Roster Toggle Monday
Making a draft choice move on the trade deadline Monday, the Bandits accumulated some future picks, but that was not the only move made.
For a second-round choice in 2028, the Bandits acquired 12-year right-hand veteran Kiel Matisz from Ottawa (via Vancouver), and a fourth-round pick in 2028.
A former first-rounder in 2012 with Minnesota, the 6’5″, 225-pounder has played a huge role with Georgia, Philadelphia, New York, and Ottawa. The Bandits also received a third-round choice.
Having won the 2017 NLL Championship with Georgia, Matisz has played 200 games overall, scoring 213 goals and 443 assists for 656 points, 904 loose balls, and 78 caused turnovers.
Sam La Roue and a 2026 second-rounder went to Ottawa for transition Ron John, a sturdy 6’0” 200-lb fourth-year pro from Angola, New York, and a third-round pick in this year’s draft.
In 59 games, John is 7+26=33, has 260 loose balls, 55 caused turnovers, and 22 blocked shots. John has played in Colorado, New York, and Ottawa.
La Roue leaves the Bandits in his fourth season, and he earned an assist on Dhane Smith’s goal last Saturday night. He played a total of 11 games with four assists over his tenure as a true team practice squad player.
Look in the mirror.
Adversity, as defined in Merriam-Webster’s dictionary, is “serious difficulty or misfortune, whether physical, social, financial, or emotional.” We all face adversity, some more than others. It’s a part of life.
Stemming from the Bandits’ loss last Saturday to Calgary, 17-11, the club needs a bit of adversity now. It will help them build resilience, shift their mindset (which should be fresh), and redeem themselves this Saturday night in Calgary.
Ironically, the Roughnecks’ last regular-season victory over the Bandits was in 2018, when they beat them 16-9. Hmmm.
“It’s always disappointing when you lose, especially at home, the second time in a row in that fashion,” said Bandits head coach John Tavares Saturday night in his post-game presser. “But I still think we could have won that game.”
The game was a classic back-and-forth battle with five ties as both clubs clamped down. After a 9-9 deadlock, the Roughnecks outscored the Bandits 8-2 and downshifted to the win.
But like in the movie “Whiplash”, with J.K. Simmons and the classic line, “Were you rushing or were you dragging?” seemed fitting for the Bandits’ play in the second half. The rhythm was off on both sides of the floor.
Two Calgary players accounted for 10 goals, headlined by the most prolific scorer in the game today, Curtis Dickson, whose sidewinder and one-armer showcased his talents with a six-goal performance.
And Jesse King, with four straight 50-plus assist seasons, was stellar, going 4+6=10, including three power-play goals. Oh, and he crossed his career’s 500 loose ball mark with eight scoops Saturday night.
Rookie Brayden Mayea, first-rounder in ’24, playing in his sixth game, went 3+3=6. Tyler Pace was the set-up man with seven assists.
“Calgary shot the ball very well; that was the big difference in the game. It seemed like we were not shooting the ball, and then it got out of hand in the last five or six minutes.”
The atmosphere inside KeyBank Center was incredible. The 19,070 citizens of Banditland roared with approval as if it was a playoff game when the Bandits took 2-0 and 5-3 leads. The township kept their focus into the fourth quarter before heading up and down the staircases.
“I want to remind my team it’s hard to win every game, and everything will not go in for you every time,” said Tavares.
And a handful of Bandit goals Saturday night were disallowed. Move on.
“After 11 games, we’re 9-2, I’m pretty happy about that. I want to take this curve and swing it back up – we are a much better team than we’ve shown in the first 11 games.”
Bucky
Bandits Kyle Buchanan had another strong game with 2+2, six shots, six loose balls, and two caused turnovers. He continues to get guys open, including himself. I was thinking back to his fantastic goal, which was disallowed after a Calgary challenge.
It was a trademark of what this team could do with its precise passing, positioning, and knowing where everybody was. Save a piece of his glove in the crease, it was a great score by Bucky.
“We’ve had a handful of games in which things are starting to creep away on us, but it’s not because of a lack of chances,” said the 12th-year pro, Buchanan, with 253 career goals.
“We need to swing the ball, earning those goals a bit more. We must also get the faceoffs and re-possessions to set up and execute at a higher level. We’re winning but not playing that well,” said Buchanan.
Defense..Defense..Defense
Defensively, the Bandits remain firm with the second-best goals-against average in the league and a +36 standing. Okay, there were a few hiccups on Saturday, but that’s adversity they can overcome.
“Our motto is communicate, physical, and trust. As long as we stick to that, we are a tough team to beat,” said Bandits defenseman Thomas Whitty to Dave Buchanan on Saturday night’s pregame show.
The fourth-year pro knows the orders from the Department of Bandits Defense, following orders precisely.
“We need to stay on the opponent’s hands, allow no easy shots, keep everything from the outside, touch them up the second they come to the middle, make our presence known, and shut it down.
“Teams have to adjust to us. We play our systems and have all of our roles, but are always looking to grow,” Whitty said, who is also a part of the Thirteenth Street Winery in St. Catharines, also known for their bakery, producing the world’s best butter tarts.
Notable Milestones
Congratulations to Dhane Smith for scoring his 400th goal in his illustrious career and Chris Cloutier for earning his 150th assist. Josh Byrne played his 100th NLL game, and Steve Priolo went over the 1400 loose ball mark.
Radio Free Bandits & Broadcast Information
Radio coverage of Saturday’s game from Calgary will be on 1520 AM The Bet. The pregame show will start at 8:30 PM. Television coverage will begin at 9 PM on CW23, ESPN+, TSN+, and NLL+