Nathan Strang’s entire photo collection from Saturday’s Bandits championship game is now up on Flickr.

Click RIGHT HERE for the link. Enjoy!

I’m still all a glow about this past weekend and the NLL Championship game which our Buffalo Bandits ended up winning in grand style.

In the scheme of things, this wasn’t the sports catharsis that Buffalo fans have been waiting their whole lives for… the National Lacrosse League is still a “minor” sport in terms of revenues, fan support, viewership, salaries etc. A Buffalo Bills Super Bowl win or a Buffalo Sabres Stanley Cup would blow away anything we saw or experienced this past Saturday.

Yet it was so cool, nonetheless. I sat in the pressbox for almost all of the game, but at the 5 minute left mark I decided to take the elevator down to ground level and experience the game amidst the fans.I wasn’t disappointed. Standing in the zamboni entrance, the noise and the din was unbelievable. Other media people, HSBC Arena staff members, league officials and the Bandettes cheerleaders were making this area one crowded place.

I saw Portland’s 13th goal go in, and from there I just had my heart in my throat…please please please, just kill this clock. The last second frenzy around the Buffalo net unfolded right before my eyes. And then it was over…Pandemonium! Jubilation!

Nate was doing photo, so with nothing official to do I had the opportunity to stand there in the middle of the field and just soak it all in. The stands were absolute bedlam. Players were hugging and crying and high fiving in celebration. I felt like I was in some sort of dream state. And I thought to myself…just enjoy this moment. Just savor this moment. How often is it that one gets to experience something like this?

I was at Rogers Centre Skydome back in 1993 when Joe Carter belted his home run to win the World Series for the Jays. I attended both the ‘93 and ‘96 Bandits championships games in the Aud. Remember the RHI Buffalo Stampede? Yes I was there when they beat Portland to win their league title in summer of ‘94. That game also ended in a flurry around the Buffalo net, and when time expired, Stampede star player John Vechiarelli tossed his stick in the stands in celebration. Guess who was in the first row in the upper golds and snagged that souvenir? Yessiree…yours truly!

The most recent Buffalo championship was the Bisons Governors Cup win at Dunn Tire Park in 2004. Yes that too was a special experience that I got to enjoy through the eyes of a media person, but comparing 2004 to last Saturday’s championship, the Bandits win that matchup hands down. For several reasons… the first being the size of the crowd and the intensity of the fans. There were perhaps 7000 in attendnace when the Bisons won their Cup, and an ocean of empty seats. There was no national TV coverage, no glare of big press, just another league title among many minor leagues that play in September. The players on that team were probably more interested in knowing if they were getting a callup to Cleveland than savoring their title. Trust me, for Ryan Garko, Bisons first baseman who recorded the final out, that game and event is but a distant memory. For Mark Steenhuis, who I saw weeping on the field, last Saturday was a night he will remember the rest of his life.

I got a real chuckle, actually a guffaw, on reading the sainted Jerry Sullivan’s column,as well as his blog report on the Bandits game. Nice pieces, but it was clear that Sullivan had never attended a lacrosse game or given a rat’s ass about the Bandits before this night. To wit:

“5:59 left in the second: So much for the funk. Steenhuis scores on a long feed from goalie Thompson. PA man Chris Swenson yells, “Whose House?” Fans answer, “Steenhuis!” It’s pronounced Steen-house.”

Gee Jerr, ya figured that out?

I’m not one to bust on Buffalo News sports guys… I’ll leave that dirty task up to Kevin and his posse at Bfloblog. But as much as it was great seeing the Buffalo News offer top billing coverage to the Bandits all week long, I feel like telling Sullivan to shove his column and his coverage up his ass. Where has he been the past 16 years? Only I won’t tell him, because unlike his colleagues, all of whom are pretty decent guys (yes even Bucky), Jerry Sullivan walks around a sports pressbox, gazes at people like me, a freelance writer for some grubby weekly, or even worse, some blogger, deems me not worthy of his time, and keeps walking, nose ever upturned at a 45 degree angle. See ya at the 2009 NLL Championship Jerr!

We had a really fun night celebrating the championship downtown on Saturday night. Pete and I dropped Nate off at Club Marcella’s, a nightclub where he runs lights and music on weekends, and promised we’d stop in for a nightcap. We then headed to our regular hangout, Washington Square Lounge, for a pitcher and wings. Bob, the owner, was nowhere to be found, only one bartender on duty, and the place was dead. So we left immediately and walked over to Pearl Street Brewery. Big mistake! That place was wall to wall and five deep at the bar, so even getting a drink would be a challenge and require a strategy.

So back in the car we went, and off to Marcellas. Nate had us on the VIP list so we got in without the cover. I got smashed, Pete was fine, and we had a fun time there watching the dance floor get packed (and thankfully, no chix with dix lighting up the stage).

Chippewa Street was in full swing by the time we left the club in search of food… we headed to Jim’s Steakout, chowed down on their famous steak and cheese, and were ready to call it a night, except we ran into Brendan McDaniels (fellow media guy and Bisons game night host). Brendan had worked with the ESPN crew for the Bandits game and was on a patio at one of the bars He spotted us and called out “C’mon in guys, I’m here with the league guys! Sure enough, there was NLL Communications Veep Doug Fritts and some of the other league officials, enjoying the Buffalo nightlife.

Still feeling the effects of the grand marniers, I started busting Doug - “Yeah you guys wanted the Titans to win last week so you could have this game in the Big Apple. Some of those non calls looked pretty suspect!” I told Doug, tongue in cheek the whole time.

But Doug and his posse would hear none of that. “Are you kidding?” he said. “Look at that great pumped crowd here tonight. Buffalo is such a great sports city. Look at these fans. Look at the jerseys and the costumes. This entire night and the way it came off just helps to grow our sport.” Yeah, the NLL honchos seemed to have a good time and they really meant it when they paid their props to B-Lo. I liked what I heard.

