The Buffalo Bandits Stay on Top
The Buffalo Bandits took down the Saskatchewan Rush 9 to 7 in a close battle for first place. For the first time this year the Bandits offense was held to under 13 goals in a game. Luckily for the Bandits, they have Matt Vinc on their side. Vinc and the defense held the Rush to just 7 goals, after allowing the previous six opponents to score 10 or more goals per game.
The offense looked sloppy again. Maybe it has something to do with going out West. The passing was all over the place. At times they were passing too much. Other times, the passes were wild and couldn’t be caught cleanly. The shots were missing the net or consistently aimed at the same spot that wasn’t working. I do want to give credit to a talented Rush defense and Frank Scigliano, they did a nice job making the Bandits offense uncomfortable. Josh Byrne (2g, 4a) and Dhane Smith (0g, 5a) led the way once again. They weren’t as dynamic as we saw them earlier in the year, but the offense continued to funnel through them. Even when they are “shut down”, they still contributed in some way on over half the team’s goals. No one else on offense truly stepped up in this game. However, Chase Fraser (2g, 1a) and Tehoka Nanticoke (2g, 0a) did what they needed to do to will the Bandits to victory. The last few games the offense has been a bit rough. I do wonder in this game, if the Bandits offense was worried about the Rush’s transition ability. This forces the offense to leave the floor a bit early and cuts down the time on offense per possession. At the same time, as I mentioned earlier, this was the first game all season that the Bandits have been held to under 13 goals. There is no need to panic, this team can clean it up in a hurry.
Matt Vinc and the defense were the story of the game. I know that is easy to say in a game where neither team got to 10 goals, but that’s the point. In what was the offenses first dud of the season, it was the defense and Vinc that stepped up to answer the call. Since starting the first three games of the year not allowing more than 7 goals, the Bandits had allowed the previous six opponents to score at least 10 goals per game. This game felt more like how the defense and Vinc started the season. It helped that Robert Church missed the game, but outside of Zach Manns, the Bandits did not allow anyone to beat them. Clark Walter (0g, 0a), Ryan Keenan (0g, 1a), Mike Triolo (1g, 1a), Austin Shanks (0g, 2a), and Brock Haley (0g, 3a) combined for 1 goal on 30 shots. That is wild. A big aspect for the Rush headed into this game was their ability to score in transition. They are a fast, young team that can score in a hurry. By my count, the Rush had zero transition goals. That is a massive credit to the defense and the offense which helped keep this game close.
The special teams were all about the penalty kill with the Bandits only getting one power play opportunity and not scoring on it. The penalty kill though did an excellent job holding the Rush to one goal on five opportunities. The only goal they allowed was on a 5-on-3 chance and those are tough to stop. They were able to shut down the Rush on a double minor with Priolo, one of their best penalty killers and captain of the team, in the box for almost four minutes. In close games like this, the special teams can make or break a game. In this game, it was the Bandits penalty kill that stood strong for the win.
The Bandits once again proved why they are the number one team in the league. Whether it is a high scoring close victory against the San Diego Seals, or a low scoring grind it out victory against the Rush, the Bandits find a way to win. That is not what good teams do, that is what great teams do, what championship caliber teams do. When the defense is struggling, the offense steps up. When the offense is struggling, the defense steps up. It is incredibly difficult to beat this team, and they have yet to play their best lacrosse.
Goaltender Breakdown
In this segment, I will breakdown how the goalies, offense and defense all performed on the goals in the game. How many were impressive goals, breakdowns in the defense or on the goalie.
Frank Scigliano
Inside – 4
Mid-Range - 2
Outside – 2
Transition - 1
*0 of the goals were on the penalty kill
*1 empty net goals
Matt Vinc
Inside – 4
Mid-Range - 3
Outside – 0
Transition - 0
*1 of the goals was on the penalty kill
Goal 1 – Zawada had a step on Priolo, received a great pass from Shanks, and buried an in tight goal
Goal 2 – Great play by Manns, beats Weiss and then beats Vinc
Goal 3 – Another good play by Manns, beats Dooley and then catches Vinc guessing the wrong way on a twist shot
Goal 4 – Defense got beat on the fake shot and then no one followed Triolo leaving him open inside (D)
Goal 5 – PP goal – 5-on-3 power play goal by Manns, a great shot in a great situation
Goal 6 – Vinc was there and ready, just was not quite set properly, one he wants to have (V)
Goal 7 – Horrible restart by the Bandits, after the official time out, leads to a turnover, Vinc makes the first save, but no one helps him on the rebound (D)
1/7 on Vinc
2/7 on the defense
Challenges by the Bandits – 0
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.
Bandits – 0-1 on the PP
Rush – 1-5 on the PP
Steve Priolo – Cross Check – Priolo checked Waters in the back as he cut to the crease. I don’t mind Priolo taking this penalty early and letting the Rush know what happens when they get in close – good call
Steve Priolo – Dead Ball Foul – Priolo went to defend Wyers who took a relatively harmless slash after the whistle. Priolo got a good cross check in, and then took it too far with an extra cross check up high that cost him a penalty – good call
Steve Priolo – Unsportsmanlike Conduct – Priolo must have said a bit too much when pleading his case about the penalty being called that cost him another penalty – good call
Tehoka Nanticoke – Tripping - I watched this penalty four or five time in a row and by the definition of tripping (that I have posted below), I do not think this was a tripping penalty. Nanticoke was going after a loose ball. It looked like Nanticoke originally made stick on stick contact and then their feet may have gotten tangled. With two players battling for a loose ball that is going to happen. I can see why from the referees' point of view he made the call, but I do not agree with it – bad call
Nick Weiss – Cross Checking – This was another bad call. The player was already off balance by his own accord and falling to the ground when Weiss lightly checked him. He may not have even made contact. It was simply not a penalty – bad call
3/5 – good calls
This game was not overly physical or intense. It was not a rivalry game against the Toronto Rock. This game seemed more like a chess match, which makes it easier on the referees. On the positive side for the refs, in a close game against the top two teams in the league and the refs called 0 penalties in the fourth quarter, 1 in the third and only 3 from the second quarter to the end of the game. There are two negatives in my opinion. First, two of the five calls against the Bandits were bad calls. Second, there was a brutally obvious penalty for Triolo playing without a helmet. The Bandits have been called for this twice recently (both were correct calls), but neither were as bad as this, and for some reason this time it was let go. Finally, I have a hard time believing any team in the NLL can play a flawless game. The only penalty called against the Rush was an illegal substitution. I personally did not see too many missed calls against the Rush. Again, this wasn’t a very physical game, so maybe it’s possible, but I still find it hard to believe the Rush played a perfect game.
Rule 86: TRIPPING: Shall be defined as any player who shall place his stick or any portion of his body in such manner that will cause his opponent to trip. Should the player be tripped and not completely fall down, an appropriate penalty shall still be assessed