By: Di Miller, NLL Correspondent
Lacrosse is Awesome
The Buffalo Bandits, NLL and Eastern Division leaders headed to the Mohegan Sun Arena on Monday May 16 to face their rivals, the New England Black Wolves in the final round of the NLL play-offs. During the regular season, the Bandits would lead the Black Wolves in the series 2-3, but now it’s all on the line and the teams needed to put the regular season in the backs of their minds, focusing on the Champions Cup. Excitement was all around as ecstatic Black Wolves fans were hopeful that their team would win tonight’s contest and head to the First Niagara Center on Saturday May 21, 2016. Unfortunately for the Black Wolves, they couldn’t shut down the best team in the league. Final Score: Buffalo 15—New England 10.
Buffalo would win the opening face-off however, it would be New England scoring first off a weak-hand shot by Kevin Buchanan (assist Kyle Buchanan, Pat Saunders) at 1:45 when Anthony Cosmo, net-minder for the Bandits would give it up on the short-side. At 4:08, Nick Weiss transition player for the Bandits would be called for an illegal cross-checking minor putting New England on another man-up opportunity where Pat Saunders would score 30 seconds later down the middle, short-side low off the one-time pass from Kevin Crowley. It would be Kyle Buchanan scoring this time for the Wolves when the ball went off the leg of Cosmo short-side low. The TV time-out couldn’t come soon enough for the Bandits as they needed to regroup. Derek Suddons of New England would be called for a high-sticking major putting him in the box for five minutes. This was just what the Bandits needed to get them rolling and they did. Only 12 seconds later Ryan Benesch would score on the man-up off a one-pass and shoot from Dhane Smith catching Evan Kirk off guard. Alexander-Kedoh Hill would be the next to score on man-up for Buffalo (assist Dhane Smith) dropping it in short-side low on Kirk. With a three on two, Mitch Jones from Buffalo would get a give and go to Benesch who shot a left-hand bounce shot tying the game 3-3 and neutralizing the Wolves in their tracks. Bill O’Brien would draw a roughing penalty and put New England two men down again. Smith would score again for the Bandits straight up the middle catching Kirk off guard and breaking the tie. Hill, off a loose ball from Benesch would score his second with 1:25 left in the quarter. Buffalo had gone on a five-goal run and yet neither team was showing much patience on offense with two minutes left in the first. Score at the end of the one: Buffalo 5—New England 3.
The Black Wolves would start the second on the man-up off a penalty by Benesch with only one second left in the first, and it would be Shawn Evans scoring off a short snappy low-to-low shot at 1:15. New England had nice ball movement on possession, even throwing in a few behind-the-back passes; and at this point they had good ball control. But it only took seven seconds for Hill (hat-trick) to put another on the board for the Bandits finishing on the break from Nick Weiss, pulling the shot to the back short-side. Smith would score back-to-back goals for Buffalo putting them up 8-4. The Black Wolves would be the final to score in the quarter with a shot by Saunders stinging the corner high-to-high off side, left handed. New England would waste the last 13 seconds of the man-up during transition and lose the opportunity to put another point on the board. With 1:19 left in the half, Andrew Watt would get nabbed for an illegal substitution stopping the Bandits momentum and putting New England on yet another man-up opportunity, but they couldn’t put the ball in net. Score at the end of the half: Buffalo 8—New England 5.
Buffalo would be the ones to win the face-off starting the third and would go on a three-goal run starting with Chad Culp dumping the ball in the corner, pulling it back short-side 33 seconds in. Mark Steenhuis would net a soft goal between the pipes at 3:33; and that’s when New England would pull Kirk in exchange for Tye Belanger. Unfortunately for Belanger, Smith would welcome him to the game with an outside shot only 20 seconds after he set up between the pipes. New England’s defense wasn’t closing in on the shooters; and the Bandits had controlled the ball for almost six minutes of the period. Then finally the Black Wolves came to life with a three-goal run starting off a two-on-one with Brett Manney running interference for Sheldon Burns. Manney would get a good hard pick and screen for Burns to score on the power-play at 5:32. Manney would set up another pick and screen for Brett Bucktooth with only 2:13 remaining, who sent it short-side over the top of the screen. Kyle Buchanan would score only seven seconds later on the face-off unassisted, shedding some light at the end of the tunnel for New England. Cosmo would come off for the extra attacker with seven seconds left and fortunately for the Black Wolves, Belanger guessed right on the shot going left side to keep New England within three. Score at the end of the third: Buffalo 11—New England 8.
New England knew everything was at stake as they wanted to notch the win at home to head to Buffalo leading the series 1-0. Both net-minders were bullet-proof; making amazing saves. New England’s defense was tight; and their offense aggressive. Unfortunately, Hill would break the silence with his fourth of the night from Benesch. With only O’Brien on the Black Wolves end of the floor, Hill backed off; pumped; faked and shot putting it down low at 6:08. Saunders would hit net off a face dodge, carry and shoot at 6:36 when Cosmo couldn’t get a good read on the ball. Smith would score again for the Bandits (fifth of the night) just inside the post off a nice pick from Steenhuis; followed by Benesch. Kyle Buchanan would put another on the board for New England with 1:56 left, but it was a futile effort with the Bandits up by four. Benesch would put up the hat-trick on an empty-net for the Bandits with only 1:15 remaining. Final Score: Buffalo 15—New England 10.
If New England has any hopes of advancing to the championship, they will need to find a way to perform on defense; they need to be better on the five-on-five; the offense has to work on making accurate shots; they have to score goals on transition as well as on the power-play.
On Saturday May 21, New England will head to the First Niagara Center to face Buffalo on their turf. If New England can pull off the win and force a 10 minute mini-game, they have the capability of defeating the Bandits to face the winners in the West.
Di Miller, NLL Correspondent
Lacrosse is Awesome