The Buffalo Bandits are just one win away from making their fifth consecutive appearance in the National Lacrosse League (NLL) Finals. Fresh off a dominant 9-3 victory in Game 1 of the semifinals against the Vancouver Warriors, the Bandits now head west with a chance to clinch the series in Game 2 on Sunday at Rogers Arena.
Friday night’s win not only gave Buffalo the series lead, but it also saw the team make franchise history by allowing the fewest goals ever in a playoff game. This defensive masterclass follows a quarterfinal win over San Diego in which the Bandits also tied the previous record for fewest goals allowed with just four against.
The Warriors struck first in Game 1, taking advantage of an early power-play opportunity. But the Bandits responded emphatically, reeling off six unanswered goals and taking full control of the contest. Ian MacKay led the charge with a hat trick during that stretch, ultimately finishing with four goals. His offensive burst was aided by a pair of illegal cross-checking penalties on Vancouver that racked up seven minutes in total.
Josh Byrne contributed five points (one goal, four assists), while goaltender Matt Vinc anchored the defense with 35 saves. Buffalo completely shut down the Warriors during even-strength play, a point head coach John Tavares emphasized leading up to the game.
“To hold a team to zero five-on-five goals is a great feat, so give [the defense and goaltending] a lot of credit,” Tavares said postgame. “They built off last game… that doesn’t happen very often, so it’s a good time for it to happen.”
The Bandits now face a new challenge: cross-continental travel. While they’ve played two games in three days before this season, those instances involved shorter trips. Sunday’s matchup in Vancouver will be the first time this year they’ve had to follow up a home game with such a long-distance road contest.
“It’s short rest for both teams,” said Tavares. “We’re going to try and do what we did tonight, just kind of carry it over.”
Should the Bandits maintain their elite defensive form and keep up the pressure, they’ll earn another shot at the NLL title—and solidify their place as one of the league’s modern dynasties.