Brendan and his group headed out to the Buckin’ Buffalo for country jams, and yet more libations and partying. He invited us to come along, but me being an Old Fart and Pete being an Old Fart-In-Training, we decided to call it a night at 2AM. Still, it was cool going out and partying like this, on a championship night, and really wish we could do it more often. Just imagine what it would be like… the Sabres… or the Bills. Sigh!

Champions.

With a packed house of noisy orange clad, pom pom waving Buffalo fans on hand, the Buffalo Bandits captured their fourth indoor lacrosse title in franchise history, defeating the Portland Lumberjax 14-13 at HSBC Arena.

This city was pumped. One could feel the excitement and energy out in the streets, and in the arena tonight, as Buffalo sports fans who have gone through a dearth of good news these past ten months finally had themselves something to savor.

Portland never led in this one. The Bandits set the tone for this one right from the opening faceoff, when John Tavares got the first goal of the game at the 22 second mark on a long shot from outside. Portland tied it shortly thereafter, and the teams traded goals until Kevin Dostie got back to back netters mid way. Mark Steenhuis’ first goal of the night came as a long shot from the perimeter as the quarter was about to expire. Buffalo had themselves a 6-3 lead.

Steenhuis would add two more goals in the second period, one a long feed pass from goalie Mike Thompson. Not to be overlooked was the work Mike Accursi did to get Steenhuis open at times, playing the role of offensive lineman and taking out two Portland defenders on several occasions. Said Steenhuis “We feel two on two we have some good chemistry going. He’s a great guy to work with. He does so much grunt work that hopefully doesn’t go unnoticed.” The Bandits maintained their three goal lead into the half.

But Portland would not go away.

“I give their team a lot of credit” said John Tavares. “They hung in there and hung in there. They had some glorious opportunities. Give Portland a lot of credit for not giving up and working hard.” With Buffalo’s offense going into hibernation early in the third, the Lumberjax brought it to within one. That’s when Kevin Dostie scored yet another clutch goal to give the Bandits some cushion. Billy Dee Smith added a shorthanded netter late in the quarter, and the Buffalo margin heading into the 4th was two goals.

With the title on the line and the tension in the air, Steenhuis scored an apparent goal in the first minute of the 4th. But NO! A crease violation wiped that one out, and Portland Dan Dawson immediately took the ball down the field and sailed one past Thompson to cut their deficit to one.

That’s when the Thompson show kicked in for real.

Mike Thompson made several stunning an acrobatic saves, none more apparent then when Portland hit the crossbar, and Thompson then deflected the rebound by waving his leg into the air. “Mikey absolutely shut the door when he had to” said Coach Darris Kilgour. “It was the best save of the night.” Thompson added, “As the fourth quarter went on I could see the guys tiring a bit, but that just got me stronger and I felt as long as I keep my focus we’ll have this one.” The bench and the crowd fed on the great saves. Steenhuis then got his fifth goal of the night, and what proved to be the game winner, with just over five minutes left.

Playing without defensive specialist Chris White, who left the game early with an injury, the Bandits hunkered down, while Portland tried pulling the goalie on several occasions to get the extra attacker on the field.

Former Bandit Derek Malawsky scored with 48 seconds left to make the score 14-13. Buffalo’s subsequent possession went for naught and Portland got the ball with one last chance. The Lumberjax players swarmed the Buffalo net, but Thompson came up huge once again in the closing ticks, and time finally ran out. The celebration was on.

The crowd was a huge factor in the outcome. Said Coach Kilgour “I think you look at our record this year we were 3-4 on the road and 10-2 at home, so that says it all right there. To look in the crowd and see all the fans, the jerseys, doing all the chants. I think it has an effect on the other team as well.”

Kilgour also remarked on how the experience winning a championship as a coach differs from that of being a player. “Yeah it is different. You’re not on the floor. You’re not picking and rolling. You have to sit back and try to keep a level eye out, where as a player you go out there from shift to shift and just get rid of that excess energy.”

The celebration in the pavilion and out on the streets was loud and jubilant, but not exactly the window smashing, tipping over cars, setting fires in the streets kind of party. Fans who made it to this game were treated to a great show, and left the building happy and rewarded. Rich Kilgour said “Any championship feels good, but this was nice because we were able to do it at home for these great fans.” “We want to do it again next year” said a smiling Mike Thompson. “I’m ready to come back. I’m ready. Let’s go!”

-Best sign #1: Welcome to Banditland: Population 18,690

-Best sign #2: Mohawkland Banditland (covered an entire row)

-Best sign #3: 1-2-3- we want 4 (with a pic of the Champions Cup)

-Network acronym sign guy entry: Everyone Saw Portland’s (got) Nothin’

-Funniest line of the night: At the conclusion of the postgame press conference in the media room, Richie Kilgour chanted out “B-A-R! B-A-R! To the bar! To the bar! To the bar, to the bar, to the bar!”

-Biggest boos of the night: No, not for the Lumberjax or any visiting player. The fans reserved their scorn for Tom Golisano and Larry Quinn, when NLL Commissioner Jim Jennings mentioned their names during the trophy presentation. Both Golisano and Quinn were in attendance at the game.

-Spotted in the pressbox: Kurt Silcott, former Bandits GM.

-Best timing award: Mark Steenhuis’s game winning goal, the Bandits’ 14th of the game, came with 5:38 left on the clock, just as pressbox attendants were collecting the MVP ballots from the reporters up and down media row. Pete and I both already had Steenhuis’ name penned in on our ballots. Wonder if that huge goal swayed anymore votes?

Check back. Nathan Strang shot some great video and photos of the event, the postgame celebrations and the scene outside after the game and we’ll have it up soon. I will also have a separate post with some of the sights and sounds that Pete and I encountered celebrating downtown after the big win.
-Andrew Kulyk

Only 300 level seats remain for this Saturday’s National Lacrosse League championship game at HSBC Arena, according to Bandits Media Director Ashley Scanlon.

