K-hawks suffer 8-goal defeat, their worst ever

Jenner debuts With Duane Jacobs missing Friday night's game in Philadelphia due to a leg injury, rookie Ted Jenner made his National Lacrosse League debut for the Knighthawks. Jenner, Rochester's first-round pick in the 2001 NLL entry draft, got off to a great start as he scored the Knighthawks' second goal. ''I think it's a great opportunity for me,'' Jenner said before the game. ''I'm glad the coaches are giving me the opportunity. ''This game will be my time to shine, show the coaches what I can do, and hopefully I'll be in the lineup next weekend against Montreal.'' Marshall Abrams, one of Rochester's best defenders, also sat out due to an injury, and he was sorely missed.

Democrat and Chronicle

PHILADELPHIA (Saturday, February 2, 2002) -- This might be a good time to set the record straight.

The Rochester Knighthawks, who have been touted all season as the best team in the National Lacrosse League, aren't.

On the heels of a 14-9 loss in Toronto last Saturday, the Knighthawks turned in one of the worst performances in their eight-year history as they were bludgeoned 21-13 by the Philadelphia Wings Friday night at the First Union Center.

The margin of defeat was the largest ever for Rochester, breaking the old mark of seven which had occurred three times.

Not only should the Knighthawks no longer be considered the cream of the crop in the NLL, they aren't even the best team in the Central Division. Albany and Montreal with 6-2 records are now ahead of 7-3 Rochester based on winning percentage.

Hard to believe that seven days ago the Knighthawks were flying high on a six-game winning streak and dreaming of homefield advantage throughout the playoffs. Now they're in a fight just to make the playoffs.

"We just had a talk with the guys and we told them we're 7-3 with six games left," coach Paul Day said.

"We're pretty positive, we just didn't play very good the last two weeks."

When the Knighthawks defeated Philadelphia 15-10 in Rochester on Dec. 15, they held Wings' stars Jake Bergey and Tom Marechek to two goals combined. Friday those two erupted for a total of 10 goals.

Four of their goals -- two by Bergey, two by Marechek -- came during a baffling 9-0 run that blew the game open in the second half.

"They just got on a run and we couldn't stop the bleeding," Day said.

"Most of their goals were second chances. We didn't play very well defensively."

Rochester started well as it led 3-2 after the first quarter and 4-3 early in the second. And thanks to goals 12 seconds apart by Curt Malawsky and D'Arcy Sweet just before halftime, the game was tied 8-8.

Derek Malawsky's power-play goal pulled Rochester within 11-10 at 11:01 of the third, but over the next 10 minutes the Wings buried the Knighthawks with an avalanche of goals.

Curt Malawsky led the Knighthawks with four goals while Shawn Williams had three.

The loss could prove very costly to Rochester because it now would lose a tiebreaker to Philadelphia based on goal-differential if the teams were to finish with the same record.