The Knighthawks (9-4) advanced to their fourth world championship game by jumping on the Bandits (8-5) early, leading 7-1 after one and 8-1 early in the second. They held on to the lead, never letting the Bandits get within three, and eventually winning 15-11 in HSBC Arena on Friday nite.
Matt Disher left after an injury at the 14:30 mark of the 1st quarter, and Marty O'Neill was able to hold the Knighthawks to only 8 goals in the last three quarters, but the damage was already done. Accursi didn't find the net for Buffalo until halfway through the thrid quarter, and Tavares didn't score after the 2nd. Meanwhile, John Grant scored 3 of the Hawks last 4 goals to lead them to victory.
For the record books, the 1000th all time playoff goal in NLL history was scored by Craig Stevenson of the Bandits at 6:52 of the first.
The Knighthawks will take on the winner of tomorrow's Wings-Rock semifinal for the 2000 NLL Champions Cup.
Box Score
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | F | |
| Rochester | 7 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 15 | |
| Buffalo | 1 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 11 |
1st Quarter: Mearns ROC (Powell, Zaph) 1:15; Mearns ROC (Grant, O'Toole) 2:45; Stevenson BUF (Sweet, Malawsky) 6:52; Jacobs ROC (Hasen, Mearns) 9:01 SHG; Bomberry ROC (Jacobs) 12:36; Jacobs ROC (Hasen, Bomberry) 12:52; Grant ROC (Jacobs, McCleary) 13:52 PPG; Soudan ROC (Powell, Hollenbeck) 14:30.
Penalties: Grant ROC, Roughing (2:00) 3:00; Santos BUF, Roughing (2:00) 3:00; Thorpe ROC Holding (2:00) 3:57, Thorpe ROC High-Sticking (2:00) 7:28, Ogilvie BUF Roughing (2:00) 12:56.
2nd Quarter: Hollenbeck ROC 2:18, Tavares BUF (O'Neill, Accursi) 3:16 SHG; Stevenson BUF (Tavares, O'Neill) 6:50; McArthur ROC 8:00; Tavares BUF (Sweet) 8:38; Malawsky BUF (Accursi) 14:45 PPG.
Penalties: Thorpe ROC Holding (2:00) :55, Malawsky BUF High Sticking (2:00) 2:15, Couling BUF Hooking (2:00) 11:55, McCready ROC Cross-Checking (2:00) 13:17; Grant ROC Cross-Checking (2:00) 14:38.
3rd Quarter: Prat BUF (Malawsky) :35 PPG; Grant ROC 1:45; Accursi BUF (Malawsky, Prat) 7:28 PPG; Kruger ROC (Grant, Hasen) 9:32; Prat BUF (Sweet) 12:43; Grant ROC (Bomberry) 13:15; Powell ROC 15:00 SHG.
Penalties: Thorpe ROC Slashing (2:00) 6:24; Ogilvie BUF Holding (2:00) 8:20, Bomberry ROC Roughing (2:00) 8:20, Hasen ROC High Sticking (2:00) 13:42.
4th Quarter: Accursi BUF 1:31; Grant ROC (Powell, Mearns) 6:24 PPG; Grant ROC (Soudan, McArthur) 7:13 PPG; Prat (Malawsky) BUF 7:52; Stevenson BUF (Ogilvie) 7:59.
Penalties: T. Kilgour BUF Elbowing (2:00) 2:21; Bomberry ROC Holding (2:00) 2:21; Kruger ROC Roughing (2:00) 4:24, R. Kilgour Roughing (2:00) 4:24; O'Neill BUF Slashing (2:00) 4:48 (served by Lopez);Malawsky BUF Unsportsmanlike Conduct (2:00) 6:13, Malawsky ROC Holding, Unsportsmanlike Conduct (4:00) 12:10;Malawsky BUF Roughing (2:00) 13:25; McArthur ROC Roughing (2:00) 13:25; Lopez BUF Slashing (2:00) 13:55; Catton BUF Elbowing (2:00) 14:26.
Power Plays: Rochester 3 for 8; Buffalo 3 for 10.