Just Like That…
Just like that, the Buffalo Bandits are 2-1 after defeating the number one ranked (according to NLL Instagram) Halifax Thunderbirds 18-13. If you told me the Bandits would be 2-1 at the end of December, I would have been content with that record. I would have assumed that the Bandits beat Albany, dropped a close game to Toronto or Halifax and won the other. If the Bandits were going to be 2-1 coming out of December, this is the best-case scenario. After tough wins against big East rivals Toronto and Halifax the Bandits season is right back where we want to see it.
This game against Halifax had everything you could possibly hope for from two powerhouse teams in the league. We saw a high scoring, hard hitting, chippy game of NLL lacrosse action. Halifax came into this game 2-0 outscoring their opponents 38-19. For those keeping track that is scoring at an average of about 19 goals per game while giving up only about 9 goals per game. That is an incredible start to the season for Halifax. On the other side, the Bandits were still trying to find their identity this year. If there was ever a time to find your identity this was it.
The theme of this game…players playing their best we have seen all year. The Bandits offense was without Conner Fields (off-season departure), Chase Fraser (injury) and Chris Cloutier (injury) and yet they looked the best they have all season. Josh Byrne, looking his best so far this season, simply could not be stopped leading the team with 7 goals and 5 assists. Dhane Smith, also playing his best, was second on the team with 3 goals and 7 assists. The offense leaned heavily on Smith and Byrne and they delivered. Brandon Robinson showed why he is a main part of this offense. His assists may not show up on the stat sheet but the picks he was able to set up allowed Byrne to do what he did. Robinson also picked up his first goal of the year with a great pass from Smith and a smooth finish by Robinson. Tehoka Nanticoke may not have played his best game of the year but he did what he does best, take on the entire defense and find a way to score.
As far as the defense was concerned, this game was about as back and forth as it could possibly get. Neither team had a run longer than two goals in the first half. Halifax was left without a run longer than two goals the entire game and that was arguably the difference. The Bandits were able to find a five-goal run to start the third, got ahead and never looked back. The defense had a very tall task in this game. Find a way to stop one of the best offensive teams in the league that was averaging an incredibly high 18 goals per game. I know it was only through two games but some teams do not get to 18 goals all season, let alone in back-to-back games. Halifax has a number of talented forwards and on paper, as of right now, looks better than what the Bandits have. However, with all of that, the Bandits defense and Matt Vinc were able to hold the Thunderbirds to 13 goals. I understand allowing 13 goals is a bit high of a score for your defense to allow but against this team, that’s a win. Vinc finished the game with 44 saves including a number of big ones. Continuing the theme of playing his best game of the season, Nick Weiss looked great in this game. His stats speak for themselves on offense and defense finishing the game with 1 goal, 3 assists, 9 loose balls, 2 blocks and 2 caused turn overs. Yet another player playing his best game, Kellen LeClair finished the game with a team leading 4 caused turnovers.
The Bandits transition game, again, looked the best it has all season. Dylan Robinson brings a new element to the transition game. He has more speed than the Bandits are used to seeing from a defender. It is very noticeable the way he flies down the field after getting the ball on defense. Dylan was rewarded with the first goal of his NLL career. Ian MacKay, Nick Weiss, Dylan Robinson, and Matt Spanger, all players who aren’t forwards, got in the goal column in this game.
A player who did not end up in the goal column in his first ever NLL game was Thomas Vaesen. Not only do we now know how to say his name, but we also learned he is a lefty! This is a huge development for the Bandits who appeared to be lacking depth on the left side. Low and behold, they have a few weapons on the left side, just not according to their website. Vaesen looked how I would expect a rookie to look while trying to find his place on this offense in his first game. He had moments where he looked a little lost and he had moments that made you realize why the Bandits selected him 14th overall in 2021. It will be interesting to see how his role develops with the injuries on the team but the more he plays the better he will get.
The Buffalo Bandits found a way to defeat Toronto in Ontario. Now, they have their first home victory of the year. It may only be the third game of the year but it was a big one. The win puts the Bandits right back in the driver seat of their season. Getting an early head-to-head lead on Toronto and Halifax is a big deal. Sure, it would have been nice to leave December 3-0 but if the Bandits were going to be 2-1, this is the way to do it.
Referee Corner
Like many of the fans out there, I find myself often questioning what the refs are doing on the field. From no goals and players being ejected, to calls that simply do not make sense. In this segment, I will attempt to use the rulebook and my best judgement to understand some hot topics from the previous game.
Ooo boy do we have a fun Referee Corner this week. The last time we were in this corner the refs made the right calls, this time around, well I guess we will see.
The play – Priolo, from what I can tell, does nothing illegal while being mixed up with Cody Jamieson whose stick goes flying. Jamieson, now without a stick, gets upset and decides to steal Priolo’s stick right from his hands. Somehow, this isn’t called holding the stick which we have discussed in a previous article but I will go over it again. Priolo, then upset that Jamieson has illegally stolen his stick, right in front of the ref, punches Jamieson and another player who pushed Priolo.
The call – Minor for roughing
The missed call – Holding the stick
The rule –
Rule 85: ROUGHING - Shall be defined as any excessively violent holding, pushing or punching motion with or without the glove on. Any deliberate or excessively violent contact or crosscheck by a defensive player against an offensive player who has established a legal screen/pick position. Any avoidable act on the part of a player, which is deliberate or excessively violent whether it be with the body or stick.
Rule 71: HOLDING - Any player who impedes the progress of any player by using his arms, legs, or hands (with or without the ball). Body position, as outlined above, shall apply in assessing all holding infractions.
71.2 HOLDING AN OPPONENT’S STICK - A player is not permitted to hold an opponent’s stick.
The call on Priolo was correct; he should not have punched the two Halifax players. However, if the refs had called the obvious holding on Jamieson in the first place, I do not believe it would have led to Priolo getting a roughing penalty. How the refs missed a player stealing another player’s stick right in front of them, I am not sure. They always say it is the second man in who gets the penalty and in this case, that was true.
The play – Priolo, who seemed to be picked on most of the game, pushed his stick in front of Fannell with a spearing type motion. Fannell then walked into Priolo’s stick and in my opinion took quite a dive.
The call – Minor for spearing
The rule –
Rule 64: SPEARING - Spearing shall mean a reckless stabbing motion at an opponent with the head of the stick making contact on an opponent. Referee shall use their discretion in determining the difference between a poke check as a method of dislodging the ball from an opponent and a spear.
Priolo does make a spearing type motion. Fannell did not have the ball at this time. Therefore, it was not a poke check. However, I would not say it was reckless despite the fact that it tapped Fannell’s facemask. Fannell somehow doubled over and came up limping, despite being tapped in the facemask. I am not sure how those are related. Personally, I think it was a weak call at best.