Thomas McConvey had a game-high seven points and Zed Williams had a hat trick as the Rochester Knighthawks beat the Buffalo Bandits 12-9 on Saturday at Blue Cross Arena.
Buffalo – which dropped to 3-2 on the season – went scoreless in the third quarter and had a 20:25 scoring drought that stretched from the 4:49 mark of the second quarter to the 14:14 mark of the fourth quarter.
During that span, however, the Knighthawks only extended their lead by two as the Bandits defense allowed just one third-quarter goal. Head coach John Tavares said the Knighthawks made things difficult on the Bandits offense, which was unable to find consistency.
“We knew they were going to pressure, we just didn’t handle it very well,” Tavares said. “I thought early in the game, we held the ball in one stick often, or at least one side of the floor. We didn’t swing the ball and use each other. We were predictable. And come the second half, I thought we started to move the ball a little bit better, and then fourth quarter, we started dropping it again.”
After taking a 2-1 lead in the first quarter, Williams rattled off three consecutive goals. The Bandits had a scoring drought of 11:12 during Williams’s hat trick as the Knighthawks finished the first quarter ahead 4-2.
The Knighthawks scored six of eight goals in an 11:45 span between the first and second quarters and Matt Vinc was taken out with 10:31 to play in the second after he allowed six goals on 19 shots.
Steve Orleman allowed a goal as the Knighthawks went ahead 7-3 and Vinc was reinserted. The Bandits trailed by more than one goal for the first time this season and were down at halftime – after goals from Ian MacKay and Kyle Buchanan made it 7-5 – for the first time in 2025-26.
Buchanan had two of his four goals in the first half, with both coming on the power play. Buchanan said the Bandits struggled with the Knighthawks’ defensive tenacity in the first half and had to run sets late in the shot clock. He added the offense wasn’t making the same signature cuts and passes that have made them successful.
“We just weren’t connecting,” Buchanan said. “I think we’re gripping it a little bit tight tonight. We’re sort of playing a bit anxious or quicker. I’m not really sure what it was, but that attributes to just dropping the ball a little bit. It’s not for lack of chances. I think it was just execution was poor.”
After being blanketed with a zero in the third quarter, the Bandits mustered a comeback effort in the fourth but were unable to solve Knighthawks goaltender Ryan Hartley, who had 42 saves.
Buchanan had two in the final quarter and Josh Byrne recorded his lone goal of the game with 1:21 to play as the Bandits cut the lead to 11-9.
Byrne was held to four points and Dhane Smith was contained to just one goal. During the Bandits’ second-half surge, MacKay had two goals nullified in the third quarter for being inside the crease.
Tavares credited the Bandits defense for giving them a chance to cut into the Rochester lead but said the extended scoring droughts and inconsistent stretches contributed to the loss.
“I thought defense did a great job five on five,” Tavares said. “I thought they gave us a chance to make a comeback… Five goals in three quarters is not going to help you and that’s probably the reason why we’re a bit tight, because we’re playing catch up all day as well. But I thought the defense and Matt [Vinc] gave us a chance to come back and they scored at the end there.”
Buchanan finding his groove, timing in Bandits offense
It was the second straight four-goal performance from Buchanan.
Buchanan ended the 20:25 scoring drought early in the fourth quarter and helped the Bandits power play go 3-for-3 with his three power-play tallies.
“He’s a savant out there, and he’s a great leader on and off the floor,” Tavares said. “We didn’t finalize the comeback, but he was a part of trying to make a comeback there.”
Buchanan didn’t play over the summer and missed time during training camp with leg soreness.
He said he’s found success cutting to the net and receiving passes from players like Byrne and Smith who assisted on his fourth and final goal. Buchanan added that while he enjoys his individual success, he’s looking to building a more connected offensive unit.
“It’s also that rhythm of finding it with each other,” he said. “I do think personally, I feel in a better spot. But again, I want us all to get on the same page and move forward.”
Whitty, Dooley, Robinson fill key shoes defensively
With defenseman Mitch de Snoo and Zack Belter placed on injured reserve on Saturday, Thomas Whitty and Taylor Dooley played key roles on the back end.
Whitty – who was a former Rochester player – had eight loose ball recoveries, fellow defenseman Dylan Robinson had nine and Dooley had a pair of loose balls and a blocked shot.
Robinson has 19 loose ball recoveries over the last two games after posting 10 last game against the Las Vegas Desert Dogs.
The Bandits defensive group allowed five goals in the second half and helped keep Buffalo in the game.
“Whitty played well and I thought Dooley stepped in and played well too,” Tavares said. “[Dooley] got a few loose balls off the face off. It wasn’t our defense, it wasn’t our goaltending, it wasn’t our face off team. It was a good lacrosse game and they capitalized on their opportunities. Their shooting was just better than our shooting.”
Up next
The Bandits return to KeyBank Center for a matchup against the Ottawa Black Bears on Jan. 16 at 7:30 p.m.