Josh Byrne and Dhane Smith glanced at each other before the national anthems were sung, and the dynamic duo shared a moment they’ll never forget.
They both realized that the Saturday showdown against the first-place Vancouver Warriors had a little extra juice to it as KeyBank Center was the epicenter of bedlam. It showcased a glimpse of what playoff action – across multiple sports – will entail as the Buffalo Bandits secured a postseason berth with a dominant 15-5 win over the Warriors.
“Banditland showed out as they always do and the energy is electric,” Byrne said. “You can’t help but smile as they’re roaring. It was a moment right before the anthem goes and they start chanting, ‘Let’s go Bandits,’ and me and Dhane look at each other and start laughing, smiling. This is stuff you’re gonna tell your kids about, it’s pretty special.”
Byrne had 10 points and Joe Resetarits had a hat trick in the win, which – combined with Rochester’s 15-10 loss to Halifax – clinched a sixth straight playoff berth for the Bandits, who will seek their fourth straight NLL Cup this spring. Smith had nine points (2+7) with his daughter, Kyha, in attendance for her first Bandits game.
The Bandits – who won their sixth straight game – were coming off back-to-back comeback wins against the San Diego Seals and Saskatchewan Rush. It was seemingly going to be another close one against the Warriors before a 4-4 second-quarter score gave way to the Bandits scoring 11 of the last 12 goals from the 2:53 mark of the second stanza to the final buzzer.
“When we play 5-on-5, we’re as good as anybody, we know that,” Resetarits said. “But you see 4-4 early, this locker room doesn’t panic. … It’s a game of runs, and when you get the crowd behind you it’s tough to play against. I’ve been on the opposite side for a long time, and it’s not easy being on the opposite team coming in here.”
The Bandits went the previous two games against the Seals and Rush scoring under 10 goals. They turned into a juggernaut on the offensive end of the floor against a Warriors team solidified by goaltender Christian Del Bianco, who entered second in the NLL in both goals-against average and save percentage.
The Bandits matched their single-game season high in goals spearheaded by Byrne and Smith along with a six-point performance from Ian MacKay and a multi-goal game from Kyle Buchanan, who moved into ninth on the Bandits’ all-time goals list.
Resetarits ignited the Bandits’ blitz offensively and Byrne followed with three straight goals in the second quarter to propel Buffalo to an 8-4 halftime advantage. The Bandits scored just twice in the third quarter before registering five in the final stanza, including Byrne’s fourth goal.
After Smith scored on the power play – a situation where the Bandits went 3-for-5 – for the Bandits’ 13th goal of the night, Del Bianco was pulled despite making numerous key stops to try and keep the Warriors in the game. Smith said despite the early season struggles, the offense has found its rhythm.
“There’s so many threats out there,” Smith said. “Picking up Buffalo Joe towards the end, he’s just a threat no matter where he is, and he’s bought into the system. With a new guy, it’s hard to come in and play as well as he has and just the chemistry all around. It might have took us a few games, but at the end of the day, everyone can have a night. And obviously 22 (Josh Byrne) led by example tonight like he always does, and it was just unbelievable effort from all offensive guys.”
The Bandits have gone from a team that was nearly dismantled at the trade deadline to a team that’s once again feared by the rest of the NLL.
Smith said the Bandits looked at their schedule after being 4-6 and saw the Rock, Colorado Mammoth, Seals, Warriors and two clashes with the Rush ahead of them. It was six straight games against what is now five playoff teams – with the Seals dropping out of the playoff picture – but the Bandits won them all, giving them a new perspective on the outlook of this season.
“You look at the standings and everybody was talking about the stretch we were leading into, and we were kind of even thinking about it,” Smith said. “That being said, it’s a weird thing when you play the top teams, you get up for those games, and it’s a bad habit to play the lower teams and settle a little bit. We still want to keep building. We made playoffs, and that was our first goal. Next goal is to host a playoff game because you see the atmosphere in Banditland, there’s nothing like it. If we can host first game in Banditland, we’re gonna be a hard out. That’s our next step, and we’re looking forward to next week.”
