For the second year in a row, the Buffalo Bandits are the NLL Champions. The phrase “back to back” applies in multiple ways here as the Bandits are the back-to-back champions, of course, winning the NLL Cup last year as well. It also applies because they had to win back-to-back games in order to get to raise the new and improved NLL Cup this year. “I always think the most…
Food for thought: Is it really that uncharacteristic if a team loses to the same opponent eight straight times and suffers three straight eliminations from the playoffs? Regardless of that, game two of the semifinal round was set from KeyBank Center in Buffalo, New York. Buffalo won game one Friday night in Hamilton, so they set their sights on punching their ticket to their third straight Finals appearance. Banditland was…
It is almost 2,500 miles from Albany, New York to San Diego, California. Also, there’s playing on the road, and there’s playing on the road in the playoffs. The FireWolves had a long way to go for game one of the semi-final round in this year’s playoffs, and boy, they did not squander that opportunity. We’ve discussed before that Albany’s team average in age is 26 years young. Saturday night…
Uncharacteristic. It’s perhaps the only word to describe the Toronto Rock’s 12-4 loss to the Buffalo Bandits on Friday night. Prior to game one of the semifinal series, Toronto (who sported the best goal differential in the regular season) had never been shutout in a half in the playoffs (it was 5-0 at halftime). The Rock matched a franchise low in goals scored (4: Jan 12 in Minnesota, and Feb…
On Friday night in Hamilton, the Toronto Rock and Buffalo Bandits will write the latest chapter in one of the most storied rivalries in the history of the NLL. In 77 previous meetings, Toronto holds a slight edge 39-38. However, the playoffs have been a different story. Buffalo leads the all time playoff matchup 7-3. Recently, the Bandits have been even more dominant winning eight of the last nine meetings,…
In Denver, Colorado, on September 1, 2007, Dane Dobbie was selected fourth overall in the NLL entry draft by the Calgary Roughnecks. In Orangeville, Chris Origlieri was just aging out of his first summer of introductory lacrosse. Saturday night, as teammates in San Diego, they helped the Seals advance past Panther City Lacrosse Club 9-8 to their third semi-final in four playoff seasons. In their first ever playoff game, Panther…
Albany, New York was the place to be on Sunday afternoon as quarterfinal playoff lacrosse hit the Capital Region for the first time in the FireWolves’ history. Albany welcomed in the Halifax Thunderbirds for the final one-and-done playoff game of the weekend. Albany was downright stingy in this game. For a team with an average age of 26 years old, they looked like a group of grizzled veterans. Using a…
Whenever the playoffs come around, teams tend to take their game to a new level. Saturday night’s contest was a wild ride, so please, fasten your seatbelts, keep your arms and legs in at all times, and enjoy. 17,865 fans piled into KeyBank Center to watch the Georgia Swarm take on the hometown Buffalo Bandits in this one-and-done first round playoff game. Everything about this game made a fan’s heart…
It’s been 13 seasons since the last Toronto Rock championship (2011), and the 2024 roster intends to end the drought. Step one was accomplished with a 9-6 quarterfinal victory over the Rochester Knighthawks at FirstOntario Centre in Hamilton on Saturday night. The blueprint was the same as it’s been all season – a full team effort, led by defence and goaltending. “Defence and goaltending win championships, and that’s our plan,”…
The final game of the Buffalo Bandits’ season was a crucial one. With a win Saturday night in Las Vegas, the Bandits could clinch a home playoff game. We all know that Banditland is built different, so that absolutely was something the boys in orange and black were shooting for. Also, it was a special night as it was Tucker Out Lymphoma night in Las Vegas. Tucker’s dad, Shawn Williams,…