The Syracuse sports realm did not have a good Friday night. In the Salt City, the Syracuse Crunch struggled to generate offense and fell to the Binghamton Senators 4-2. While Jeremy Morin and Yanni Gourde had tallies for the Crunch, Syracuse gave up two shorthanded goals, both to AHL veteran Phil Varone. The Crunch host the Utica Comets tonight at 7pm in the sixth game of the Galaxy Cup.
Meanwhile, out in the middle of the country, the Syracuse Silver Knights had their work cut out for them, taking on the Kansas City Comets. The Silver Knights, with goals from Stefanos Stamoulacatos, Bo Jelovac, Jake Schindler, Jerjer Gibson, and Patrick Thompson, held 5-2 lead midway through the final quarter. However, like seen before, the Knights couldn't hold the lead. The Comets scored four unanswered goals to beat the Knights 6-5, slipping Syracuse to the basement of the MASL's East Division. They look to bounce back as they travel to Cedar Rapids to face off with the Rampage. That game is set for 8:05pm. Last night, Saturday, January seventh, my fiance and I attended our first Rochester Knighthawks game. I was looking to expand my coverage of teams across both Syracuse and the Fingerlakes region of New York. Both of us were looking for something fun and exciting to enjoy on a night out. As usual, getting to Blue Cross Arena is an easy task and parking wasn't a hassle. From the moment we entered the arena, we were treated to a fun and truly enjoyalbe experience. The game day staff were very helpful and kind, assisting both my fiance and I navigating the arena and finding our seats. From there, things only got better. Using a app that synced to the arena's pregame music and video, fans used their smartphones to connect to the build-up and make a light show happen (something maybe the Crunch and Silver Knights should look into doing with the Blue Rock Energy Light Show.) The in-game host did a fantastic job with the team introduction and hyping the crowd up throughout the game. Then, the match began. What a match it was. There was fast pace play highlighted with constant scoring, flashy moves, and bone-jarring hits. The crowd, made up of at least six thousand, was electric, with a bevy of chants and cheers. I think the best part about the crowd was their overall interaction with each other. The number of high fives and celebrations amongst fans in the stands was higher than I've seen in all the games and sporting events I've attended in the past. Even the game had slow moments or had time-outs, the fun didn't stop. The mascot, R-Thunder, was constantly dancing and having fun with the fans. The Knightingales, the dance team, was entertaining and very smooth with their dances. The fans were loud and proud.
At the end of the night, the Knighthawks walked off the field with a hard earned 15-8 victory. The fans were extremely pleased, which included my fiance and I. It was a fun game to be a fan and to cover. In fact, I cannot remember the last time I had that big of a rush. I end this article with this advice, go to a Rochester Knighthawks game. If you are looking to support a great team and organization which offers their fans a tremendous amount of fun, this is exactly what you are looking for. I promise that you won't be disappointed. Both my fiance and myself are already planning our return to the Flower City for another game. |
Nicholas Episcopo
Broadcasting Graduate Archives
November 2018
Categories |