The Buffalo Bandits and the Portland Lumberjax will play for the Champions Cup, with the opening faceoff at 7:30PM. Upper deck seats are priced at $31 and are available at the HSBC Arena box office, online at Bandits.com, or at any tickets.com outlet.

At tonight’s team practice, Coach Darris Kilgour reported that Mike Thompson will get the start in goal for the Bandits. Portland is expected to counter with the ageless Dallas Eliuk, who played in relief last weekend when Matt Disher left the game with a torn MCL.

Peter And I will both be covering this Saturday’s game. Also, look for a special preview column on the Bandits in this week’s edition of Artvoice.

For the third time this decade, the Buffalo Bandits will play for National Lacrosse League supremacy in the Champions Cup title game. This all comes about thanks to a terrific 19-12 win over the New York Titans tonight at HSBC Arena, played before a paid crowd of 11,012 fans. The Bandits will face the Portland Lumberjax, who advanced in the other semifinal by defeating Calgary tonight at the Pengrowth Saddledome.

With Ken Montour in net for the Bandits, the team got off to its usual sloppy start, falling behind 2-0 early and giving away the ball often, while unable to mount any kind of scoring threat. John Tavares finally got the Bandits on the board with a nifty wraparound goal scored from behind the net. The wild quarter continued with the teams exchanging goals, but Buffalo got three in a row late, including Billy Dee Smith’s wraparound which looked identical to Tavares’ earlier play.
Mark Steenhuis broke in all alone in the first minute of the second quarter to give Buffalo a two goal cushion, and New York immediately answered. Buffalo then took control of the game with three straight tallies - Brent Bucktooth’s second shorthanded goal of the night, then Kevin Dostie and Mike Accursi scored back to back goals late and the teams headed to the locker rooms at halftime with the score 9-5 Bandits. Said Bucktooth “Special teams are an important part of the game, and since coming back off my injury I’m just glad I am able to contribute.”

Buffalo took command of the game in the third, but shaky goaltending at the Buffalo end and former Bandits Pat Maddalena and Casey Powell doing the damage for New York brought this game to within two. Kevin Dostie’s much needed power play goal at the 13:40 mark gave Buffalo a 13-10 lead after three.

Buffalo’s Mark Steenhuis electrified the crowd in the first minute of the 4th with two straight goals to give Buffalo a 15-10 cushion. That was enough to give the hook to New York goalie Matt Vinc in favor of backup Erik Miller.

Then things got ugly. New York’s Rory Smith and Buffalo’s Ian Llord got into a spirited fight right along the Buffalo bench, with Llord delivering the best of the licks. As the two were escorted to their penalty boxes, Llord was raising his arms and leading the fan cheers. Apparently Smith didn’t like what we saw, because he ran over to the Buffalo box and cold cocked Llord. That was enough to earn Smith a game misconduct and the extra two minute penalty.

After that the Saints’ wheels came off. Steenhuis scored his sixth of the night at the 3:41 mark, then his seventh, tying a NLL playoff record, just 40 seconds later. “Mark had a couple of tough games and put a lot of pressure on himself to score some goals” said Coach Darris Kilgour. “Hopefully he got the monkey off his back.” Mike Accursi scored a highlight reel goal all alone in front of the New York net. It was party time at HSBC Arena.

The Titans tried pulling their goaltender, but Buffalo played keepaway for the duration, including during a late four minute penalty on Ian Llord, who got into another needless fight. As the final seconds ticked off, the fans gave their team a lengthy and loud ovation, and the players joined in the celebration.

Almost overlooked in tonight’s game was John Tavares scoring 12 points on 3 goals and 9 assists. “He got the quietest 12 points ever” said Kilgour. “I had no idea he had 10 assists, that’s how quiet he is, that’s how unassuming he is. He’s been through everything there is.” Talking about next week’s game, Tavares said afterwards “Hopefully third time’s a charm” referring to the two championship losses in recent seasons. “We’re just fortunate to be back in this situation.”

Asking Coach Kilgour who the Bandits match up better against in next week’s game, he replied “Definitely Portland. Playing Calgary is almost a mirror image of us, and that game would most likely come down to goaltending. With Portland, we can use our style of play more effectively than against Calgary.”

Is this the Bandits year? Is this the Bandits time? The team is peaking at just the right time, their stars are playoff tested and experienced, and five straight playoff appearances under Kilgour coached teams have resulted in brutal disappointment, a feat no one in the Bandits clubhouse want to repeat. Mark Steenhuis is happy and excited to be playing in another championship game. “I wish we could play every game here (in Buffalo)” said Steenhuis. “Hopefully we get to win a championship for these fans and this city.” But Steenhuis doesn’t want to take anything for granted either. “You don’t want to think this is our time. You just want to stay focused. I’ve been in two since being here and lost both of them. I want to end this streak this year.”

Game time next Saturday is 7:30PM and tickets are on sale at the arena box office and through tickets.com. To a man, every player has saluted the great fans of Buffalo and how much they have helped the team in this exciting playoff run. Let’s fill HSBC Arena to the rafters and help the Bandits bring the Champions Cup to Buffalo next Saturday!

-Add Annoying Game Night Host Guy to the cast of looney tunes in Banditland. During a media timeout late in the second quarter, the mascot did his t-shirt toss and AGNHG was yapping and exhorting the crowd in ear splitting fashion, which continued on endlessly as play resumed and the Bandits were killing a penalty.

-Next Saturday’s Champions Cup game will be nationally televised LIVE, coast to coast across Canada (The Score) and the United States (ESPN2)

.-Best sign? Had to be the seven shirtless teenagers with B-A-N-D-I-T-S painted on their chests. They got three appearances on the video board tonight.

-Kilgour has not decided yet on who he will start in goal next Saturday, but he is leaning towards Mike Thompson. “It’s still up in the air” said Kilgour, and he will also consult with his players to assist him in making the decision.

-Portland squeaked into the playoffs with a 6-10 record in a weak West Division. Buffalo defeated the Lumberjax 14-10 at HSBC Arena in the final regular season game on April 26.

