BUFFALO, N.Y. — The Buffalo Bandits have officially cemented their dominance in the National Lacrosse League, both on and off the field. With a thrilling 15-12 win over the Halifax Thunderbirds at KeyBank Center on Saturday night, the reigning NLL champions not only clinched the top seed for the playoffs but also made league history with record-breaking fan attendance.
The victory marked Buffalo’s 13th win of the season, improving their record to 13-4, and locked in home-field advantage throughout the postseason. But the night was made even more special by the roaring support of Banditland — a sold-out crowd that pushed the team’s total home attendance this season to an unprecedented 166,238 over nine games. That figure sets a new single-season attendance record in the National Lacrosse League.
It was the Bandits’ fourth sellout of the season, a franchise-best, and a clear testament to the growing energy and passion surrounding professional lacrosse in Buffalo.
The star of the night was veteran forward Kyle Buchanan, who netted a season-high four goals in the victory. At 37 years old, Buchanan is enjoying a career year with 34 goals — a personal best — and was recently named Teammate of the Year by his fellow Bandits. Reflecting on the energy of the home crowd, Buchanan noted, “Coming in as a visiting player in the past, you feed off the energy in the building. It’s certainly more on our side now… our fans support us, and when we get into our roles, we see how valuable they are.”
Meanwhile, Dhane Smith continued his MVP-caliber season with a goal and a season-high 10 assists, extending his league-leading point total to 129. In net, Matt Vinc stood tall with an impressive 51 saves, anchoring the defense in the high-scoring affair.
With one game remaining in the regular season — a road matchup against Georgia — the Bandits have a chance to tie their franchise record for wins in a season. While the result won’t impact their playoff positioning, it could provide one final boost of momentum heading into what they hope will be a three-peat championship run.
This marks the 10th time in 31 seasons that Buffalo has finished with the league’s best regular season record. Historically, they’ve made the most of those opportunities, converting four of the previous nine into championship victories.
Head coach John Tavares, who has been part of every Bandits title team either as a player or coach, summed it up best: “That’s great, but the hardest part is yet to come. When you reach the finals, you want to capitalize because it’s hard to get there.”
The postseason begins on April 25 with a home quarterfinal game at KeyBank Center. And if Saturday night was any indication, Banditland is more than ready to fuel another championship run.