The Bandits’ togetherness took center stage on Saturday in the second half as post-whistle scraps from Zack Belter and Thomas Whitty preceded fights from Steve Priolo and Nick Weiss.
As Belter headed to the penalty box after a wild skirmish in front of goaltender Matt Vinc, he waved his arms up and down, sending the raucous KeyBank Center into rapture. After each scrap and as each fist was thrown, the crowd seemingly got louder, providing a taste of what playoff lacrosse could look like.
Priolo mirrored Belter after he sent Matt Beers tumbling to the ground with a heavy right hook. Priolo let out a yell and ignited the crowd, which embraced the heroics of their captain. While the fights brought some of the loudest cheers in a game where there was plenty for Banditland to celebrate, they symbolized the growing unity of this Bandits team.
Float like a butterfly, sting like a PRI. 👊😤#LetsGoBandits | @NLL pic.twitter.com/YbUhRsqt7C
— Buffalo Bandits (@NLLBandits) April 5, 2026
“It’s team tough,” Smith said. “Everybody is willing to stand up for a teammate. “Priolo fought that one time and he was on the bench and saying, ‘Can I fight again?’ It’s just crazy the atmosphere in there and the fans. It felt like a playoff game, and it really was for us, and we want to keep building as a group. And Priolo said it earlier, yes it matters that we won, but it matters that we’re standing up for each other and it showed tonight.”
Bandits’ defense stands tall, holds Bal to two points
Standing in the way of a the Bandits’ six-game winning streak was MVP candidate Keegan Bal, who entered Saturday as the NLL leader in points (107) and assists (71).
The Bandits held Bal to one goal and one assist for a season-low two points. Curtis Dickson – who entered tied for fourth in the NLL with 38 goals – was held scoreless and Jesse King didn’t record a point.
Vancouver didn’t score for the final 26:28 and they had just one goal over the last 42:44 as Vinc made 22 saves. The Bandits allowed just one goal in the second half as Vinc made 22 saves.
It’s the fewest goals the Bandits have allowed in a regular-season game since April 20, 2024. They blocked 13 shots including three from Mitch de Snoo – who had a game-high 11 loose ball recoveries – and Matt Spanger. Eight different Bandits had at least one blocked shot.
“We got in lanes, we blocked a lot of shots and when they got through, Matt was there to save it,” coach John Tavares said. “Some nights they go in and some nights they don’t, and it just seemed they had a hard time finding the back of the net. And seemed like for us, we were having more success with our shooting. Sometimes it just comes down to who’s shooting the ball better and I thought we had a lot of looks, and they had times where they had to force the ball through bodies. When you have to do that, it makes things a lot more challenging on the shooter.”
Dylan Robinson showcases versatility
Faceoff specialist Connor Farrell was out of the lineup for the second straight game and Dylan Robinson stepped in. He went 3-for-6 against Saskatchewan’s Jake Naso and held his own against former Bandit Max Adler on Saturday by going 10-for-22 at the faceoff dot.
Robinson showed his athleticism as he won a faceoff and batted the loose ball past multiple players before scooping it up and scoring a breakaway goal eight seconds into the second quarter.
Robinson had a pair of points against the Warriors to go along with three loose ball recoveries, a blocked shot and a created turnover. It was an effort that impressed Tavares and showed how valuable Robinson is for this group.
“He’s a great utility guy for us,” Tavares said. “He plays defense, transition and when needed, we use him little bit on offense, if somebody gets hurt or we’re short players on the left side. But he did a phenomenal job last week against Saskatchewan, and then he did a great job tonight against Vancouver, and was nice seeing him scoring on the break off of the face off… He’s not a face off guy but to do as well as he did, he gave us the chance at the dot and that’s all we ask of him.”
Up next
The Bandits return to KeyBank Center for Fan Appreciation Night against the Rochester Knighthawks on Saturday, April 11 against the Rochester Knighthawks. Faceoff is set for 7 p.m.