By Chris Crane, NLL Correspondent
The Buffalo Bandits (8-4) took on the Vancouver Stealth (3-9) at the First Niagara Center in front of a crowd of 14,301. The Bandits who are in first place in the Eastern Division would show why they are in first place by rolling over the Stealth 17-10.
Vancouver’s Rhys Duch would get the Stealth on the board first only 53 seconds into the first period. However, the Bandits would then go on a three goal run getting scores from David Brock, Dhane Smith and Daryl Veltman putting Buffalo up 3-1 with just over three minutes remaining in the first. Vancouver would get one back at the 12:59 mark from Corey Small (Durston, Bal) making it a 3-2 game at the end of the first period.
The second period would be a defensive stand still as scoring didn’t happen until almost 11minutes of play. But it would be Buffalo nabbing the only two goals of the period coming from Kevin Brownell (Mitch Jones) at the 10:35 mark making it a 4-2 game. Buffalo would then net one more at 14:38 from Smith on the power play giving the Bandits a 5-2 lead heading into halftime.
Vancouver would get the scoring started in the third period at 2:34 from Joel McCready cutting Buffalo’s lead to 5-3. Buffalo would then answer back with two goals of their own at the 3:25 and 3:48 marks coming from Smith who gets his third goal of the night giving him the hat trick and the second goal coming from Mark Steenhuis giving Buffalo a 7-3 lead. Vancouver would then get two goals of their own from Duch at 4:15 and 5:13 giving him a hat trick as well; cutting into Buffalo’s lead to 7-5. Buffalo’s Smith would then get his fourth goal of the night at 9:32 putting the Bandits back up by 3, 8-5. Vancouver’s Thomas Hoggarth would net one for the Stealth a minute later cutting Buffalo’s lead to 8-6. The Bandits would then add one more just 25 seconds later from Anthony Malcom at 10:56. However; Vancouver would get the last goal of the period at 14:15 from Duch who would get his fourth goal of the night to end the period with Buffalo still leading 9-7.
To start the fourth Duch would end up grabbing his fifth on the night at just 35 seconds into the fourth period. Buffalo’s lead was now down to one 9-8. Buffalo would then go on a five goal run with goals coming from Veltman, Steenhuis, Smith (2) giving him five goals on the night and Benesch would grab the last goal of the run putting the Bandits up 14-8. The Stealth’s Duch would then gets his sixth goal of the night at the 8:23 mark (sock trick) making it a 14-9 game. Vancouver would then add one more from Corey Small at 11:46 on an extra attacker play making it 14-10. However; Buffalo would end the fourth period by going on a three goal run from Steenhuis, Priolo and Malcom giving Buffalo a decisive 17-10 victory.
The Bandits will now travel south to take on the Georgia Swarm in another Eastern Division match up on April 2nd.
Chris Crane, NLL Correspondent
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