Leading the way for the Bandits in their win was Ryan Benesch, whom the Bandits acquired from the Minnesota Swarm in the offseason. He scored seven goals in the victory.
“Ryan Benesch is a premier player in this league. He has played well for us this year but tool it to to another level on Saturday. The great players in this league play big in the big games. ”
Cordingley also credits Anthony Cosmo, who won his first career playoff game in the National Lacrosse League.
“Anthony Cosmo is an elite goalie and has been an elite goalie in this league for some time. He has played some really good games in the playoffs before but hasn’t been rewarded with a win. For example, the game against Toronto a couple years back, he only lets seven goals in and loses 7-6. It was great to see him finally get rewarded with a win.”
Buffalo’s defense and goaltending was overwhelming for the Rock, and part of that was the return of Billy Dee Smith, who missed the last three games of the regular season with a knee injury.
“It was huge for us to have Billy Dee Smith back in our lineup,” Cordingley told us. “He is a fierce competitor and plays the game the way it should be. He makes offensive players pay the price when they get into our offensive zone. He’s also a veteran that’s been through many wars so his experience helps out big time.”
Now the Bandits take on the top seeded Knighthawks who are also the two time NLL defending champions. “The key to the Knighthawks is to eliminate mistakes,” said Cordingley. “We have to play smart lacrosse for 60 minutes as they are a team that has a high lax IQ combined with very talented players. They take advantage of opportunities given.”
One of the most interesting storylines from last week’s playoff games was Cordingley taking on the Toronto Rock. Cordingley was the head coach of the Rock since 2009, where he led them to the championship game twice and he won the league’s Coach of the Year last season. However, there were no hard feelings when his Bandits topped his former team.
“Toronto treated me and my family very well,” Cordingley said. “Owner Jamie Dawick is a class act! However, I did enjoy our win because of the players in the Buffalo room. We have battled hard even through the tough times and it was good to see smiles on faces again. We were rewarded with perseverance and remaining positive through thick and thin.”
This week will be the first time we see the new playoff format in action as the Bandits will battle the Knighthawks in a two game series, and if it is tied, a 10-minute game will take place.
“Honestly I don’t like the format,” Cordingley told us. “If both teams are tied one game a piece then a 10-minute minigame will decide the winner. I would rather play a full 60 minute game on another night.”
Nevertheless, the playoffs continue this week for the Bandits as they host the first game on Saturday night.
