The Buffalo Bandits are champions of the National Lacrosse League. Again and finally.
Again: The Bandits’ 13-4 Game 3 win over the Colorado Mammoth on Saturday night before 18,296 at KeyBank Center was the fifth in franchise history.
Finally: The Bandits won the title for the first time since 2008 and ended a three-appearance losing streak in the final, including falling last year to the Mammoth.
“It’s a dream come true – a weight off my shoulders, a weight off all our shoulders,” said Bandits forward Dhane Smith, who played in those three previous finals.
“I think that was our most complete game of the year. I’m so thankful. I’m in shock right now.”
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Out for the first two games of the series with a head injury, Bandits forward Josh Byrne received the loudest ovation in pregame introductions, and the roars only increased in volume as he scored four goals, including a third-quarter hat trick.
Smith, the game's MVP, led the Bandits with nine points (two goals and seven assists). Byrne had seven points and goalie Matt Vinc stopped 46 shots.
The four goals allowed are an NLL Finals record, and are the fewest in a playoff game in franchise history.
“To come back and hold them to four goals is quite the feat," coach John Tavares said. "(Vinc) played well, the defense played well and we didn’t give them a lot of good looks.”
The Bandits never trailed Saturday in completing a dominant 19-5 season. They will have a championship celebration on June 15 at Alumni Plaza (5 p.m.).
The NLL’s runner-up in 2016, ’19 and ’22, the Bandits erased the memory of squandering a 1-0 series lead last year to Colorado. Steve Priolo and Nick Weiss also were a part of all three runner-up teams.
Priolo, the Bandits' captain, lifted the NLL Cup first and handed it off to alternate captains Smith and Weiss. Watching from the side as the trophy was passed from player to player (yes, they all gave it a kiss) was Tavares, like a proud papa.
Leading 4-2 at halftime, the Bandits went on a 5-1 run bridging the third and fourth quarters to seize and keep control of the game.
Colorado had hope for a nanosecond when it cut the lead to 9-4 in the third quarter, but the Bandits quickly scored four consecutive goals.
Buffalo struck just 28 seconds into the second half on Bryne’s low shot past Mammoth goalie Dillon Ward. Byrne wasn’t done. He was just getting started. Less than three minutes later, he scored on another outside shot, beating Ward low to the glove side.
Colorado’s Eli McLaughlin scored at the 10:33 mark to make it 6-3, but Byrne (who else?) answered 29 seconds later to again make it a four-goal lead. Just 2:09 later, Smith – the Bandits’ leading scorer in the regular season (132 points) and playoffs – scored his first of the game to make it 8-3.
The Bandits scored their second power-play goal in as many opportunities with 11:36 remaining when Byrne’s pass found forward Chris Cloutier all alone in front of the net for the score.
The rout … and celebration was on.
The Bandits’ defense was much more buttoned-up in Game 3, thanks to expert man coverage and Vinc.
The Bandits scored on their first shot to take a 1-0 lead on Tehoka Naticoke’s goal just 1:40 in.
Colorado tied it at 5:06 (Connor Robinson), and the teams traded chances for most of the opening quarter, combining for 27 shots.
Late in the first, Smith sprinted off the bench and gained possession on his way to the goal, drawing a holding penalty by Colorado’s Warren Jeffrey. On the power play with two seconds left in the quarter, Byrne’s long shot beat Ward for a 2-1 lead.
Vinc made 10 saves in the first quarter.
The Bandits extended the lead to 3-1 at 3:27 of the second quarter on forward Chase Fraser’s nifty goal. He beat Jeffrey 1-on-1, and then powered the shot past Ward as he fell to the turf.
Buffalo controlled the second-quarter play, leading 30-15 in shots on goal at one point. The Bandits' 31st shot made it 4-1 on Fraser’s second goal of the game at 10:20.
The Mammoth used its first power play – Buffalo’s Matt Spanger was off for roughing – to cut the lead to two goals on McLaughlin’s man-advantage marker.
In the first half, the Bandits had a 34-22 shots advantage and received two points apiece from Fraser, Byrne, Smith and Priolo.
“Give (Buffalo) a lot of credit, they played a great game,” Colorado coach Pat Coyle said. “They came out and played like their lives depended on it and I don’t feel like we matched their energy. Disappointed in our effort, but again, a lot of credit goes to them and how stifling their defense was.”
