The Buffalo Bandits will host the Saskatchewan Rush on Friday for Marvel Super Hero Night at KeyBank Center.
Faceoff is set for 7:30 p.m. on CW23 and ESPN+. Radio coverage can be found on WGR 550.
Tickets are available here.
The Bandits return home after a 13-12 loss to the Vancouver Warriors. The Bandits clawed their way back from a five-goal, second-quarter deficit but time ran out. Tehoka Nanticoke took Buffalo’s last shot of the game with 16 seconds left, hitting the chest of Warriors goalie Aden Walsh from behind the goal line. It was ruled no goal on the floor and, when checked in the replay booth, the call stood due to inconclusive evidence.
Now at 5-6, the Bandits turn to the 4-5 Saskatchewan Rush. Despite a slow start to their season, the Rush found some rhythm in February. They’ve won three of their last four games. Assistant captain Nick Weiss knows the Bandits will face a challenge on Friday.
“They’re a young team and I think we’re still supposed to be favored, we’re still supposed to be winning and they’re a team coming in on a heater,” Weiss said. “They know that right now we’re kind of slumping, so I think they’re coming in hot and they’re gonna expect to win. It’s already tough when you have a team coming in that really expects to win and already wants to take a chunk out of you, so we know we’ll be in for a battle this Friday.
“If we do embrace the underdog mentality then you’ll get a different club coming out and I think maybe that’s what we do need to play the full 60 minutes again.”
Here’s everything you need to know before the game.
Headed home for Super Hero Night
The Bandits come home for Marvel Super Hero Night at KeyBank Center. The Bandits will wear special edition Guardians of the Galaxy themed jerseys featuring Rocket Raccoon in honor of the Bandits mascot, Rax.
The evening will feature a Guardians of the Galaxy themed playlist as well as activities in the concourse and a comic book giveaway for the first 8,000 fans. Check out more here.
For Weiss, coming home could prove to be a major momentum boost for the Bandits.
“There’s no place like home,” Weiss said. “It’s been said many times but the atmosphere that the fans give us at home in Banditland is incredible, so it’ll be a boost. I’m very, very much looking forward to getting home.”
Full 60
Weiss stressed the need for consistency from the opening faceoff against the Rush.
“What we need to do is honestly pretty simple, just play our game for a full 60 minutes,” Weiss said. “You can see the games that we did that, when we beat San Diego, even when we beat Toronto, I mean that wasn’t a full 60 minutes, but we had a great game. And when we beat Colorado. So, it’s tough knowing that we can do it and that just right now we’re not doing it.”
A full 60-minute effort is what every team in the league is searching for. The Bandits had it figured out by the playoffs last year in their run to the Cup. This season it has been a bit more elusive with injuries and struggles with the penalty box. Josh Byrne knows it is a mental hurdle for his team.
“It’s about playing with emotion but not playing emotional, it’s important to play with that edge and play with that fire but not allowing it to take over our minds,” Byrne said. “At the end of the day this game is played at an IQ level and it’s literally mental mistakes that are killing us right now.”
Buffalo has had an edge in the last three games. The Bandits have been on the penalty kill 21 times since their matchup with Halifax. Byrne has noticed that the offense struggles to find rhythm when they take as many penalties as they have.
“You get into a rhythm, you get into a flow and then all of a sudden – bang – you’re shorthanded,” Byrne said. “Maybe you’re shorthanded for a couple minutes then, all of a sudden, you’re shorthanded for four minutes at a time. No one’s really been able to go out and play the way they want to then all of a sudden guys go back out on the floor and guys are eager to try to make plays. That’s when it starts to become a bit of a domino effect.”
A new face at the dot
A new faceoff specialist will be welcomed to Banditland on Friday. Connor Farrell is a four-year veteran of the outdoor Premier Lacrosse League who signed a two-year deal with the Bandits on Wednesday.
Despite having been on rosters with multiple NLL teams, he has yet to play a game in professional box lacrosse.
Farrell played collegiate lacrosse at Long Island University Post. He started for the Pioneers for three seasons from 2017 to 2019 and earned the Division II Faceoff Player of the Year in 2019.
Now in the PLL, he has cemented himself as a top specialist. In 2022, he finished with the third-best faceoff percentage in the league and last season he finished fourth.
“He’s a big body, he’s strong, an ex-football player, he likes physicality, he likes to battle and he’s a great teammate.” Byrne said. “That was someone that we were excited to bring in and welcome with open arms. Banditland is gonna see that blonde, long, flowing hair on a Florida-like body, it’s gonna be pretty funny to watch everyone take in the Milk Man.”
Winning at the dot could be a major change for Buffalo. Since traveling to Halifax, Buffalo has won 12 of 88 faceoffs. Weiss knows faceoff wins can create more possession for the Bandits and keep them off their back foot.
“Winning more at the dot means more possessions,” Weiss said. “Lacrosse is a game of runs and possession and, after we score, we can keep a run going by winning a draw and going down and scoring again. Or likewise in reverse – if they score, instead of giving them possession after possession, if we’re able to steal a couple – I mean, our offense is so deadly, if you give them an extra twenty times to have the ball – I feel pretty good about our chances.”
Scouting the Rush
Since the start of February, the Saskatchewan Rush have notched wins against Panther City, Vancouver and Colorado. They are a prime example of how open the standings are with the unified format for 2024. On Jan. 20 they were tied for last in the league, four games later they are fighting for a playoff spot.
They come to Buffalo riding high from their 15-7 win over the Mammoth in Colorado last week. Robert Church and Ryan Keenan combined for 16 points in the dominant win. Frank Scigliano made 32 saves while the Rush defense only allowed 39 shots on goal in the game.
The Rush have played the lowest number of games in the league to this point.
Through nine games, three forwards have led the Rush offense. Church leads the team in goals with 21 and assists with 28. His 49 points is just ahead of teammate Zach Manns, who has 45.
Despite their record, the Rush defense has proved to be one of the best in the league at not allowing shots on goal. Except for their first game of the season, no team has taken more than 60 shots on goal against the Rush all year.
That could play well into the hand of the Bandits. Byrne feels Buffalo’s offense has been shooting too much in recent weeks and that getting back to their pass-first offense could be key.
“I think it’s just taking a deep breath, trusting each other and falling in love with a shot rather than just kind of liking the shot and I think we’ll do just fine,” Byrne said.