Before the start of every training camp it is extremely important for every general manager in the National Lacrosse League to make sure to have their entire roster locked up in contracts so that every player will come in ready, focused and have nothing on their minds but lacrosse.
Here in Buffalo, Bandits general manager Steve Dietrich and his staff have been working very diligently in making sure their final training camp roster is complete and ready to compete.
Over the past month alone, Dietrich has signed eight players overall to one year deals with three of them coming from their incoming draft class of 2015.
In the month of September, the Bandits locked up righty forward Corey Fowler and defenseman Adam Will.
During the 2015 regular season, Fowler was a member of the Bandits practice squad. Fowler though was fortunate enough to see limited action in one regular season game against the Minnesota Swarm where he tallied one assist in the 12-9 victory.
Before the 2015 season began, Adam Will was placed on the hold out list and was unable to play for the Bandits. During the summer months away from the NLL, Will was a member of the WLA’s Langley Thunder and recorded three points (1 G, 2 A) in 18 games.
So far for the month of October, the Bandits have locked up six players including forwards Steve Hinek and Jordan Dance, transition specialist Andrew Watt and three out of four from their 2015 NLL draft class in forward Anthony Malcolm, transition specialist Tim Edwards and defenseman Matthew Clearwater Francisco.
Hinek played for the Langley Thunder of the WLA during the summer 2015 season and recorded four points (3 G, 1 A) during the regular season and seven more (2 G, 5 A) during the playoffs.
Dance was a member of the Bandits 2015 practice squad and played summer ball for the Kitchener-Waterloo Kodiaks of Major Series Lacrosse. Dance did not see any action as a member of the Bandits during the 2015 season, but he did record 15 points (8 G, 7 A) as a member of the Kodiaks.
Andrew Watt is heading into his third season (eighth overall in the league) with the Bandits. In his previous two seasons wearing the black and orange, Watt has sustained numerous injuries to his legs which reduced his playing time to 20 games out of a possible 36 while tallying eight points (4 G, 4 A) and 62 loose balls.
Malcolm, Edwards and Clearwater Francisco come into training camp with a lot to prove to not only Bandits head coach Troy Cordingley but also to the veterans of the Bandits 2015 squad that they also belong on that finalized roster.
