Di Miller, NLL Correspondent
Lacrosse is Awesome©
Featured Image Photo Credit: Mike Hetzel
Bandits (10-7) fans were 19,070 strong tonight at KeyBank Center when they hosted the Calgary Roughnecks (7-10) hoping to clinch a play off spot for the 2023-24 season. It was Fan Appreciation Night in Banditland and the fans got to witness a great send off for the final home game of the regular season as Buffalo would dominate from start to finish. Chase Fraser (4g) would be the hero of the night scoring some highlight reel goals in the process; Josh Byrne would notch his 50th goal of the season with 42.2 seconds left in the first half; and, for the first time this season, Buffalo has won three in a row. Final Score: Bandits 14—Roughnecks 7.
The first opened quickly with a boarding penalty against Connor Farrell just nine seconds in, but that didn’t stop them from putting up a short-handed tally. Chase Fraser (4g) split the defenders, backed himself away to create some separation, got the open lane and went far side high at the 1:05 mark and it was 1-0. But then it would slow to a snail’s pace with no player able to find the back of the net for the next 11 minutes. Heading into the man up, Josh Byrne faked the shot, passed to Tehoka Nanticoke (1g, 2a) who quick sticked it far side top corner with 2:19 left for a power play tally to make it 2-0 Bandits. Buffalo would have some great east to west ball movement allowing Kyle Buchanan (2g, 2a) to find a soft spot between the defense, catch and shoot down low with 1:44 on the ticker 3-0 Bandits; and they’d get their final marker in the frame with 42.6 seconds left. Chris Cloutier would feed to Byrne (2g, 5a) at the restraining line, and he ripped an offside shot to put it far pipe closing out the first. Score at the end of one: Bandits 4—Roughnecks 0.
It took a bit longer for the second to get going, but once again it would be Buffalo who would strike first. Dhane Smith would feed to Buchanan, he set up in the middle and scored on a crease dive 2:20 in and the Bandits were up 5-0. Calgary would finally halt the run with 7:00 left in the second. Zach Currier (2a) would feed a BTB pass to Tyler Pace (2g, 2a), he’d catch the ball right out in front and put it far side for a power-play tally to make it 5-1. The Bandits would cancel out that goal with a man up tally of their own. They were on the two-man game with Buchanan feeding to Fraser from behind the net with some north to south action, and he went down low far side with 5:21 left in the half and it was 6-1. Less than a minute later, the Bandits would work the ball around, Chris Cloutier (3g, 1a) threw a couple of pump fakes out in front and finished over the shoulder of Christian Del Bianco chasing him from the net with 4:52 to go 7-1 Buffalo. Steve Fryer would head to the net to settle CDB a bit and it did pay off as Calgary would put up one more before the half. Dan Taylor would feed to Tanner Cook (1g) off the face-off and he used a quick stick top corner 23 seconds later 7-2. Off the ensuing face-off Steve Priolo (1g) would grab the loosie, saw no one on the other end of the floor and on a one-on-three bounced the shot glove side with 4:21 left and it was 8-2. Byrne would end the frame once again and again with 42.2 seconds on the ticker. He faked the quick stick, hopped up and put it far side over the shoulder for his 50th goal of the season. The half would end with Buffalo leading. Score at the end of two: Bandits 9—Roughnecks 2.
Calgary would win the third quarter outscoring Buffalo 3-2 although the Bandits would put up the first two. Cloutier fired a laser around his defender and snuck it past CBD on the far side 2:13 in and it was now 10-2. The next goal was a highlight reel goal for sure. Fraser had a defender draped all over him, was up against the boards, fought his way behind the cage came around front with the defender still on his back, and flipped a one handed shot far pipe 5:35 in putting them up by nine 11-2. The Roughnecks finally shut them down, putting up their first tally in almost 12 minutes. Haiden Dickson (1g, 1a) took a hard step, fired a side arm shot and jammed it inside the far pipe with 6:26 left in the third and it was 11-3. It took over three minutes before they’d find twine again. Dan Taylor (1g, 1a) set up and pulled it near side 11-4 and 3:47 to go in the frame. The final tally would come with 56 seconds on the ticker. Tyler Pace (2g, 2a) got the pick, stepped, fired and pinged the far corner for their third goal in row. Score at the end of three: Bandits 11—Roughnecks 5.
The teams would exchange goals in the final frame with the Bandits outscoring the Roughnecks 3-2 this time around. Smith would feed to Cloutier, he made the catch, and fired an underhand shot five-hole just 51 seconds in to increase their lead by seven 12-5. Five minutes would tick off the clock and Calgary would put up a power-play tally 5:29 in. Jesse King (1g, 3a) from the shooter spot up top, fired a side arm shot and it was 12-6 with plenty of time left. It took a little over a minute before Buffalo would put up another. Smith from the top of the slot would find a way past three Roughnecks defenders and fired a high to low shot with 6:36 in the contest regaining the seven-goal lead 13-6. The scoring would stall for another three before Calgary put up another and their final on the night. Josh Currier (1g, 2a) came around the back of the net, got out in front, spun and pinged the top corner with 5:21 left in the contest and it was 13-7. Buffalo would go back to the two-man game, for another “SportsCenter” goal by Fraser. Byrne made a BTB pass to Fraser out in front, he dove through the crease and while he was parallel to the floor, he fired an around the world shot and put the ball far side for the final marker of the night for either team and 4:54 to go. At that point, Roughnecks Bench Boss Josh Sanderson had seen enough and pulled CBD for the final time putting Steve Fryer back into the net. He’d make one save before the end of the night to hold the scoring by Buffalo. Final Score: Bandits 14—Roughnecks 7.
With the victory, Buffalo has secured a playoff spot for the 2023-24 season, while Calgary’s post season hopes are in the hands of the following scenarios: Calgary Roughnecks (7-9) can be eliminated from playoff contention with A loss at Buffalo, AND a Panther City win vs. Albany, AND at least ONE of the following: A Saskatchewan win vs. San Diego, OR A New York win at Vancouver. So they will be watching the rest of this weekend’s action very closely. As of the time of this article, the Rush had defeated the Seals 13-8 so one of the playoff hopes scenarios has already played out.
Stars of the Game:
Chase Fraser—Buffalo Bandits: 4g
Josh Byrne—Buffalo Bandits: 2g, 5a
Matt Vinc—Buffalo Bandits: 43 saves, .860% Sv%
GAME STATS:
Calgary Roughnecks: SOG 50; Saves 40; Sv% .741%; FO 8-25; PP 2-5
Buffalo Bandits: SOG 54; Saves 43; Sv% .860%; FO 17-25; PP 2-3
NEXT UP:
The Buffalo Bandits (10-7) will head to Michelob Ultra Arena for their final game of the regular season to face the Las Vegas Desert Dogs (4-12) *** on Saturday April 20, 2024, game time 10:00 p.m. EST. This is the Game of the Week for fans in the USA and they can see the action on ESPNU and ESPN+. Fans in Canada can catch the game on TSN+.
The Calgary Roughnecks (7-1) will close out the season at home at Scotiabank Saddledome and host the Panther City Lacrosse Club (8-8) *** on Saturday April 20, 2024, game time 9:00 p.m. EST. Fans in the USA can see the game on ESPN+. For the final game of the 2023-24 season, this is a “Flex” game for TSN, and they will adjust the schedule for the most compelling game of the night so this could be a Game of the Week for fans in Canada. If not, they will have to catch the game on TSN+.
Di Miller, NLL Correspondent
Lacrosse is Awesome©
***Record at the time of the article