Eduardo Curros – Western Correspondent, All Lacrosse All The Time
The Buffalo Bandits came into Game 2 of their semifinal series against the Vancouver Warriors looking to sweep the series and advance to the NLL Finals for the fifth straight year. The Warriors, meanwhile, were hoping to feed off the energy of the crowd at Rogers Arena, where they posted a league best 7-2 record this season. Unfortunately, Vancouver’s offense had an obstacle that would not let them see the hope of a game three. The obstacle in question: the winningest goaltender in NLL history, Matt Vinc, who turned in another masterful performance in an 11-9 win. The Bandits will host Game 1 of the best-of-three Finals on Friday May 16 against the winner of the Halifax-Saskatchewan semifinal series.
Warriors keep up with Bandits in first half
Dhane Smith opened the scoring for the Bandits with a power play goal, assisted by Ian MacKay and Kyle Buchanan at 1:28. MacKay would follow up with a goal from Matt Vinc and Nick Weiss at 4:42 for a 2-0 lead. The Warriors struck back as Kevin Crowley scored with help from Keegan Bal and Marcus Klarich at 9:24. Riley Loewen would then tie the score 2-2 with help from Adam Charalambides at 13:41.
Chase Fraser began another offensive push for the Bandits in the second quarter, assisted by Josh Byrne and Tehoka Nanticoke at 1:44. Charalambides scored with help from Bal and Remo Schenato at 4:43 to tie the game at 3-3. MacKay then scored two goals, assisted by Fraser on the first and Buchanan and Smith on the second, at 9:43 and 10:48. Bal closed the first half scoring with help from Charalambides and Crowley at 14:43. Buffalo led at the half 5-4.
Vinc, Bandits lock it down in fourth quarter to advance
Surprisingly, it was the Warriors who came out of halftime with a run. Charalambides scored with help from Klarich just 29 seconds into the third quarter. Klarich followed with help from Charalambides and Steph Charbonneau 14 seconds later for the Warriors’ first lead, 6-5. Nanticoke broke the run, with Byrne and Ron John assisting at 1:33. But Charalambides scored again at 5:06, and Bal 41 seconds later for an 8-6 lead. The Bandits got a power play goal from Chris Cloutier at 9:57, but trailed 8-7 going into the fourth quarter.
Buffalo is not the team to fear being down by one in a semifinal, and they showed it. Smith would connect with MacKay at 0:39 to tie the game. Fraser put the Bandits up 9-8 with help from Cloutier and Nanticoke at 3:03. Cloutier would then score his second goal off passes from Byrne and Buchanan at 3:59 for a 10-8 lead. Klarich brought the Warriors within one, assisted by Jackson Suboch and Ryan Martel at 4:32. However, Fraser would put nail in the coffin at 9:15, going between his legs and off two posts to beat goaltender Christian Del Bianco. Vancouver had chances to pull even and force overtime, but eight-time Goaltender of the Year Vinc and the Bandits defense locked down as time ran out on the Warriors’ best season since moving downtown in 2019.
Curros’s Corner
Bandits: MacKay (3g, 3a); Fraser (3g, 1a); Smith (2g, 3a); Cloutier (2g, 1a); Nanticoke (1g, 2a); Josh Byrne (4a)
Warriors: Charalambides (3g, 4a); Klarich (2g, 3a); Bal (2g, 2a); Crowley (1g, 1a); Loewen (1g)
Matt Vinc: 29 saves; Christian Del Bianco: 30 saves
Alec Stathakis: 15-24 Faceoffs; 6 Loose Balls
Power Play: Buffalo 2 of 3; Vancouver 0 of 2
