cromwell just before the five-minute mark, and seven minutes went by before Tom Marechek tied the game at two.

The second quarter remained scoreless until over seven minutes went by, when Rochester retook the lead on a goal by Scott Evans. A minute later, Williams restored the Knighthawks' two-goal lead.

However, once again, Philly came back to tie the game at four with goals from Marechek and Ryan Ward.

Malawsky scored with a minute and a half left in the first half, but Jeff Ratcliffe tied the game on a questionable call as time expired in the second quarter. The horn sounded and the red goal light did not go on, but the officials counted it as a goal.

That made the score 5-5 at halftime.

Philadelphia hoped to ride the last goal going into the third, but once again Rochester scored first, Williams' third of the game.

Five minutes later, Brian Tower tied the game at six, but Rochester soon began to pull away by scoring the next three goals (Tim Soudan, Williams, and Kim Squire) for a 9-6 lead.

Dan Marohl stopped the bleeding for the Wings with less than two minutes remaining in the quarter, cutting the lead to two.

The forth quarter was all Rochester, with goals from Williams (twice), Chris Schiller, and Squire, all coming in the first eight minutes or so.

Rochester's defense made sure the 13-7 lead stuck, holding Philadelphia to only one goal, at the 14:59 mark from Cromwell.

Rochester can still clinch a home playoff game, but will need help. Philadelphia must defeat Buffalo tomorrow and the Knighthawks need to do something they've never done -- win in Toronto (Friday night).

For Philadelphia, it's the second straight year out of the postseason -- but only the third time ever.

BOX SUMMARY
                                      1  2  3  4     TOT
Philadelphia Wings (6-9)              2  3  2  1  --   8
Rochester Knighthawks (7-8)           2  3  4  4  --  13

PHILADELPHIA WINGS            ROCHESTER KNIGHTHAWKS
               G - A   PTS                   G - A   PTS
Cromwell       2 - 2     4    S Williams     6 - 0     6
S Martin       0 - 4     4    D Malawsky     2 - 4     6
Marechek       2 - 1     3    Soudan         1 - 3     4
Ward           1 - 2     3    Sc Evans       1 - 2     3
Ratcliffe      1 - 1     2    Schiller       1 - 2     3
Frye           0 - 2     2    Squire         2 - 0     2
Marohl         1 - 0     1    O'Connor       0 - 2     2
Tower          1 - 0     1    Hoar           0 - 1     1
Donovan        0 - 1     1    Hollenbeck     0 - 1     1
Hajek          0 - 1     1    

Shots on goal           42    Shots on goal           46
Saves made by (GA)      33    Saves made by (GA)      34
   Eliuk (13)        33          O'Toole (8)       34
Penalties                6    Penalties                6
Penalty Minutes         12    Penalty Minutes         12
Power Play Chances       4    Power Play Chances       4
Power Play Goals         0    Power Play Goals         1
   (None)                        S Williams         1
Shorthanded Goals        0    Shorthanded Goals        0
Loose Balls             62    Loose Balls             69
   Jacobs            10          Hoar               9
   Donovan            6          D Malawsky         9
   Several Tied w/    5          S Williams         7
Faceoffs Won            11    Faceoffs Won            12
   Jacobs       (11-12)          Hoar         ( 8- 9)
                                 Thorpe       ( 4- 2)

 *** STATS OFFICIAL BY VERIFY WITH ROCHESTER K'HAWKS ***