With the specter of last year’s Eastern Conference Finals loss to the eventual-champion Rochester Knighthawks still on their minds, the Buffalo Bandits are looking forward to wiping the slate clean during training camp and beginning the new season with a fresh start.
On Saturday, the Bandits banded together once again at the First Niagara Center as they prepare for the 2015 NLL season. With 33 players and three goaltenders on the training camp roster, there will be stiff competition for each and every spot on the final team roster.
In an interview with the media before the start of training camp, Bandits GM Steve Dietrich addressed the level of competition he expects to see during training camp with, “We think that we have a team that can compete for a championship. A lot of the young kids coming in are going to vie for some spots and maybe take some jobs but that’s a good thing. Internal competition is great.”
Before heading into the upcoming Bandits training camp, Troy Cordingley took time out to review each and every game during the 2014 NLL campaign and analyzed every bit of game footage to ascertain what went right, what went wrong and where the team needs to improve in order to have a shot at regaining the Champion’s Cup.
In the 2014 season that was, Cordingley truly saw an eerie lacrosse version of Jekyll and Hyde. The first 10 games saw the Bandits firing on all cylinders and at the top of the Eastern Conference with an 8-2 record. The last eight games saw the team’s wheels completely fall off on an eight game losing streak to close out the regular season while the team limped into the playoffs.
Regarding his team’s composure during the eight game losing streak, Cordingley said, “I was pretty impressed with the way nobody was pointing fingers. The way I look at it is you’re going to make some mistakes, you’re going to find times like that, but you have to learn from that. You have to take things from failure obviously.”
While fans and critics had mainly written off the Bandits heading into the playoffs due to their performance during the eight game losing streak, the team rose from the ashes like a phoenix and pulled off the upset victories against the Toronto Rock and being one goal away from winning the Eastern Conference finals against the defending champion Rochester Knighthawks.
“We were a goal post away from going to the championship game,” Cordingley said. “That’s how tight this league is. It’s literally a game of inches. The main question going forward is how do we make up those inches and how do we find those inches so that we’re on the right side next time?”
Goaltender Anthony Cosmo is just as hungry as Cordingley in trying to get the Bandits on the right side of history the second time around. “I thought last year was a better year than the year before but we didn’t win the championship. No matter how hard you work, that there is your motivation.”
Trying to put the 2014 season behind them, the Bandits and more importantly Cordingley himself used the offseason to help make the necessary upgrades he felt had to be addressed in order for the team to be ready to compete for the upcoming season. During the 2014 NLL draft, the Bandits stockpiled left handed forwards and transition along with a transaction that sent Rory Smith and Eric Penney packing to Vancouver in exchange for Nick Weiss and future draft selections.
Besides the loss of Smith and Penney, the Bandits also said goodbye to assistant captain Shawn Williams and longstanding backup goaltender Kurtis Wagar. Addressing the loss of Williams’ lacrosse IQ and additional leadership in the locker room, Cordingley said, “He was real good in the dressing room. A player like Shawn who’s played and won in this league, who’s done everything in this league, he’s a real good guy. I have nothing but unbelievable things to say about that man.”
While the Bandits will be missing Williams’ presence in the locker room, the team is definitely excited to have their leader on the floor, Bandits captain John Tavares, returning for another season. Tavares (who turned 46 in September) will begin his 24th season a member of the Bandits. Last season, Tavares was fourth on the team in scoring with 51 points (24 G, 27 A). “The team showed interest in having me back,” said Tavares. “I was surprised given my age and whatnot, but also flattered and encouraged to come back for another year.”
Besides the return of Tavares to the Bandits, the other big news story heading into training camp was the signing of team leading scorer Ryan Benesch, 2014 NLL Defensive Player of the year nominee Steve Priolo and 2013 NLL All-Rookie Team member Dhane Smith to long-term three year contracts.
By signing these three major players to long term deals, Bandits GM Dietrich believes that, “These players are three key pieces going forward. Steve (Priolo) is the best if not one of the best defenders in the league, Ryan Benesch is an awesome scorer and I think Dhane Smith has a chance to be the best player in the league.”
Looking forward to seeing all 38 Bandits members in action during training camp, GM Steve Dietrich is very hopeful with their draft selections and the off-season moves that have taken place in the interim. “I like the team camaraderie we have. I like the cohesiveness, the way the guys get along and I think we’re heading in the right direction.”
The Bandits will open the season on the road against the New England Black Wolves January 2 before heading home the next day for their home opener against the Edmonton Rush at the First Niagara Center.
