“Muffler” Mike Kostiuk – Senior Correspondent, All Lacrosse All The Time
The Buffalo Bandits hosted the Rochester Knighthawks at Key Bank Center Saturday night. It was the Bandits’ home opener, and the fans were treated to the raising of the 2024 NLL Championship banner to the rafters. Rochester was looking to break a three-game losing skid from Week 2, while handing Buffalo their first loss of the season. However, the Bandits took control of the game from the outset with a six-goal run, never looking back in a 13-6 victory. Rochester drops to 1-4 with the loss, while Buffalo (3-0) remains one of two undefeated teams in the league (Georgia; 4-0) after five weeks of play.
Bandits take control with six-goal run
Buffalo got goals from Dhane Smith (0:22) and Josh Byrne (6:49) to take a 2-0 lead after the first quarter. Ian MacKay (4:43) and Byrne (4:58) scored 15 seconds apart in the second quarter to double the lead to 4-0. Kyle Buchanan (6:11) and Tehoka Nanticoke (6:33) then scored 22 seconds apart to extend the lead to 6-0. Just as it appeared the rout was on, The Knighthawks put together a run of their own. Two markers from Connor Fields (7:08; 12:41) and a power play goal from Ryan Smith (10:24) cut the deficit to 6-3. Clay Scanlan, in for the injured Chris Cloutier, scored his first career NLL goal at 13:14 on a power play to end the Rochester run, sending the Bandits into halftime with a 7-3 lead.
https://twitter.com/NLLBandits/status/1873171965349118174
Bandits cruise in second half to remain undefeated
Curtis Knight (1:01 power play) opened the third quarter scoring for Rochester, narrowing the margin to 7-4. But the Bandits went on a four-goal run to put the game out of reach. MacKay scored his second on a power play (2:18), followed by Chase Fraser (7:04) to push the lead to five. Nanticoke (9:48) and Scanlan (14:59) each scored their second to make it 11-4 going into the final quarter.
Each team scored twice in the fourth. Buffalo got tallies from Dhane Smith (8:45) and Nanticoke’s hat trick goal (12:29). Rochester countered with Thomas McConvey (7:15) and Knight’s second (14:11), but it was too little, too late. Tempers flared over near the end of the game, with Rochester goaltender Riley Hutchcraft and Bandits defensemen Zach Belter and Dylan Robinson all receiving 10-minute game misconduct penalties. Buffalo has a bye in Week 6 before hosting Toronto in Week 7. Meanwhile, Rochester tries to break their four-game losing streak in Georgia against the league-leading Swarm.
https://twitter.com/NLLBandits/status/1873756238648938503
Other Stats of Note
Knighthawks: Fields (2g, 3a); Knight (2g, 1a); Ryan Smith (1g, 2a); McConvey (1g, 2a); Ryan Lanchbury (4a)
Bandits: Nanticoke (3g); Byrne (2g, 9a); Dhane Smith (2g, 6a); Scanlan (2g, 1a); MacKay (2g); Fraser (1g)
Riley Hutchcraft (ROC): 43 saves; Matt Vinc (ROC): 62 saves (new career and franchise high)
Matt Gilray (ROC): 5 Caused Turnovers