Connor Fields Is Filling Up The Stat Sheet For The High Octane Knighthawks

In every sports league, there are the most dominant teams throughout the entirety of the season, the clubs that have competed below expectations, and the squads that nobody wants a part of come playoff time. Amid the April 2025 installment of the National Lacrosse League, the entity that best represents the third aforementioned scenario is unquestionably the Rochester Knighthawks, winners of five straight, including last weekend’s down-to-the-wire triumph over the also hitting their stride San Diego Seals.

Five wins in a row for the @RocKnighthawks!

Tonight’s huge win over @SealsLax was powered by Ryan Smith’s 5 goals and a hat trick from Connor Fields!

Game Recap ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/9zQllbeuEZ

— NLL (@NLL) March 30, 2025

Entering Week 19’s home matchup with the Ottawa Black Bears, the 9-7 Knighthawks lead the NLL in goals scored with 206, outpacing the Buffalo Bandits, who sit second in this all-important category with 201 lamplighters.

Rochester vs Halifax 01-18-2025

“It all starts in the back end with our defense and goaltending. I think all season they’ve been really a backbone for us,” shares Rochester star forward Connor Fields. “With our success, as of late, we’re really trying to focus on each individual playing that next play and next shift. Just being in the moment. Earlier in the season, we were kind of thinking bigger picture, like a game or two ahead. I think we’re really just focusing on the task at hand. We’re getting a lot more movement on and off the ball. I think we’re hustling, on and off the floor, which has been opening up a lot for us.”

Lacing it up in his sixth professional campaign, Fields is one of the undisputed catalysts for the Upstate New Yorkers. The 29-year-old’s 41 goals place him fourth in the league (teammate Ryan Smith leads the NLL with 43 goals), while his 69 assists rank fifth league-wide (running buddy Ryan Lanchbury is second at 79 helpers). All told, the lefty’s 110 total points are only bested by Bandits’ icon Dhane Smith, who leads the world’s foremost box lacrosse league with a whopping 111 combined goals and assists.

Colorado Mammoth@ Rochester Knighthawks 01/24/25 (Photos for NLL by Jonathan Tenca)

Fields also leads the NLL’s shots on goal split by a significant margin.

While the Fields-Smith-Lanchbury trifecta earns most of the headlines in The Flower City, Fields is quick to provide tribute to a pair of team-first guys who play essential roles in the Knighthawks’ highly prolific offensive arsenal.

“A lot of the credit goes to the guys who might not get as much of the recognition, guys who are out there setting the picks, cutting and doing all those ins and outs that might not come up on a score sheet,” praises Fields. That’s really what gets others open. I think we have a very selfless group. We’re all just excited for each other, and we just want to win. As of late, the left side has been playing great. Thomas McConvey and I have grown a lot as a duo on the left side. Graydon Hogg has been great for us, stepping in. He’s an energy bunny out there. He doesn’t stop moving, setting picks and working well without the ball just like McConvey.”

Looking further inward, Fields acknowledges his proclivity for production largely stems from the endless echelons of empowerment imparted by the men in suits behind the bench.

“I’ve been playing with a lot of confidence. I think my coaches instilled that in me since I got to Rochester. They’re the ones who are telling me we need you to shoot. When they tell me that, I feel like I can go out there and play to the best of my ability and play my game. That helps a lot.”

Connor Fields ✨Pure Magic✨ pic.twitter.com/cyfP5UgYdn

— NLL (@NLL) February 24, 2025

While Fields resting near the top of the sport in terms of point total is not too much of a surprise to those who pay close attention the box lacrosse space, what may shock even the die-hards is the fact that the 6’0, 180 lbs. scorer extraordinaire places eighth in the NLL with 136 loose balls. In a category that is overwhelmingly dominated by transition and defensive players, Fields is the only forward whose name is inscribed in the top 20 of this grouping. Adding to the statistical anomaly is the notion that the Rochester star’s presence on this list exists thanks to his ability to garner available balls in the wake of a missed shot or pass near the opponent’s goal. Like an offensive rebounder in basketball, Fields operates at a world-class level in the area of extending possessions.

When comparing Fields’ exploits to another shot clock-centric athletic endeavor, the name Nikola Jokić immediately comes to mind. Widely considered the best basketball player in the world, the Denver Nuggets’ three-time NBA MVP is in the top five for scoring, rebounds, and assists, while positioned 12^th in the offensive rebounding subset, extending opportunities in a similar manner to Fields.