-Buffalo has won three championships in their franchise history - in 1992, 1993 and 1996. They went to the finals twice in recent years, losing in Calgary on the road in 2004 and to Colorado at HSBC Arena in 2006.

Mark Steenhuis addresses the media after the game

Fans were lined up ten deep at the ticket windows to get their seats for next Saturday’s championship game.

-Andrew Kulyk

Tonight at HSBC Arena the Buffalo Bandits defeated the Philadelphia Wings 14-12 in the first round of Champions Cup action, before a happy and boisterous crowd of 9344 orange and black clad fans.

I didn’t need to be in my seat at HSBC Arena in time for the 7:35 faceoff. I started the evening at Dunn Tire Park at the Bisons game, caught an inning there, and as soon as I headed out the door and down Washington Street, I could hear Annoying P.A. Guy being piped out on the streets of downtown. “What’s he Got!!???”…. “Steenhuis!…… Ohhhh…. No goal…crease violation”. This silly screeching circus… only in Buffalo!

By the time I got settled, meeting up with Pete, who was already at the game, it was 4-1 Philadelphia, thanks to three straight Philly goals midway through the first quarter, as the Bandits sleptwalked through most of the opening frame. Said Mike Accursi “I think our sticks were a little too tight and it took and it’s an important game for us and we realized that after a bit.”

Buffalo came storming back in the second quarter, scoring five straight of their own, none prettier than John Tavares’ goal which tied it at 5, wide open in front of the goal receiving a lead pass from Roger Vyse. Seconds later, Billy Dee Smith gave the Bandits their first lead of the night, and one could feel the momentum shift in the building. Buffalo added two more before the half, taking an 8-6 lead into the locker room at halftime.

While Buffalo’s Delby Powless got the third quarter’s first goal to give the Bandits a three goal cushion, the Wings stepped up the physical aspect of their game and made this one interesting. With Wings leading scorer Athan Iannucci leading the way, Philadelphia rattled off the last four goals of the quarter, which ended 10-9 Philadelphia after three.

The season being on the line, it was the Bandits who came out smoking in the fourth, taking control of the game by confounding the Philly attackers as they tried to transition out of the defensive zone, and getting key blocks and intercepting passes to keep the Wings hemmed in deep. After going scoreless for over a quarter, Delby Powless finally got the the equalizer at the 4:58 mark, then it was the Mike Accursi show, scoring Buffalo’s 11th and 12th goals. Kevin Dostie gave Buffalo a two goal cushion with a huge goal, his third of the night with a little over three minutes left, then Buffalo wisely used the clock on their possessions to kill off precious time. Dostie said there was no sense of panic. “I think our team is used to it” said Dostie. “That’s when we battle our hardest and it’s tough being in close games like that. Hopefully next week we can walk away with one and not worry about it.”

Billy Dee Smith was also a huge factor in tonight’s game, scoring two goals, including an empty netter in the final minute. Philly added one more late and the game ended 14-12.

This game could be broken down into a tale of quarters, with Philadelphia controlling play in the 1st and 3rd, while the Bandits were in command in the 2nd and 4th. Said Coach Darris Kilgour “It hit us as we headed into the 4th… This is it. This could be our season. Let’s just quit complaining and put our heads down and get to work.”

Kilgour explained that his strategy of conceding faceoffs and concentrating on the transition game worked to his team’s advantage. “I think it frustrated them a lot more than the last game.” Kilgour also admitted that the uncharacteristic lack of penalty trouble was also not a factor. “You know what? We don’t talk about that anymore. We don’t care as long as in the course of the game we don’t do anything stupid after the whistle. We’re an aggressive team, and that’s the way we play and it’s worked out pretty well for us.” Accursi added “It makes every possession that much more important. It adds pressure to the defense but to the offense too. We know they are going to get 26 more possessions so every progression is important.”

The Bandits await the winner of Saturday night’s game between the New York Saints and the Minnesota Swarm. Whoever wins that game will come to HSBC Arena to play the Bandits in round two of the Champions Cup playoffs. Said Kevin Dostie, “Of course the home floor is an advantage and we have the best fans in the league. Us knowing they wanted another game gave a lift to the entire bench. Hopefully they will be there to cheer us on next game.”

Faceoff next Saturday is 7:30PM at HSBC Arena. Bandits Media Director Ashley Scanlon reports that should the Bandits win that game, the NLL Champions Cup game will be played on Saturday, May 17 at HSBC Arena. That game will be televised nationally across the USA and Canada.

-Best sign of the night: “Bandits ticket $25, Prom tux $40, Limo $140…Skipping out on date to go to Bandits game, Priceless!”

-Props to Annoying P.A. Guy for one good laugh…he asked for a cheer from the folks in the 300s. The upper deck was empty!

-And speaking of Annoying P.A. guy, there was one point the 4th quarter, about midway. Buffalo had taken an 11-10 lead at the time and looked like they were clearly taking control of the game. During a media timeout, the crowd started a spontaneous cheer which grew and grew into a standing ovation. It was an absolutely electric moment. Thankfully, he kept his yap shut and let the crowd take over.

-Most hilarious moment down in the locker room after the game came courtesy of goalie Mike Thompson. With a portly build and not exactly a qualifier for a model in an underwear catalog, Thompson stepped out in the hall to address the media bare chested, wearing only his goalie pants held up by suspenders. The second he spotted the TV camera from Channel 7 waiting with the writers, he exclaimed “Omigosh A TV camera, I’ve got to get a shirt!” He high tailed it back to the locker room, emerging 30 seconds later wearing a t-shirt and his hair quickly combed.

There will be home playoff lacrosse at HSBC Arena after all.

The Buffalo Bandits concluded their 2008 regular season tonight with a 14-10 win over the Portland Lumberjax before an announced attendance of 18,325.

Thanks to Minnesota’s 12-11 win over the Chicago Shamrox, the Bandits have clinched home field advantage throughout the Champions Cup playoffs.

