By Craig Rybczynski – May 26, 2012
For field lacrosse star Joe Walters, the indoor game never came easy. For four years, the Rochester Knighthawks forward moved back and forth from the practice squad to the active roster. After hours of practice and getting advice from such stars as Shawn Williams, John Grant Jr., Cody Jamieson and Jordan Hall, Walters’ 2012 season was a testament to 48 months of hard work.
 
On Friday, Walters stood among 400 elementary students in the cafeteria at Northside Elementary School in Fairport to emphasize the importance of setting and achieving goals. Walters’ reward for three-hour drives to practice each Wednesday night was on display, as the Rochester forward brought with him the Champion’s Cup.
 
“It was a great day visiting schools and talking to the kids. Everyone was in awe of the Cup and wanted to hear about the Knighthawks winning the championship,” said Walters. “I had the opportunity to share my story with Northside Elementary and pass on to them the idea to always dream big, and that they can accomplish anything they set their minds to.”
 
The message was more meaningful to the students because Walters was born and raised in Rochester. Like the kids sitting in the crowd clad in Knighthawks T-shirts, Walters was a fan of the team as a kid, as well. While he excelled at Irondequoit High School, he attended K-Hawks games as a season ticket holder and idolized the great Knighthawks of the 1990s like Tim Soudan, Regy Thorpe, Randy Mearns, Pat Cougevan and Jeremy Hollenbeck.
 
The 2012 season was his chance for the former four-time college All-American to showcase his skills and give youngsters a hometown player to emulate. After playing just one of the team’s first six games, the fourth-year pro proved opportunistic on February 18th. In a key midseason game, the Knighthawks were playing without regulars and Rochester cobbled together a lineup to face a hungry Washington Stealth team. Not only did Walters play, but he scored the first game-winning goal of his career, while adding three assists. He did all that in front of his family and his childhood idols, Regy Thorpe and Pat Cougevan, who were inducted into the Knighthawks Hall of Fame that night.
 
“I looked up to them when I was growing up. I was a youngster when Regy was on the team. It was the coolest thing,” said Walters. “We were playing for the guys that have come through here and all the outstanding players that have been with the Knighthawks.”
 
Walters finished the season with a career-high 13 assists, as Rochester went 4-2 with him in the lineup. Walters played the final three games of the regular season and recorded one goal and seven assists. Rochester defeated top-rated Calgary and Philadelphia down the stretch. Walters notched three points (1+2) in the final game of the regular season as Rochester clinched second place in the East and a home playoff game.

His late-season success continued into the postseason. On May 4th, Walters electrified The Blue Cross Arena crowd with a career-high six points in a 14-13 win over the Philadelphia Wings. He netted back-to-back goals in the third to help the Knighthawks break open the East Division Semifinals. He finished the game with a career-best four assists and tied his career high with two goals. In the East Division Finals, Walters chipped in with a pair of goals and two assists in a 17-13 victory over Toronto on May 12th.

In the NLL title game, Walters assisted on three goals as Rochester rallied from a four-goal deficit to defeat the Edmonton Rush, 9-6, on May 19th. He concluded the playoffs second on the Knighthawks with 13 playoff points. All this, in a frenetic three weeks that ended with Rochester’s third NLL title.

“I have a great sense of pride in being a Rochesterian, knowing how much lacrosse means to this region,” said Walters. “Seeing the excitement of the fans lets us know how much the team means to them.”

His first chance since the on-floor celebration to share the Cup with Rochester was at the 63rd Day of Champions at the Rochester Riverside Convention Center on May 22nd. Walters was seated at the head table along with Super Bowl MVP and New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning, and Buffalo Bills quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick.

“To me it shows the growth of lacrosse. Winning the NLL championship really puts Rochester on the map. Of course, it may be tough not to be star struck, but at the end of the day we are all professionals playing the sports that we love,” said Walters. “I am honored to represent the Knighthawks. I'll be standing a little bit taller after our Champion’s Cup season.”

That confidence was on display on Friday in the Cup Tour that brought the three-feet-high wooden and silver trophy to four local schools, including Northside Elementary, Dudley Elementary, Martha Brown Middle School and Pinebrook Elementary in Greece.
“It’s great to bring someone from this area in to talk to these kids and show them anything is possible,” said Knighthawks VP of Sales John Catalano.