Di Miller, NLL Correspondent
Lacrosse is Awesome
On Saturday April 21, 2018, the Toronto Rock (8-9) headed south to face their Eastern Division rivals the Buffalo Bandits (8-9) at the Key Bank Center. Attendance was above the season average with 16,630 Bandits fans set and ready to see their team return home after a two game road trip and losing streak. However, it wasn’t in the cards for Buffalo as their rivals the Rock would tumble over them by the final score: Toronto 16—Buffalo 11.
Buffalo would open the game with goals from Shawn Evans (3G, 1A); followed two minutes later by Vaughn Harris (1G, 1A) at 4:13. Toronto’s offense would kick in and go on a four goal run controlling the next seven minutes of play. The Rock would have four different men hit net; Challen Rogers (3G, 2A); Adam Jones (3G, 2A); Latrell Harris (1G); and Rob Hellyer (3G, 2A) who would team up with Tom Schreiber after having been absent for several games with 1:04 remaining in the frame. Buffalo would strike back one final time from Mitch Jones (3G, 1A) teaming up with Josh Byrne and 31 seconds on the ticker. Nick Rose and Alex Buque would both have seven saves in the frame. Score at the end of one: Toronto 4—Buffalo 3.
The Rock would open the second with a three goal run. Brett Hickey (1G) at .46; Reid Reinholdt at 3:17 (2G); and Kieran McArdle (1G, 1A) 13 seconds later putting them up 7-3. It was then that Bandits Head Coach Troy Cordingley would give the nod to Zach Higgins and Buque was sent to the bench. The Bandits struck back off the strong arm of Shawn Evans (3G, 1A); and Jones would hit net unassisted and blow a laser past Rose at the 6:51 mark. Almost three and a half minutes of scoreless lacrosse and Reinholdt would break the silence off an unassisted shot on Higgins at 10:34. Buffalo would close it out with two more the first from Dhane Smith (1G, 4A); followed by Justin Martin (1G) still down by one heading into the locker room. Score: Rock 8—Bandits 7.
After the break, the barrage of scoring continued. Toronto would get nabbed on an illegal body checking call against Drew Belgrave at the 51 second mark. Josh Byrne (1G, 1A) would get his first and only of the night for Buffalo capitalizing on a man-up situation 16 seconds after Belgrave went to the box and the game was tied at eight apiece. Not to be stopped, the Rock went on another three goal run with Jones; Jordan Magnuson (1G); and Hellyer finding twine and controlling possession for the next five minutes. Jones would break up the party for the second power-play goal for Buffalo off the five minute major elbowing penalty against Latrell Harris at 9:59. The Rock offense was not ready to shut it down and would score two short-handed goals, the first from Rogers at 12:00; followed by Hellyer at 14:37. Toronto had outscored the Bandits 5-2 in the third and weren’t ready to shut off the gas yet. Score at the end of three: Toronto 13—Buffalo 9.
The fourth was low on goals and high on penalties. Toronto would control goals and Buffalo would lead on penalties. Jones started it off for Toronto giving him the hat-trick at 4:12. Buffalo got two in the frame, with Evans hitting at 4:47; and Steve Priolo unassisted at 5:16. Buffalo took the risk of pulling Higgins and Brodie Merrill took advantage at 12:39 on the feed from Brad Kri off the face-off. In fact, Rogers would perform an identical play with the empty-netter off another feed from Kri at 14:09. It was then that the gloves came off and tempers flared. At 14:40 Buffalo’s Priolo would get hit with three major penalties—a slashing major; fighting major both five minutes, and two game misconducts for 10 minutes. He’s most likely looking at a suspension. Brett Hickey and Kri would also be nailed—Hickey receiving a two minute unsportsmanlike; and Kri two game misconducts for 10 minutes. At that moment, the crew chief handed out more penalty time than time in a half. Play ensued and with only two seconds on the clock, Bill O’Brien (Buffalo) would be called for slashing; and Magnuson (Toronto) received a two minute roughing. Final Score: Rock 16—Bandits 11.
Something to note in the game, Toronto was 0-8 on power-play opportunities and received 23 minutes of penalties on six infractions. Buffalo was 2-5 on the man-up and was hit with 30 minutes in the box on eight infractions. They’ll both have to control the penalties heading into the final week of the 2017-2018 regular season.
We’ll have to wait and see what suspensions will be made; who will appeal those suspensions; and who will be playing next weekend. This is huge for both teams as the Eastern Division has yet to be decided changing week to week and game to game.
All eyes will be on the East as Georgia has taken the lead and Buffalo has fallen to the cellar.
UP NEXT:
Buffalo (8-9) hosts their final regular season at home on Saturday April 28, 2018 against Eastern Division rivals the Rochester Knighthawks (9-8). Will this be the Bandits last game for the 2017-2018 season or will they grab one of those three playoff spots. Toronto (8-9) heads to Denver to face the Colorado Mammoth (10-7) at the Loud House also on Saturday April 21.
Di Miller, NLL Correspondent
Lacrosse is Awesome