But even though the Lumberjax came into this game with a weaker 6-9 record and locked into a playoff spot in the anemic West Division, this one was no cakewalk for the Bandits.

Buffalo could have put this one away early. Roger Vyse struck twice for the Bandits, and the team took a 5-2 lead by the end of the first quarter.

In the second quarter even Brent Bucktooth got in on the action, scoring his 3rd goal of the season since coming off the injury list. But Portland would get back into it, thanks to some shaky goaltending by goalie Mike Thompson. They scored the last two goals of the second quarter to bring it to within one, then drew even at 7 in the first minute of the third quarter.

The Bandits regained a two goal lead in the third with goals by Kevin Dostie and Bucktooth. Portland came back again to tie the score at 9 all with a pair by Pete Jacobs.

But then it was time for the John Tavares magic to kick in. The Bandits quickly regained control of the game with back to back goals by Tavares, the first one he was left wide open in the slot in front of the net, then 30 seconds later scored again on the power play with an over the shoulder shot. “He’s absolutely the best player I’ve ever coached and played with” commented Coach Darris Kilgour. “John Tavares with all the things he’s done lives for that big moment, excels in that moment.” Mark Steenhuis added “He’s a legend. The ageless wonder is what we like to call him. It’s just amazing for us to see it and be a part of it. To see him pushing 40 years old and see him taking over a game is just outstanding.”

Tavares explained that the go ahead goal was a version of the hidden ball trick. “Yeah that was an awkward play, called the hidden ball play” explained Tavares. “I didn’t even know it was happening. Like you said it kind of parted like the Red Sea and there I was. I though the goalie was baiting me. No way he fell for the hidden ball trick but there I was with the empty net. That was a big goal. We came back to take the quick lead and that was a breakdown on their part.”

With Buffalo up 11-9 heading into the fourth, the Bandit’s Chris White rightfully earned a very stupid 5 minute high sticking penalty and a game misconduct around the 4 minute mark of the period. “That’s part of the rule” explained Kilgour. “Any shot to the head earns an automatic game misconduct.” Kilgour hoped that White would not earn a suspension for his bad behavior and that he would be available for the playoffs.

The Bandits then went on to kill all five minutes, denying Portland any inside chances and using effective clock management. The team got a loud and noisy standing ovation as the final seconds of the penalty ticked away. Goalie Mike Thompson said that penalty kill was the turning point. “The defense played real well and I was able to see the ball the whole time.” said Thompson. “We managed to shut them down.”John Tavares would give Buffalo a 12-9 lead at the 10:50 mark with a laser shot from the right side. Less than a minute later, Mark Steenhuis finally got on the scoreboard with another laser, after receiving a lead pass from goaltender Mike Thompson. Steenhuis got decked following his goal, and that earned Portland player Brodie Merrill a 5 minute penalty and a game misconduct. Portland got one shorthanded, then with Portland pulling the goalie in and out for the extra attacker, Kyle Laverty got himself a (sorta) empty netter… Final score, Buffalo 14, Portland 10.

Kilgour explained his reasoning for starting Mike Thompson in net, despite a still sore groin injury. “I wanted to get him a start before the playoffs. We didn’t want to start him cold in the playoffs. It worked out well. Now we have two healthy goalies and we’re very happy with the situation we’re in going into the playoffs.”

It will be the Bandits and the Philadelphia Wings squaring off next Friday at 7:30PM at HSBC Arena. “I think Philly would be the best matchup for us” said Kilgour. They like an up tempo game and that’s what we want.”

All the players we spoke to tonight gave huge props to the faithful Buffalo fans, who helped will the team to victory there past two weeks. “These are the best fans in the league for sure” said Coach Kilgour. “We look up in the end zones at the top” said Tavares. “When we can’t see blue up there, it just pumps us up a little more, so it’s really nice to see.” And Mark Steenhuis added “Playing in this building is the best place to play in in the league. We have the best fans so anytime you can use them to your advantage gets the adrenaline going to be sure.”

So there you have it - tickets are on sale for next Friday’s first round game. The Bandits need a packed house of loud and boisterous fans to help them along to victory. See YOU there? Hope so!

Extra points —

-Had to suck being the contestant in the “win a Bandits jersey if the team scores in the next 60 seconds” contest. Some guy in a wheelchair got the nod, and before the game even resumed the Bandits get called for an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. They gave the guy the jersey anyway.

-Spotted in the corridor outside the locker room: a little tyke about three years old, wearing an orange t-shirt with “my dad #11″ hand painted on the back and holding a small lacrosse stick. Obviously John Tavares’ little boy. Cute kid… but dad would be smarter lacing him up with skates and handing him a hockey stick instead. If the kid has skill there’s a much bigger payday in his future.

-Annoying P.A. Guy was back, making up and more for his previous week’s absence. He never shut up all night.

-With the out of town games having huge implications on playoff seedings, several players and trainers repeatedly came out into the hallway after the game to ask for score updates. Thanks to Pete text messaging me updates on the Roc/NY and Minn/Chi games from his couch back home, USRT and WNYMedia were the ones keeping the Bandits locker room in the loop in real time. YaY for us!

-Think the Bandits don’t like The Rochester Knighthawks? Well then you’re right! The Rochester/New York final came first - the Knighthawks lead evaporated and they lost 11-10 late, knocking them out of playoff contention. That news earned a cheer among the Bandits players, even though the Rochester win would have clinched the first seed. Thankfully the Minnesota Swarm took care of business in their game, which ended 30 minutes later.

-No playoffs in Rochester’s Blue Cross Arena? Oh darn! That means a few more suppliers and vendors in Rochester will be seeing their money late, if at all. “Donner must go!”

Here it is… plain and simple:

The Buffalo Bandits have clinched a playoff berth in this year’s Champions Cup playoffs.

The team will clinch first seed overall and home field for the entire playoffs if the following happens:
Buffalo defeats Portland and one of the following - Minnesota defeats Chicago OR Chicago defeats Minnesota and Rochester defeats New York.

