Buffalo Bandits General Manager Steve Dietrich today announced that the team has signed Joel Matthews, Corey Fowler and Dave DiRuscio all to one-year contracts.
Matthews, Buffalo’s fourth-round selection (31st overall) in the 2012 NLL Entry Draft, made his NLL debut and appeared in a total of two games in 2014. The 23-year-old tallied two goals overall in his first season, both of which came against the Rochester Knighthawks on April 26th. Prior to joining the professional ranks, Matthews suited up for the University of Detroit Mercy.
Fowler joins the Bandits after a successful summer playing with the St. Catharine’s Saints (Ontario Lacrosse Association Senior B) and Kitchener-Waterloo Kodiaks (Major Series Lacrosse Senior A). Fowler tallied 66 points (16+50) over 11 games for the Saints, good for second overall in league scoring, and also finished in the top-20 in league scoring as a member of the Kodiaks with 34 points (16+18) in 12 games. Previously in 2014, he was one of the top-five scorers in the Canadian Lacrosse League (CLAX) with 33 points (10+23) over eight games.
DiRuscio spent the 2014 season as a goaltender for the Canadian Lacrosse League (CLAX) champion Niagara Lock Monsters. Voted as the 2014 CLAX Season MVP and Top Goalie, DiRuscio finished the season atop all netminders with a 7.95 goals-against average and a save percentage of .865.
