Fifth Day of Christmas
On the fourth day of Christmas, Banditland received a wonderful gift: a 13-7 victory over the Calgary Roughnecks.
Everyone on the roster contributed in a notable manner. Goals came from Dhane Smith (3), assists from Josh Byrne (7), and points from Smith (9). For blocked shots, Priolo, Weiss, Whitty, and Dawson each had 2. Mitch de Snoo grabbed 17 loose balls.
Eight Bandit players scored a goal or more, five blocked shots, and everyone on the game night roster scooped a loosie or more. Matt Vinc was solid, making 40 saves and allowing only seven Calgary goals, including three in the second half.
You’ll have to go back and rewatch the game, especially the second half, when the Bandits put on quite a show on both ends of the floor.
The championship pedigree is impressive yet humble to the nth degree, and it includes young defenseman Cam Wyers.
“You go in and see the championship culture they have built, and you just try and be a part of every moment that you can,” said Wyers, entering his third year.
“But it’s always one foot in front of the other, and focus on those games ahead of us, and how we can still go ahead and achieve those goals of winning championships.”
And the Brotherhood of this Band of Guys
“We do our best to maximize our time together. So good to be a part of the culture the guys have built,” Wyers said.
“It’s essential to take time together to connect, not just the whole lacrosse experience, but getting outside the locker room to know them better, their families, and what their hobbies may be. Those are the moments you take advantage of as a team.”
Games Keep Coming
The 12 days of Christmas continue for the Bandits, with three more games, starting this Saturday, at home vs. Las Vegas for the special Tucker Out Lymphoma Night, followed by two more successive weekends before another bye week.
“It’s always fun when we get into January because you start to play every weekend, getting into a routine. Our league is a little different with one practice and one game, and when you start missing weekends, it’s hard. No excuses, though,” said Steve Dietrich, Bandits GM and defensive coordinator.
“Feels good when you get into a routine of practice on Wednesday, play on Saturday, every week, and get going.”
Saturday Night’s Game is for Tucker
Shawn Williams, who had just finished the first season of his second stint with the Bandits, produced 65 points. It seemed like familiar number 51 was poised and ready, contributing with those key goals and assists in the 2014 season.
Overall, life was good for Shawn and his loving family, an incredibly talented group of athletes and lacrosse players.
But things changed dramatically in January of 2014, when the youngest son, Tucker, was diagnosed with Burkitt’s Lymphoma, a rare aggressive cancer often seen in children, requiring intensive chemotherapy.
How Could this Happen
The Bandit organization and team were shocked. How could this happen? Why did it happen? How would the team react and rally?
“I was incredibly sad, of course, but almost immediately thereafter, it’s, “How can we help? What can we do?”” said Scott Loffler, Bandits senior director of lacrosse operations.
Not to be denied, Loffler received organizational support to develop a special fundraising and awareness night for an April 2014 home game, titled Tucker Out Lymphoma Night.
“Shawn and Tam had a lot going on, obviously, so I took the reins on our end to raise money to make this process as easy as possible for them.
“The whole family, from top to bottom, are incredible people, so it was pretty easy to step up and do something, especially with the Bandits’ extensive and robust reach. I knew we could make a difference.”
Groundwork & Title
Loffler worked with Andrea Gregory and Jennifer Hickok from Roswell Park, along with Gwen Mysiak of the Punt Foundation, to establish fundraising and support. $240,000 has been raised so far.
The titling of the campaign came from the phrase “I’m all tuckered out,” which turned into the mantra of helping Tucker’s intentions of trying to wipe out and beat his diagnosis of Lymphoma.
The turn of the phrase wheeled into Tucker Out Lymphoma night.
Fought Hard
Tucker was brave through treatments, with his nurses reflecting, “This kid is braver than brave.” Despite his enthusiasm and competitive drive, Tucker lost his battle at the age of eight in December 2014.
Specially designed uniforms by Tucker and his brother, Dyson, further elevated the game, and players from both teams were deeply moved.
Eleven years later, the game is played with the same intensity, and heartstrings are tugged league-wide, especially in Las Vegas, where Shawn Williams is the head coach and general manager, and son, Dyson, a first-round pick overall in the NLL Draft, is playing in Oshawa for the FireWolves.
Tucker Out Lymphoma Cup
And now, the second year of the Tucker Out Lymphoma Cup, a multi-game series between Buffalo, Oshawa, and Las Vegas, honoring the life of Tucker and his eleven-month battle.
“With three teams with deep ties to Tucker, it was kind of an evolution of the Braver than Brave/Tucker Out Lymphoma movement. Seeing this initiative evolve into a multi-team cup is a testament to Tucker’s impact and the strength of the lacrosse community,” Loffler said.
How the Cup Started
“Jonah Haas (VP Business Development, Las Vegas Desert Dogs) and I were discussing ways to improve our TOLN games, and the cup format came out of that conversation, which is loosely based on the NBA in-season tournament.”
We lost Tucker in December of 2014 at the age of eight, but his spirit and message remain constant: Live More. Laugh More. Love More.
Sunday night, I had a pleasant conversation with Dietrich on the radio pregame show. Here are some edited excerpts if you missed it.
We always have a list of guests on the Bandits radio pregame show, including Dietrich, coach Tavares rotating each game, a Bandit player, and members of the opposing team. Tune in 30 minutes before each Bandit game.
GM Conversation
Tweaking the lineup: “We are trying to get everybody in – and then the injured players like Matt Spanger, Zack Belter, and Coltrane Tyson – “Let’s find a roster we are happy with that we can continue to move forward with.”
On the Team Communicating: “I think they have communicated pretty well in the last five years. It’s good that they have a lot of inner competition in the fact that they are never satisfied, which is what I’ve always said is special about this group.
“For them to look at each other and say we need to be better in certain areas, it’s pretty good.”
Line-Up Changes: “It hampers everybody a little bit. We have been going eight offense and eight defense, and then Connor. I find it harder to play defense because there is no resting when you are playing the five and six guys in that group; they can get fatigued.”
“I think seven forwards and nine defensemen is better, but then again, we need to find the right mix, even down to how many lefties and righties.”
Talent on the Bandits roster: “You never want to say it’s complicated having too much talent, but sometimes when you have too much, you don’t know who you want to play on an individual night, and you’re always second-guessing yourself if things don’t go your way.”
Parity: “This league is so competitive, everybody is so good every week, you never know who’s going to win. You have to bring your best every night, or you’re going to get caught.”
General Manager & Assistant Coach, Steve Dietrich.
Broadcast Information
Saturday night’s game will be carried on 1520AM, with the Bandits Pregame Show starting at 6:30 pm.
Television will be available on CW 23, ESPN+, TSN+, and NLL+. The broadcast time is 7 pm.
Steve Bermel joins me in the Ted Darling Memorial Press Box, while Dave Buchanan will cover the action between the Benches.
Randy Mearns joins me for the Bandits Halftime Report with his popular segment “Coach Mearns!”