The team will earn second seed and a home playoff game if they defeat Portland.

If the Bandits lose to Portland, they can still clinch second seed and a home playoff game if Chicago defeats Minnesota and Toronto defeats Philadelphia.

Gametime at HSBC Arena is 7:30PM on Saturday.

The Buffalo Bandits took another step towards a playoff berth tonight at HSBC Arena, defeating the Chicago Shamrox 13-9 before a crowd of 13,633.

This one started brutally for the Bandits. The team displayed much of the rust and sluggish play which cost them dearly last week in Rochester, and the fans in attendance let the guys hear it with boos raining down, as the Bandits fell behind 3-0 in the first quarter. Chicago was scooping up loose balls, snatching rebounds and getting fresh shot clock opportunities, and controlling much of the play in the Buffalo end. “We were fortunate enough to keep the game close. But it’s not going to cut it next week or in the playoffs.” said Mark Steenhuis, who scored four goals tonight, including back to back goals in the 4th quarter.

Buffalo finally got on the board late in the 1st quarter on Mike Accursi’s first of four goals for the evening. “Sometimes it just takes on spark to start a fire” said Coach Darris Kilgour. “Mike Accursi was that spark tonight… That’s what we need.” Referring to that first goal, Accursi added “I thought there was a momentum shift”.

The Bandits began the second quarter with a 5 minute man advantage, and early on could not get control of the play. Until the third minute. That’s when the Bandits let loose with three straight goals in less than one minute’s time. Mike Accursi then made it 5-3 on a very odd goal, where Shamrox goaltender Matt Roik had pulled the net off its moorings, and Accursi plating the ball in the spot where the empty goalmouth stood. “I knew I was going to be able to get that wrap, because he (Roik) was out of position” said Accursi. “He’s not very patient and when he ripped that goal I knew all I had to do was get it over the line. I’m glad they actually counted that.” Has Accursi ever encountered a move like that? “No!” he replied while laughing. “I’ve never seen it but I don’t put it past Roik to do something like that.”

Buffalo took the lead for good at the 8 minute mark, with Accursi scoring at the edge of the goal crease, receiving a perfect feed pass from Mark Steenhuis. Said Accursi “We work on that in practice, that picking and rolling. Whenever we get together, we seem to work that pretty well.” Later in the quarter, goalie Ken Montour got in on the scoring, sending Roger Vyse on a long breakaway pass which Vyse connected.

In the 3rd quarter, the Bandits took complete control of the game, scoring three goals while holding the Shamrox scoreless. Two of the goals came off the stick of Mark Steenhuis. Chicago would not connect until the 5:05 mark of the 4th quarter to bring it to within six.

The Shamrox added three more to bring it to 12-9. Coach Darris Kilgour called a timeout with 5 minutes to go to try and settle the team down. Buffalo then killed off a 2 minute penalty where Montour made his best saves of the night. Mark Steenhuis added an empty netter in the last minute to seal the win.

After the game, Coach Kilgour gave props to Chicago’s goaltending and defense while expressing relief that that team overcame their first quarter snooze. “Yeah I could feel it on the bench and the guys could feel it. Once we got the one goal the weight came off the guys could relax a little bit and let the play come around instead of forcing it a little bit.”

Kilgour also indicated that if the team is locked into a playoff slot with little to play for next week, he plans to rest a few players to prepare for the playoffs. But if the team has a chance at clinching a home game? “If we have a shot at a home game I would definitely go for the win” Kilgour assured.

It all comes down to next week… Win and they’re in. Mike Accursi made some heartfelt comments to the fans after the game, and to the media he said “I love these fans. I love playing in Buffalo. I hope this is the last team I ever play for.” So there!

Gametime at HSBC Arena is 7:30 PM next Saturday against the Portland Lumberjax. See you there!

-Best sign: “Obama? Hillary? NO! Tavares for President.” Ummm… perhaps Prime Minister of Canada someday, but not U.S. Prez.

-Best gameday scratch: Annoying P.A. Guy was NOWHERE to be found tonight! We were treated to a sane announcer, some good music bumps and left the arena with our hearing intact.

-Making his media debut! Nathan Strang shot photo for WNYMedia tonight, his first sports credential evah! He reports that he enjoyed the media chair and will “absolutely” cover a game again. “It felt so weird walking on the field after the game to shoot video. I just followed the lead of the other camera guy and managed to stay out of the way while the team did their victory lap”.Some of Nate’s work tonight accompanies this story, and more shots and video clips will be posted soon on the WNYMedia main site.

-Shots on goal for the game: Buffalo 51, Chicago 49.

Photos by Nathan Strang

Take a look at the National Lacrosse League Standings.

Thanks to their embarrassing loss last night at Rochester, the Buffalo Bandits find themselves in a tightly wound race for one of four playoff berths, with two weeks remaining in the regular season.

The good news is that the Bandits play their last two games at home, this Saturday against the Chicago Shamrox, then the following Saturday they finish up against the Portland Lumberjax. Both teams have a losing record but are still also alive for a playoff seed.

The Bandits control their own destiny - win and they’re in. If they stumble, then they will need help, as they are on the losing end of tiebreakers with both Rochester and Toronto.

For scoreboard watchers, here are the other games worth paying attention to:

Rochester

4/19 at Minn; 4/26 at NY

Philadelphia

4/19 NY; 4/26 at Tor

Minnesota

4/19, Roc; 4/25 Chi; 4/26 at Chi

Toronto

4/19 at Calgary; 4/26 Phi

New York

4/18 Chi; 4/19 at Phi; 4/26 Roc

Whew!

The Buffalo Bandits won a nailbiter tonight at HSBC Arena, defeating the Colorado Mammoth 12-11 before a crowd of 16,905.

Nothing came easy for Buffalo tonight, as the team had few chances to penetrate a tight Colorado defense which did not give inside lanes to shoot easily. When the Bandits did get inside, they took advantage of their opportunities.

