Photo Credit Feature Image: Vancouver Stealth
Marcelo A. Sagüez, NLL Correspondent
Lacrosse is Awesome
The Buffalo Bandits (5-6) were on the road to face the Vancouver Stealth (5-7) at Langley Events Centre. The Stealth had just come off two huge wins against their Western Division rivals the Saskatchewan Rush and Colorado Mammoth and they were ready for the Trifecta, but the Bandits headed up to Vancouver with another plan, win! Final Score: Buffalo 15—Vancouver 11.
The opening quarter started out with a challenge from the visiting Bandits on a goal scored by Stealth’s Jordan Durston (78) over the glove side shoulder, upon review it was overturned and the game was returned to zeros. Moment’s later Corey Small (15) quick stick puts the Stealth on the board 1-0 on a cross floor feed from Duch (10). Then Bandits Dane Smith (92) evened things up with the sub shot beating Tye Belanger. Quick transition would put Buffalo up 2-1 half way through the first quarter. Bandits on the man-up five minute power-play made it look easy with a bouncer from Smith (92) from the top to beat Belanger (31) with just under three minutes to go in the power-play. From the wrong side of the floor Durston would beat Cosmo over the shoulder cutting the Stealth lead to two at the end of the first. Buffalo would go on a four goal run with Vancouver starting and ending the score in the first. Score at the end of one: Buffalo 4—Vancouver 2.
Vancouver started the second on a power-play scoring on a long point shot from Logan Schuss (18) stick side, in response to the goal (14) Pat Saunders off the bench got a long floor feed from the keeper Cosmo, 5-3 Bandits. On a diving attempt Durston scored his third of the night (hat-trick); followed by (55) Joel McCready to tie the game at five. Vancouver would take their first lead of the game off the three goal run, but the celebration was short lived as Mitch Jones (24) sniped the top corner on a behind the back shot to tie the game at six with 28 seconds remaining. But Vancouver would win the face-off, maintain the ball and with only five seconds on clock, Schuss would put it over (44) Cosmo’s shoulder taking a one goal lead into the half. Vancouver 7—Buffalo 6.
The third quarter would be Bandits ball and they would notch six in the frame. Starting out the third, Schuss would get nabbed for holding at 1:49 and 14 seconds into the Vancouver penalty (9) Mark Steenhuis would capitalize on a quick stick opportunity in front of the Vancouver crease tying this game at seven to open the scoring in the third quarter. Alex Kedoh Hill (66) would score on the power play 8-7 bandits. With that six goal run the Bandits were moving the ball with precision, providing Buffalo ample time to set up a proper scoring opportunities and ending the quarter with a six goal lead over the Stealth. Score at the end of three: Buffalo 12—Vancouver 7.
Buffalo would keep their run going in the fourth, notching two more, the first off Mitch Jones (3:47; and the second from Craig England (5:31). Vancouver had hit a goal drought heading into the fourth. At 9:30 Vancouver elected to replace Belanger with (00) Tyler Richards who had not been between the pipes since January against the Rush. The Stealth had been held scoreless for over 25 minutes. With four minutes remaining Vancouver would go on a four goal run with Small splitting the twine with back-to-back goals at 10:54 and on the extra attacker at 11:19; Peter McFetridge would follow up less than two minutes later off the long bomb from (00) Richards who found McFetridge alone behind the Bandits defense to find the net for the goal. Finding life late in the game Vancouver’s (78) Durston would cut into the Bandits lead 14-11 with less than two minutes to play. With the empty net and extra attacker for Vancouver, the air was taken out of the balloon with a short handed empty netter by Anthony Malcolm to close it out. Final Score: Buffalo 15—Vancouver 11.
On Saturday March 25, the Buffalo Bandits (5-6) head to Rochester to face the Knighthawks (4-8) and the Vancouver Stealth (5-7) head to Toronto to face the Rock (6-5).
Marcelo A. Sagüez, NLL Correspondent
Lacrosse is Awesome