The Buffalo Bandits face another another tough road test when they visit the Vancouver Warriors on Friday at Rogers Arena. Faceoff is set for 10 p.m.
The Bandits (4-6) snapped their four-game losing streak – their longest since 2018 – with a thrilling 11-10 road win against the Halifax Thunderbirds on Feb. 14. They surrendered a 7-2 first-half lead as the Thunderbirds tied it 10-10 with 3:43 to play before a shorthanded, game-winning goal from Dhane Smith gave the Bandits a critical win.
“That was definitely a must win game for us,” Bandits coach John Tavares said. “Was happy for the guys, I thought the guys played well. I don’t think we played a complete 60 minutes but since the Colorado game, we’ve been playing a lot better. The Philly game we played better, unfortunately lost, but the Halifax game, we played a little better both offensively and defensively. We’re taking strides in the right direction.”
Tavares introduced a new wrinkle to the lineup against the Thunderbirds with forward Ian MacKay – who began his NLL career on the defensive end of the floor – seeing ample time on defense.
MacKay’s role defensively was on display throughout his six-point night and on the Bandits’ first goal, which came 38 seconds in as he picked up a loose ball and sprinted down the floor before finding a wide open Kyle Buchanan.
Tavares said a key dynamic of their gameplan against Halifax was to generate more in transition, which was elevated by the return of defenseman Mitch de Snoo after he missed the previous four games due to injury. De Snoo had a game-high 14 loose ball recoveries and helped ignite the Bandits in transition.
“The hardest thing to do in box lacrosse is score 5-on-5, so you gotta find other ways to score and one of them is in transition,” Tavares said. “It was nice to have the transition game picking up last game.”
The Bandits’ transition game will need to continue its success against a Vancouver team that’s allowed the second fewest goals in the NLL this season.
Buffalo got multiple transition goals from defensemen against the Thunderbirds including one from Matt Spanger, who played in his third game after returning from injury, and a highlight-reel tally from Cam Wyers.
Wyers scored his first goal of the 2025-26 campaign and first since April 12, 2025, as he immediately left the penalty box and caught a pass in transition to put the Bandits up 10-7 in the fourth quarter. It’s the type of goal that showed the value of Wyers’ athleticism in transition.
“Cam [Wyers] is a big, strong, light on his feet, really fast, athletic player,” Tavares said. “Happy to have Cam on our team. He also brings a lot of energy and he does everything at full speed. Sometimes you gotta remind him to slow the game down a little bit and let the ball do the work. Cam scored a huge goal as well and look like a seasoned offensive player jumping through the crease and twisting around.”
Here’s everything you need to know ahead of the Bandits’ matchup with the Warriors.
How to watch
TV (Buffalo broadcast market): CW
Streaming: ESPN+
Radio: WWKB 1520AM
Scanlan developing offensive skillset
Year 2 in the NLL has brought a larger role for Clay Scanlan on the offensive end. With five multi-point efforts in his last seven games, Scanlan has worked to uphold the challenge set forth by Tavares.
Tavares said he’s talked with Scanlan about being more assertive offensively and seeking out opportunities instead of simply playing his usual role, which has primarily been to fight for the middle and set picks.
Scanlan is three points away from matching his total from last season (16). The Irving, New York, native has six goals and seven assists this year including one goal against Halifax.
Tavares has been pleased with Scanlan’s development and said he wants to see him continue to be a key cog of the offensive scheme.
“He’s taking some strides to look for his shot as well and not just look to get other guys open,” Tavares said. “It’s important that every offensive guy is a threat out there so I’ve been telling him when he has the ball to look for it himself as well, not just pass it off quickly. “He has a great shot and has the ability to score from the outside and the inside so I’d like to see Scanlan get a couple more shots a game. Hopefullyhe’s feeling a little more confident with doing that, and it’s just a matter of making that right choice, or when to take the shot, when not to and I think Clay has been playing well.”
Scouting the Warriors
Vancouver (6-3) has one of the most balanced teams in the NLL this season with standout goaltending from Christian Del Bianco and 2025 Defensive Player of the Year finalist Ryan Dilks.
Del Bianco is tied for second in the NLL among qualified goaltenders in save percentage (82 percent) and is third in goals-against average (9.22).
Vancouver has a dynamic offense headlined by Keegan Bal, who is tied for fourth in the NLL with 63 points and has the second most assists with 43. Leading scorer Curtis Dickson has 24 goals while Jesse King has 19 goals and 23 assists.
The Warriors have dominated in special teams situations this season with the second most power-play goals in the NLL (26) and the most shorthanded goals (8). The Bandits have the highest power-play percentage in the league and will look to continue their success in those opportunities.
“We just got to keep moving the ball, moving our feet and when you have the opportunity to shoot, you shoot the ball with confidence and shoot to score,” Tavares said. “Our power play seems to be, for the most part, clicking very well, and looking to continue to have success on our power plays when given the opportunity. That’s another way of scoring is special teams so when we do get some power plays, it’simportant to score on half of them.”