The Bandits welcomed back former star player Mike Accursi to their lineup, who they acquired from the Edmonton Rush just before the trade deadline. Accursi appeared in 73 games with the Bandits from 2000 through 2004, scoring 146 goals and 111 assists for 257 points during that time. “When I got the news I felt like I was coming home” said Accursi, who shook off getting his bell rung in the 4th quarter and scored a key goal late in the game.

Both teams started out slowly tonight, with no scoring and few chances until Bandits goaltender Mike Thompson stopped a Colorado breakaway cold midway through the first period. That sparked the Buffalo bench and Mark Steenhuis answered a few seconds later with the first goal of the game. Buffalo made it 2-0 late in the period when Roger Vyse scored shorthanded, after being left all alone on front of the Colorado net.

With the Bandits ahead 4-1 in the second quarter, the team would get into huge penalty trouble and that would prove costly. Rich Kilgour went off at the 7:12 mark with a 5 minute high sticking penalty. In that stint Buffalo would also commit two minor penalties, providing the Mammoth with a two man advantage on two occasions.

Colorado capitalized with four goals during all that mess, and just like that the score was tied at 5.

Buffalo recaptured the lead late in the second with nifty back to back goals by SteenhuIs and Kevin Dostie. Colorado answered in the waning seconds and the Bandits went to the locker room at the half with a 7-6 lead.

All the scoring in the 3rd quarter came late – Buffalo opened a 9-6 lead, Pat McCready completing a tic-tac-toe play with the help of Delby Powless and John Tavares. Seconds later Cory Bomberry scored off a long shot. Colorado cut it to 9-7 with another late goal in the final seconds.

Buffalo’s 11th goal, coming halfway through the 4th quarter, was the prettiest of the night, coming off the stick of Accursi, who accepted a feed pass from Steenhuis, who patiently waited until Accursi got open. “I knew that the pass would be coming my way and Mikey picked the perfect time to send the feed. From there it was nothing but net for me” said Accursi.

Colorado wouldn’t go away, however, cutting the deficit to one goal, 11-10 on a power play goal. On an ensuing Bandits power play, the Bandits Delby Powless gave the team a two goal cushion with 4 minutes left in the game. Colorado immediately brought it to within one, and final two and half minutes provided that exciting edge of year seat action which makes this game so exciting. The Mammoth had three key possessions in that time and swarmed the Buffalo net, but could not get the equalizer. With the Mammoth goalie pulled Buffalo finally got the ball deep into Colorado territory as the final seconds ticked off, giving the Bandits a one goal win.

A happy and relieved Coach Darris Kilgour said that shots tonight were hard to come by. “We kind of went about things backwards. I stressed during pregame practice… outside shots, stretch the defense, yet they collapsed well into the middle. Give them a lot of credit, they battled well for 60 minutes.”

Kilgour also heaped praise on his goaltender, Mike Thompson, who came up huge again and again, especially when the game was on the line, facing 56 shots and recording 45 saves. “There was never a doubt that he was our number one. It seems that he got his focus back and played a tremendous game” said Kilgour.

With the win the Bandits improve their record to 8-5, and are right in the thick of things for a playoff berth come May, now in third place but just half a game out of the division lead. The team travels next week to Rochester, where they will play the Knighthawks at Blue Cross Arena, before returning home in two weeks to face the Chicago Shamrox, who they beat in Chicago earlier this year. Just three games left in the regular season, get your tickets and head on down!

End to end action. Plenty of hits. Lots of scoring. Tonight the Buffalo Bandits and the Philadelphia Wings played one of the more entertaining games of the season at HSBC Arena. By the time the dust had settled, the final score read Buffalo 21, Philadelphia 12, knocking the Wings out as the final undefeated team this season. The Bandits, meanwhile, improved their record to 6-4.

This one started pretty ugly for Buffalo, who fell behind 2-0 after just 29 seconds of action on the first two shots of the game. The Wings made it 4-0 a few minutes later, and Bandits Coach Darris Kilgour then pulled starting goaltender Mike Thompson in favor of Ken Montour. Thompson was coming back off a recent injury and allowed four goals on just 8 shots.

By mid 1st it was 6-1 Philly, but then the Bandits began their comeback. First Delby Powless, then Billy Dee Smith, who ended up with four goals, got his first on an impossible shot from behind the net. Describing the play, Smith said “They put that rule in last year. Before that one would have to wind around the crease, but now it’s permissible to attempt the stuff in and in this case it worked.” Buffalo got two more and the period ended with Buffalo down by one.

The Bandits onslaught continued in the 2nd quarter with Philadelphia getting into constant penalty trouble and Buffalo capitalizing on their power play chances. Johnny Tavares tied it at 7-7 on a power play goal, and Buffalo would get its first lead of the night at the 4:59 mark, with Powless scoring on a two man advantage.

Buffalo ripped four straight goals as the period wound down to take a 12-8 lead, including a nifty breakaway by Smith who pirouetted and scored on the backhand. The teams traded goals in the final minute, and Buffalo went to the locker room with a 13-9 lead, accompanied by the thunderous applause of the 13,720 Buffalo fans who were getting their money’s worth.

In the 3rd quarter the Bandits magic continued as Buffalo ripped off the first three goals of the frame and took a 16-9 lead midway, including a nifty shorthander by Mark Steenhuis who muscled his way to the net. Philadelphia answered with two power play goals of their own and the period ended 16-11 in favor of Buffalo.

Starting the 4th quarter, Buffalo successfully killed off a 5 minute major penalty assessed to Rich Kilgour, which included several acrobatic stops by Montour. Asked if it’s a different mindset coming off the bench, Montour said “When you come in like that you don’t have time to think about things too much. You go in and just try to help the team.”

Both goaltenders were spectacular at each end in the 4th, but the Bandits finally broke through at the 8:02 mark on a power play goal by Roger Vyse to make it 17-11 Buffalo. Buffalo ripped two more quick ones to give an eight goal cushion, and from there it was keepaway, cat and mouse with the Philly goaltender leaving for an extra attacker, and by the time the clock read zero Buffalo had itself a huge victory over the previously undefeated Wings.