Tuesday night, Jokić fashioned an otherworldly 61-point, 10-rebound, 10-assist performance, in Denver’s double-overtime loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves. Back on March 7, Fields achieved the NLL equivalent of this feat when generating six goals, five assists, and nine loose balls in a 21-13 victory versus the Las Vegas Desert Dogs.

Fields remains a fervent believer in the kitchen sink approach to his craft.

San Diego Seals @ Rochester Knighthawks 03/29/25 (Photos for NLL by Jonathan Tenca)

“I’ve prided myself on those parts of the game since I started in this league,” gleams Fields. “I wasn’t always the go-to option offensively. For me, it was however I could get myself into a lineup. A lot of times it was with those small effort plays that make a big difference for teams and in games. All my loose balls are coming in the offensive end, giving us repossessions. I feel like that’s huge for a team. I’m not out on any faceoffs, like others who are high up in the loose ball category. I take great pride in giving our team extra possessions.”

Last weekend, Fields joined yet another exclusive club when becoming just the fourth player in NLL history to tally at least 110 points in three different seasons. A cadre that includes Dhane Smith, Shawn Evans, Mark Matthews, and now the East Amherst, New York Native. While an accomplishment of this sort is most certainly noteworthy, the U of Albany alum believes it should be digested with the proper helping of perspective.

A hat trick and a historic milestone tonight for Connor Fields! 👏

He becomes 4th player in NLL History with at least 3 110-point Seasons. pic.twitter.com/a8SGk8vHH4

— NLL (@NLL) March 30, 2025

“Being mentioned in a category with those players is a humbling experience,” bestows Fields. “I’m sure those other guys would tell you the same thing. But, it’s the last thing you’re thinking about. We’re late in the season right now and those stats are just a number. At the end of the day, they don’t win or lose you championships. For me, it’s all about team goals, winning a championship. Though I’d be lying if I said I don’t work my hardest to be the best. It is nice to know that hard work does pay off.”

🚨TRADE🚨@vegasdesertdogs have traded Connor Fields, Riley Hutchcraft & the 1st overall pick in the ’22 Entry Draft to the @RocKnighthawks for:

– Charlie Bertrand
– 2nd overall pick, 4th round pick & 6th round pick in the ’22 Entry Draft
– 1st round pick in the ’23 Entry Draft pic.twitter.com/uHNlNCq0UG

— NLL (@NLL) July 7, 2022

Fields was initially selected by the San Diego Seals with the 10^th overall pick in the 2018 Draft. After an injury-riddled and COVID-interrupted stint in Southern California, the Bishop Timon-St. Jude School product had a one-season stopover with his hometown Bandits, before finding the perfect landing spot 76 miles due east on Interstate 90. From the very first minute of his Rochester residency, the man who adorns number 10 on the Army Green jersey wholeheartedly believed that he had found the locale that would allow his career to blast off into the stratosphere.

“I think to be successful in this league, you have to be confident. You are able to take chances and pursue opportunities as a confident player. During my first calls with Dan Carey (Knighthawks general manager, VP of lacrosse operations) and Coach Hasen, confidence was instilled in me. I felt confident like I did in my college days. From day one, they let me play my game. That meant a lot to me. It then becomes what can you do with the opportunity,” recollects Fields.

Halifax Thunderbirds @ Rochester Knighthawks 01/11/25 (Photos for NLL by Jonathan Tenca)

The original version of the Knighthawks played in Rochester from 1995 through 2019, winning the NLL championship on four occasions, before relocating to Nova Scotia and morphing into the Halifax Thunderbirds. The reincarnated franchise resumed play in 2019, wading through the choppy waters of the COVID interlude and seasons of inconsistent play. With version 2.0’s trajectory undoubtably pointing upward, Fields hopes the exciting play on the field translates into an increased level of buzz from an ever-growing Rochester and Western New York fan base.

“The better you’re doing, the more the fans will come out and support. I think that’s true in every city. When I was playing in Buffalo, one of the messages in the locker room was to earn the fans’ respect. They’re spending money to come see you play. Leave it all out there for them. I think a home playoff game would mean a ton to the city, and then for us to make a deep run, I think that would go a long ways in bringing fans into the arena to fill those seats,” envisions the man at the forefront of this aspirational notion.

The Rochester Star recently spoke about Rochester’s win streak and his goals for the season on NLL Box Out with Maki & Coop.

Rochester takes on Ottawa at home Saturday, April 5 at 7pm ET on ESPN+, TSN+, & NLL+