MATT VOLZ
Editor in Chief
They had their chances at the end.
The Bandits offense had several opportunities to tie the game on Saturday against the Vancouver Warriors, but it wasn’t meant to be, as Buffalo fell 13-12.
The game began with plenty of offensive fireworks, with seven total goals scored within the first seven minutes.
Vancouver had the edge through those first seven minutes, 4-3, and that was the score at the end of the first quarter.
Warriors goalie Christian Del Bianco, acquired in a high-profile trade deadline deal, was mostly rock solid through the opening frame.
The second quarter opened with a game-tying goal from Chase Fraser on the power play, but that was all for Buffalo’s offense for the rest of the half.
It was more of the same stellar play from Del Bianco, as the Bandits had some good looks but couldn’t cash in.
On the other side, a three-goal run by the Warriors gave them a 7-4 lead, and it left the Bandits searching for answers.
Part of the run was highlighted by the Bandits’ struggle to stay out of the penalty box, which has been somewhat of a recurring issue this season.
With 7:34 remaining in the half, Nick Weiss was called for boarding when he blindsided Warriors forward Ryan Martel into the wall.
It was an unnecessary hit, as fellow defenseman Taylor Dooley already had Martel contained along the boards.
Weiss is honestly somewhat lucky he wasn’t ejected for the hit, but he was issued a five-minute major penalty.
Vancouver cashed in twice on the man advantage.
Buffalo struck first in the second half, with Ian MacKay scoring a power play goal just over a minute into the third quarter.
Marcus Klarich answered back for Vancouver with a goal of his own, but a transition goal by Dylan Robinson and MacKay’s second tally of the game brought Buffalo back within one.
The Warriors responded with a Riley Loewen shorthanded goal, a rough showing from Buffalo’s power play group.
With just over a minute left in the quarter, Kyle Buchanan scored to cut the deficit to one, and the Bandits trailed 9-8 with 15 minutes to play.
At the start of the fourth quarter, Buffalo’s offense picked up right where it left off, as Weiss scored to tie the game.
I’d like to take this opportunity to mention that Weiss’s choice of the classic Garth Brooks song “Friends in Low Places” is phenomenal.
There may be nothing better than singing along to that tune with 19,000 of your closest friends.
The game was now tied, 9-9, but one notable piece from the Bandits’ offense wasn’t firing.
Josh Byrne, last year’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) and the team’s leading goal scorer, hadn’t found the back of the net all night.
He got right to work on that, scoring two goals just 29 seconds apart from one another, and the Bandits held an 11-9 lead with eight minutes left.
And then the dam broke.
The Warriors rallied for four goals in less than four minutes, with another coming on the power play.
With four minutes left, the sellout crowd was stunned as the Bandits trailed 13-11.
They wouldn’t be stunned for long, though.
MacKay secured a hat trick with 3:37 to play, bringing Buffalo back within one.
MacKay’s goal scoring has been a pleasant surprise this year, as his 30 goals rank second on the team behind only Byrne.
It’s a career high in goals for the transition player and former fourth overall pick, surpassing his previous single-season mark of 19.
Despite some good looks after MacKay’s goal, that was all she wrote for the Bandits offense.
In the final seconds, three Buffalo shots were stopped by Del Bianco and another was blocked in front of the net, sealing the team’s fate and sending them to their second straight one-goal loss.
With the loss, the Bandits drop to 11-4 on the season, tied with the Saskatchewan Rush for first place in the league.
Both teams have already secured playoff spots, and the Rush ensured themselves of a home first-round playoff game over the weekend.
The Bandits can do the same with a win in any of their final three games.
They’re headed out to the Rockies for their next matchup, as they take on the Colorado Mammoth at 9 p.m. on Saturday, April 5.
The final home game of the regular season is at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 12 against the Halifax Thunderbirds. The Bandits wrap up the regular season in the Deep South, taking on the Georgia Swarm at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 19.
MATT’S HIGH FIVES
During every Bandits game, when the team scores, my family and I all send each other high fives over text.
It’s a way to keep in touch and all enjoy the game together, no matter where we are.
So, I thought it could be fun to share some high fives with my top five performers from each game.
This week’s high fives go to:
Ian MacKay: A hat trick against Del Bianco is no easy task. MacKay’s emergence as a goal-scoring threat could make the Bandits even deadlier come playoff time.
Christian Del Bianco: See, high fives aren’t just for the home team! Del Bianco proved why he is one of the best in the game. He stopped some key Buffalo shots, including three in the final seconds.
Bandits transition: Weiss, MacKay and Dylan Robinson combined for five goals and nine points. Not bad, especially on a night where the team’s offense was somewhat kept at bay.
Keegan Bal: Four goals and 10 points against the top team in the league is a heck of a performance. Games like this could put Vancouver in a playoff spot.
Nick Weiss: Recorded a goal and two assists, but more importantly, has the best goal song of all time. No other evaluation needed.
That does it for the first installment of RE: Lax Recaps! We’ll catch you all next week!