Coach Darris Kilgour was asked what was going through his mind when the score went 5-0 against his team. Kilgour replied “What the heck is going on? What team is this and where are the guys that I coach?” Kilgour admitted that he had to make the goaltender change, and it helped spark the bench. “Nobody likes seeing the goalie pulled when he’s not playing that bad, three of the goals were wide open shots and no goalie in the league that can stop good shooters when they have the time to pick their spots.”

Kilgour also commented on a play early in the first, when Pat McCready bowled over Wings goaltender Rob Blasdell in the crease, leaving Blasdell flat on the turf for a few minutes and sparking a lengthy brawl, one of the many physical moments of the evening. “Yeah it’s funny to see that happen to a team different than ours. It’s been happening to us. Thankfully Blasdell wasn’t hurt. They stepped up and did what they had to do and Patty answered the bell. It’s part of lacrosse. It happens and was handled well by both teams.”

The Bandits will get to savor this one for a few days, before hosting the Minnesota Swarm next Saturday at 7:30PM at the arena.

Side notes –

-Best “Kiss Cam” of the night – one male fan kissed his beer!

-Philadelphia’s Geoff Snider has to be the best face off specialist evah. Snider won 18 of 19 of his first center ice faceoffs… call him Mr. Automatic.

-Gotta love the Buffalo signature “B-O-X” chant. Fans here have really turned into an art form… one group of fans used batons and a hula hoop to spell out the letters. Another group of shirtless teens had the word spray painted on their chests. Yet another bunch of guys were actually wearing well shaped black and oranges boxes on their heads with the letters painted on. Awesome stuff!

-Quote of the night: Winning goaltender Ken Montour during an onfield interview after the game, which was played for the crowd… “I don’t like Philadelphia!” Ken, Ken Ken… Didn’t you used to play for these guys?!

History was made tonight at HSBC Arena, as the greatest Bandit ever, John Tavares, reached his final statistical hurdle when he scored his fourth goal of the game and the 597th of his career. In doing so, he eclipses the record set by retired player Gary Gait, and takes his spot as the best player to ever have played the game.

The big moment came towards the end of third quarter, and after netting the historic marker, Tavares was mobbed by his teammates, and the game was stopped briefly as Tavares got an opportunity to salute the home crowd of 11,878.

The Bandits went on to win the game over the New York Titans, 17-13, to improve their record to 2-1 on the young season. Next weekend they travel to Philadelphia to take on the Wings at the Wachovia Center.

They were all there… the Bandettes cheerleaders, Annoying P.A. Guy, THE B-O-X guys leading the charge behind the penalty box, and a full house of 18,690 mostly Bandits fans, who needed a scoresheet to recognize all the new faces on this year’s roster. Tonight at HSBC Arena Buffalo opened the 2008 season against the defending National Lacrosse League Champion Rochester Knighthawks.

Returning fan favorites include Mark Steenhuis with his trademark orange shoes, Rich Kilgour, one of the last of the original players on the team, and the ageless John Tavares, who entered this game needing just five goals to become the all time leading goal scorer in indoor lacrosse, cementing his legacy as the best player in the game.

Gone is goaltender Steve “Chugger” Dietrich, who departed for Calgary, with last year’s backup netminder Mike Thompson taking over the starting role.

While the Bandits are a much younger and faster squad than last year’s team, they got much bad news on the injury front before the ball was even dropped for the first game. Returning forward Brett Bucktooth is out indefinitely with a hip injury, while highly touted new acquisition Sean Greenhalgh tore his ACL during practice in December, meaning he will be out for the entire season.

Darris Kilgour returns for his 6th year as Bandits head coach. Buffalo has made the playoffs in each his five seasons here, including two appearances in the NLL championship game, but have yet to win a title here. The Bandits last won a championship in 1996.

While Buffalo and Rochester played a close game from the onset, with the Bandits tying it 3-3 on a shorthanded goal by John Tavares at 5:52 of the second (he had two for the night), Rochester pulled away with six unanswered goals to take control of this game. By the time it was 9-3 Rochester, Coach Kilgour had seen enough and pulled Thompson in favor of backup Ken Montour.

With the score 9-4 Rochester, late in the 3rd quarter Buffalo’s Pat McCready and Rochester’s Sean Evans dropped the gloves and went at it, with McCready losing his jersey in Rob Ray fashion. Decision on this one to McCready. Forward Mark Steenhuis, who tallied three Bandits goals, said after the game that the fight lifted the bench. “Patty really provided us a spark at that point in the game. I don’t know what we were doing up until then.”

The 4th quarter was a back and forth affair with both teams trading goals, then the Bandits put together a three goal run late to bring it to within three, but it was too little too late and the final score ended up 12-9 Rochester.

Steenhuis said that the Buffalo/Rochester rivalry is a tense and huge one. “Once the game starts, we don’t like them and they don’t like us and it’s pretty much a war out there. But we’re all professionals and off the floor we know each other and we’re all friends too.”

Coach Darris Kilgour had his usual terse losing game face on. “We didn’t play. We didn’t finish and you see the result” said Kilgour. “I’m surprised the score was as close as it was.”

Kilgour said he’d decide tomorrow who his starting goaltender will be for the rematch at Blue Cross Arena in Rochester. The team then returns home next Saturday to take on the New York Titans at HSBC Arena.

Did anybody really expect that this wouldn’t be resolved eventually?

TSN is reporting that the League and the Professional Lacrosse Players Association have struck a seven year labor deal.

For those of you sick and tired of ridiculous player salaries in sports these days, here are some eye popping numbers:

The $21,294 capped veteran salary and the $25,552 capped franchise player salary - each team can have a maximum of two franchise players - will increase five per cent next season, while the $6,880 rookie and $9,282 second-year maximum will increase by six per cent.

Interestingly the previously announced schedule is now out the window as some teams have released reserved arena dates after the season cancellation had been imposed. A new schedule should be released shortly.