Pre-Game: Accompanied by my Godfather and his son, I ventured to the Blue Cross Arena for Game #1. Of course, we stopped at Nick Tahou's for garbage plates, which were very tasty. Parking was very close to the arena and was very affordable. The Blue Cross Arena is set in a beautiful part of Downtown Rochester, right next to the Genesee River. The arena's exterior is very modern and reflects well on the setting. Once inside, we were greeted by a wide open atrium, bustling with a fan festival. I loved that there was once ticket area that contained both will call and the regular ticket window.
When we entered the arena itself, I was quickly taken out of my comfort zone. In Syracuse, the War Memorial has a curved ceiling that makes the arena feel extremely open. However, the Blue Cross Arena has a flat ceiling, making it seem smaller and more cramped. Taking our seats in Section 107, Row G, I then saw how much more seating the Blue Cross has. They had seating from bottom to top, including private boxes. Even what I would call the stage end had a open area for kid, a rink level section of seats, private boxes, then more seats above the private boxes. There were even little patio areas and score boards all over the arena. I wonder though about the main jumbotron. With the low ceiling, it was very low to the pitch. It would result in several infrastructure violations for the Knights, who had kicks go off it. I will have to research about jumboron hieght rules for the league, as well as the AHL and NLL. That aside, nice place.
Soccer Sam is definitely a fun guy. A good voice for the Rochester Lancers. As like all soccer games, the introductions took too long, but at least they did it as the pregame clock ticked down.
The Match- It was murder really right from the beginning. The Knights got off to a nice quick start thanks to Chantel, but it was downhill from there. The Lancers cut through the Knights defense and kept the goals coming. I don't understand why exactly Pflasterer got the start in goal for the Knights, but you cannot put all the blame on him. The second Lancers goal was not his fault. Defenders need to be more careful in front of their own net. Unfortunately, what was meant to be a clearing effort turned into an own goal. Play got tighter as the half wore on. The Knights looked like they were going to break through a couple times, but the Lancers D was very strong. It was a rough game too. Being a rivalry game, it was going to be that way. However, the Knights were definitely not on the ref's good side in the game. After one half, it was 10-2 Rochester.
Hafltime: Honestly, MASL halftimes are far too long. At most, they should be 10 minutes. There is no zamboni like hockey. Players don't need as much time to rest up. Not only that, the long break forces teams to really reach for halftime entertainment which usually becomes boring fast.
2nd Half: If the Knights weren't dead after the first half, the Lancers made sure they were in the second half. Using quick offense and smothering defense, the Lancers poured on the offense. Even Bryan O'Quinn couldn't come in and stop the bleeding. The Knights offense withered completely. From what I saw, they kept trying to play the ball along the boards and use passes of the walls to set up scoring opportunities. This really let the Lancers cut off the field and limit plays from even forming. The Knights goal from Manfut was a lucky redirect that scooted past everyone. When the Knights had a 5-3 power play, they wasted too much time with passes. They didn't get many shots of because Rochester was able to read them with all the passes. The only other light for the Silver Knights was when Bo scored a 3 pointer at the end of the game. Overall, the Knights were lucky the score was only 20-7 in the end.
Final Thoughts: The Knights need to make a ton of adjustments if they want to win Game 2 and force Game 3. They need to use the whole field for offense and decrease the passing game. Instead of multiple touches, more one touch shots might lead to more goals. They also need to get tenacious around the goal on both ends. They need to get the juicy rebounds and score with them while clearing rebounds around their own. Once again, the goalie needs help from the defense, especially in transition. Rochester is quick down the field, so have a guy or two in the back ready to take them on.
As for entertainment wise, the Rochester Lancers have a good thing going. Their announcer makes sure to announce all the fouls and infractions to keep fans informed about what is happening in the game. This is something Knights need to throw into their home games in my opinion. Many times, I get lost on what exact calls are being made or why a whistle blew. The Knights audio system also needs to be turned up. Many times, I can barely hear the PA during the Knights games. For some reason, it seems to be turned down compared to the Crunch games. The Lancers audio was very clear and loud so everyone could here.
As for the War Memorial, I know the rink is finally getting expanded to regulation as of this summer. This will take seats out and make capacity lower. However, I think the Blue Cross Arena has a good idea that can be applied to the Old Barn. Instead of a stage, another solid set of seats should build in the stage area that has two tiers. The best way to describe it is by looking at NBT Bank Stadium. At that stadium, the 300 level that extends over the 200 level. That's what would happen in this situation., there would be a section of seats rick level, then a section extending above the rick level section (See Picture below.)
Overall, the game was a nice little trip. I wish the results could have been better for the Knights. But, I think this sets up an exciting Game #2 and hopefully Game #3 this Sunday.