While Anthony Cosmo was out with a knee injury this past Saturday when the Buffalo Bandits took on the Colorado Mammoth, they saw a rookie shine with an opportunity.
“I was definitely feeling some pressure, but I got lots of support from Cosmo and the whole team going into to the game so I felt that I was well prepared” said David DiRuscio to ILWT after making his first career NLL start. “It felt great to get my first win, especially in front of that Buffalo crowd!”
DiRuscio is no stranger to playing top competition lacrosse. The goaltender won a Canadian Lacrosse League Creator’s Cup with the NLL’s feeder league last season when he led the Niagara Lock Monsters and took home the championship MVP.
“It feels amazing.” says DiRuscio. “I’ve been working at this most of my life and now I’m getting a chance to compete at the highest level”
The Bandits defeated Colorado 14-11 to claw back to a 4-4 record in the eastern division. The game was gridlocked at eleven before the fourth quarter, and that’s when DiRuscio really stepped up.
The rookie held Colorado scoreless as Buffalo scored three times to seal the victory.
“The defense really picked it up in the 4th quarter, I think the whole team got hungry for a win, the coaches made some adjustments and I was able to see the shots really well.
“Colorado has got such a potent offense, it really comes down to our whole defense playing as a team and trusting each other that we can stop them”
“We’ve got a weekend off here so hopefully Cosmo can get healthy for the next game. I’m just gonna stay prepared and ready to play whenever the team needs me.”
