Christopher Crane, NLL Correspondent
Lacrosse is Awesome©
Featured Image Photo Credit: Bill Wippert
In this weekend’s NLL action, we got to see I-90 rivals in action. The Rochester Knighthawks (2-5) travelled to the KeyBank Center to take on the Buffalo Bandits (6-0) in front of a crowd of 9,371. It seemed as if the Bandits were going to control the tempo of the game as they would hold the Knighthawks to just four scores in the first half. Group that with Matt Vinc’s 38 saves and the defense holding the Knighthawks scoreless in the third quarter, and you think the game would be over. However, Rochester would then take control in the fourth quarter, and they would rally a late surge outscoring the Bandits 4-1. Unfortunately for Rochester, the surge would come up just short as the Bandits would hold win 11-8. Final Score: Buffalo-11, Rochester-8.
Buffalo would start the first period on a four-goal run with Kyle Buchanan (2g, 2a) tallying the first score for the Bandits and his first of two scores on the night 3:24 in. Then it would be his Bandits teammate Chris Cloutier (1g, 2a) netting Buffalo’s second score to go up 2-0 at the 3:55 mark. Buffalo’s Dhane Smith (4g, 3a) would then tally off the Bandits next two scores to put Buffalo up 4-0 at the 8:49 mark of the period. It would be Rochester’s Ryland Rees (1g) finally getting the Knighthawks on the board at the 9:16 mark to make it a 4-1 game. Buffalo would add one more score in the period coming from the hands of Smith for a hat trick on the night at the 12:44 mark. At the end of the first quarter, Buffalo led Rochester 5-1.
Second period action would have the Bandits extending their lead to 6-1 on a shorthanded score from Tehoka Nanticoke (1g, 3a) at the 4:11 mark of the period. The Knighthawks would get one back as Curtis Knight (3g, 3a) would be able to sneak one past Buffalo’s net minder to make it a 6-2 game at the 5:00 mark of the period. Buffalo would tally one more score in the period coming from Chase Fraser (1g) to extend the Bandits lead to 7-2. Rochester wouldn’t go away quietly as the Knighthawks Shawn Evans (2g, 4a) would net his two scores of the night. His second came on the power play score at the 12:37 mark. Heading into halftime, Buffalo led Rochester 7-4.
Third period action would be all Buffalo as net minder Matt Vinc and the Bandits defense didn’t allow Rochester to tally a score in the period. But it would be Buffalo’s Buchanan, Josh Byrne (2g, 1a) and Smith netting his fourth of the night to put the Bandits up big. At the end of the third quarter Buffalo led Rochester 10-4.
Fourth period action would see Rochester all of sudden take control of the game away from the Bandits and they would go on a four-goal run to make it a 10-8 game. Tallying scores for the Knighthawks would be Knight, netting two to give him a hat trick on the night, Holden Cattoni (1g, 1a), and Mike Burke (1g, 1) scoring. The Bandits would add one last score from Byrne to bring us to our final. Final Score: Buffalo-11, Rochester-8
Up Next:
The Buffalo Bandits (6-0) will travel to take on the Toronto Rock (4-3) on Saturday, February 12 at 5 PM EST.
The Rochester Knighthawks (2-5) will host the Albany Firewolves (4-3) on Saturday, February 12 at 7 PM EST.