The Buffalo Bandits were interlocked with their arms draped over their teammates’ shoulders as they christened a third consecutive championship banner to the KeyBank Center rafters.
Defensively in the second half, the Bandits played like a group ready to chase another trophy.
Dhane Smith scored a team-high four goals with a game-high eight points, Josh Byrne tallied six points and the Bandits allowed just three goals in the second half en route to a season opening 15-11 win over the Georgia Swarm on Saturday at KeyBank Center.
Buffalo’s second-half shutdown marked a shift in the game after they’d allowed eight goals in the opening half and trailed 9-8 early in the third period.
The Bandits allowed just two goals over the final 29:15 and prevented Georgia from scoring for over 14 minutes from the 14:15 mark of the third quarter to the 14:22 mark of the fourth quarter.
“Defensively, we’re a lot more stingy down there,” head coach John Tavares said. “Didn’t give them as many step-down shots that they had in the first half. [Shayne] Jackson was shooting the ball very well, and he did get one in the second half, but I thought we came out with a little pressure. We made a few adjustments and they seemed to work today.”
A key piece to the Bandits’ second-half success was also predicated on playing better defensively in transition. Tavares said Buffalo allowed four transition goals in the first half and it became a focus for the final two quarters, which included eight created turnovers and 42 loose ball recoveries.
The Bandits finished the game with 12 blocked shots, 13 created turnovers and 80 loose ball recoveries. Buffalo held Georgia to 1-for-5 on power-play opportunities including two killed penalties in the fourth quarter.
Bandits goaltender Matt Vinc shined in the second half with 11 of his 32 saves coming in the fourth quarter. His performance proved pivotal as the Bandits dressed eight defensive players instead of their traditional nine.
Smith – who along with captain Steve Priolo was joined by offseason returnees Mitch de Snoo and Ryan Benesch, marking the first time all four players dressed for the Bandits since 2017 – said maintaining consistency defensively in the second half stemmed from better offensive possessions.
“One thing we struggled with in the first half was scoring a goal or scoring two goals, and then that next shift they would score,” Smith said. “We wanted to focus on that next shift mentality.”
To hang in the rafters forever. 🏆
See tonight’s Banner Raising Ceremony photo » https://t.co/AzFfBgmeJ2 pic.twitter.com/hEnUtJMdLF
— Buffalo Bandits (@NLLBandits) November 30, 2025
Thirteen players recorded at least one point and nine players had a multi-point performance including Benesch and de Snoo, who both scored in their respective returns to Banditland as part of a five-goal first quarter.
Benesch and de Snoo were the lone Bandits in uniform watching the championship banner raised from the sidelines. Saturday night, they looked like everyday pieces of the last championship runs as they each recorded a goal and an assist while the latter – who was acquired via trade from the Philadelphia Wings on Wednesday – recorded 10 loose ball recoveries, three blocked shots and two created turnovers.
Smith said Benesch is a player he “idolized” being from the same hometown of Kitchener, Ontario, and said the goals are going to come for the veteran after Benesch recorded one on nine shots.
De Snoo, meanwhile, provides the Bandits another shut down weapon.
“He’s definitely welcome addition,” Tavares said of de Snoo. “I thought he was all over the floor. I thought him and [Cam] Wyers did a wonderful job. And I thought Mitch was great on loose balls, great on defense and I thought he scored a very important, big goal for us in transition as well.”
Tehoka Nanticoke thrives
The Bandits offense was clicking in the second half as they scored seven of the final nine goals and grew a 12-9 lead at the end of the third to a 15-11 final score.
In that span, a five-minute major was assessed to Swarm goaltender Brett Dobson for a cross-check to Ian MacKay’s head. Moments after the power play expired, Tehoka Nanticoke scored his second goal of the game and the 100th of his NLL career.
Congrats on 100, @Tehoka1! 👏 pic.twitter.com/cNqjroUlqj
— Buffalo Bandits (@NLLBandits) November 30, 2025
Nanticoke had two goals and one assist to go along with four loose ball recoveries. His second goal came off a wild net-front scramble as he cleaned up the loose change and gave the Bandits an 11-9 lead in the closing stages of the third quarter.
Nanticoke’s role offensively could be expanded due to the offseason losses of Chris Cloutier and Chase Fraser to Las Vegas. He showed he could be a reliable offensive weapon on the power play and full strength.
“He’s such an unreal talent,” Byrne said. “We talk about soft hands, he’s at the top of the list.”
Fantastic Farrell
Connor Farrell dominated in the faceoff dot, where he went 26-for-31. Farrell went 16-for-18 in the first half and 10-for-13 in the second half with a game-high 13 loose ball recoveries.
Farrell surpassed 400 career faceoff wins and became the second Bandit all-time to reach that mark. Farrell is second all-time in faceoff wins and now has 406 total.
“I watch a lot of film on the refs, so I try to study their cadences a little bit,” Farrell said. “I had a good feeling … I felt in a good rhythm. We were talking a lot, me and the guys on the restraining lines. We had a good little thing going on, all of us.”
Up next
The Bandits are back in action at KeyBank Center for Game 2 of the 2025-26 season against the Halifax Thunderbirds on Dec. 13 at 7 p.m.