Dynasty in Buffalo: the bandits return for the 6th championship

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — Back where they started, the Bandits are back-to-back champions again.

Amplified by a sold-out crowd Saturday night at KeyBank Center, the Bandits defeated the Albany FireWolves 15-13 to sweep the National Lacrosse League final and win their sixth professional indoor lacrosse title. Buffalo’s championship total ties the Toronto Rock and Philadelphia Wings for the most in league history.

Capping an unbeaten playoff run, the Bandits repeated as NLL Cup champions for the first time since 1992-93, the franchise’s early years. Buffalo also won the North American Cup as Major Indoor Lacrosse League champions in 1996 and the NLL Champions Cup in 2008.

Led by two MVP forwards, Josh Byrne and Dhane Smith, backed by the league’s greatest goalie, Matt Vinc, coached by veteran John Tavares, and backed by a fan base bigger and louder than anything the league has seen before, Buffalo asserted its dynasty with back-to-back championship triumphs. Appearing in a fourth straight NLL Finals series, and 13th in 32 years, Banditland basks in its orange and black glory for another year.

“All season you’ve been chased,” NLL Commissioner Brett Frood said during the trophy presentation. “Everyone wanted what you had. This has been a season of resilience and tenacity. And you took it back right away.

Celebrating a championship at home for the second year in a row, the Bandits were sprinkled with orange and purple confetti while handing out their brand new trophy, grateful to the fans – almost all of the 19,070 people remained in the stands long after the blow of final horn – while hugging family, friends and each other. Labatt Blue Light beers were opened on the arena floor and eventually sipped at the NLL Cup mouthpiece.

Chase Fraser led Buffalo’s scoring attack with five goals and two assists. The Bandits got two goals each from Tehoka Nanticoke, Chris Cloutier, Brandon Robinson and Smith, who also added five assists to his career playoff total, an NLL record 125. Byrne, the team’s MVP league this year, had one goal and eight assists for one team. -leading by nine points. Matt Vinc made 36 saves.

Kyle Buchanan’s shorthanded, no-look, behind-the-back one-timer two minutes into the game sent the crowd into a frenzy and gave the Bandits a lead they would never relinquish. Albany closed each of the first two quarters with rallies, but Buffalo’s five-goal streak in 5:27 in the third quarter built a 14-8 advantage that held off the FireWolves’ final push in the fourth.

After fans filled Alumni Plaza for a pregame party several hours before the start of Game 2, the Bandits will continue the celebration downtown Sunday at noon.