Tucker Out Lymphoma night in Buffalo, New York is a big deal. It’s always an emotional night as we remember the life and legacy of Tucker Williams. The son of former Buffalo Bandit and current Las Vegas head coach, Shawn Williams, Tucker was only eight years old when he lost his battle with Burkitt’s Lymphoma. It’s been nine years since his tragic death, but the lacrosse community will always remember him and his valiant fight and attitude at such a young age.
Saturday night the Buffalo Bandits and New York Riptide remembered Tucker with the always impressive custom uniforms and equipment that is to be raffled off to benefit pediatric cancer. You already know the Bandits were coming out to make a statement and honor Tucker, but New York had something to say about it in terms of the lacrosse game that was played. A seven-goal run in the second quarter and some late game heroics from Jeff Teat, propelled the Riptide to a 15-13 win over Buffalo.
The first quarter was tit-for-tat, with Mitch Wilde getting the scoring started. Chase Fraser rattled off two straight for Buffalo, but was answered by two from New York, one from Stephen Keogh and the other from Reilly O’Connor. Josh Byrne notched his first to close out the quarter and we were deadlocked at three.
Cue that seven-goal run for New York. The first goal of the run was scored at the 14:39 mark of the quarter and the seventh was at the 7:30 mark. Not only did New York rattle off seven straight, but they completely took Buffalo out of the game. Scorers in that run were Teat three times, Kiel Matisz, Larson Sundown, Keogh, his second, and Connor Kearnan. After Teat’s third goal (goal number six of the run), Matt Vinc was removed from the game. Uncharacteristic from the veteran, but nevertheless, in came Steve Orleman for the first time in a Bandits uniform. Dhane Smith stopped the bleeding, but only for a moment, as Matisz scored his second. Out went Orleman, in came Vinc again. Byrne got his second and Ian MacKay scored his first to end the frame. 11-6 New York at the break. Stunned silence in Banditland.
On the Riptide side, Cameron Dunkerley was spectacular, making 25 saves on 31 shots. The Buffalo side was a bit messy as Vinc couldn’t find a groove and Orleman was kind of thrown out to sea. (Get it? Riptide?) Credit where credit is due however, late in the second quarter Vinc recorded his 10,000th career save in his illustrious career.
“I think we were moving the ball quick,” said Teat at the half. “We were playing with pace and playing unselfish. Good to be back here and playing.”
Somehow, some way, the Bandits find ways to get themselves back into games after the first half doesn’t go their way. You really didn’t think on such a special night that Buffalo wasn’t going to make it interesting, right? After an abysmal second quarter, Buffalo shut down New York in the third and the comeback commenced. Buffalo scored two-in-a-row, one from Tehoka Nanticoke and the other from Fraser, his third. Keogh did get his third of the game, but Smith got the last laugh in the quarter with his second, this one on the power play. 12-9 Riptide after three, but the tides were shifting. (Get it?)
After a seven-goal run by New York in the second, would you believe me if I told you that this game ended up being tied and came down to the wire? Consider that your spoiler. Here we go in the fourth. MacKay got his second to open the frame as he leapt at the crease and was airborne for what felt like forever before burying his shot. Keogh answered with his fourth, but once again, here came the Bandits. Three straight from Buffalo in 8:34 of game play had this one all tied up. From stunned silence to pure elation in Banditland. Scorers in that span were Nanticoke, his second, Byrne, his third, and Fraser, his fourth. 13-13 with 2:09 to play. The tie was short-lived, because mama, there goes that man again. Teat played a little give-and-go with O’Connor before he dove across the crease, delivering the dagger. Matt Marinier sealed the deal with an empty-netter in the late seconds, to give us our final, 15-13 Riptide.
Players of the game for Buffalo were Fraser (4+2), Byrne (3+4), and Smith (2+5). Vinc had a phenomenal second half compared to the first. He made 26 saves on 38 shots in 55:46 of game play. Orleman, in his brief relief, stopped three of five in 4:13 of game play. For New York, Teat (4+6), Keogh (4+1), Matisz (2+5), and O’Connor (1+7) led the way. Dunkerley was stout all game, stopping 47 of 60 on the night.
“It’s tough to win a lacrosse game when you give up 11 in the first half,” said John Tavares. “We had opportunities to score in the first half, but we didn’t capitalize.”
“It’s definitely an emotional game,” said Smith about the meaning of Tucker Out Lymphoma night. “It’s one of those games that you check off at the beginning of the season. I was hoping for a better outcome because that game meant a lot to our team.”
Buffalo (3-3) looks to lick their wounds as they prepare for this weekend. It’s rivalry week once again as they travel north of the border to take on the undefeated Toronto Rock (5-0). Faceoff in that one is Saturday at 7 p.m. New York (2-4) looks to build off the massive momentum from that win. They travel back home to take on the Georgia Swarm (4-3) this Saturday at 7:30 p.m.
