The Saturday rattle
Head to any coffee lovers’ spot tucked neatly amongst neighborhoods and strip malls, and you’ll find a group of regulars with their cup rims flared and voices similar, bantering their opinions of various topics.
I snow-stomped my boots into one last Saturday morning with a discussion that was in full swing about the Bandits game the night before.
In book club formation, without regard for those of us in line, their decibel levels conveyed how they felt about the game, especially about the officiating.
What’s the big deal, I thought to myself. The Bandits won 15-13 and are 4-0. Move on.
But as we all know, these groups carry stern opinions, and chum for debate is easily spread.
They didn’t mince words about the penalties and the time it took to sort things out, especially following the tussle with “that big lug from Toronto and Nicky, the Bandits bad boy.”
“The guy they call Nicky. Yeah, they should have let those guys go and settled things down,” one guy said in a well-worn Carhart.
“Yeah, tough nut, those refs were way too much a part of the game,” said what looked to be the elder of the group. “Yeah, like the playoffs, let ‘em play.”
“Hey guys, they are just trying to do their job; cut them some slack. A lot is going on; they can only catch so much,” said one with heavily rimmed-glasses.
“Yes, but Bobby, they called one of the same that wasn’t called, and others I lost track of,” said one with a tethered hat.
“God, it was a long game. I missed Jeopardy and almost the 10 o’clock news,” echoed as I walked out with my coffee.
Pregame Interrupted
If 12 days between games wasn’t bad enough for the Bandits, their game-day regime last Friday in preparation for Toronto was interrupted by not having the turf available for their morning shootaround.
It’s essential to get into a rhythm on game day, including adjusting your stick. The main reason for a shootaround is to allow the players to get a feel for their stick, the pocket, and the laces that help deliver the ball aimed to the area of the next.
“With our schedule, on again, off again, it’s hard for the players not to have their sticks in hand as much as possible,” said Bandits head coach John Tavares.
“With limited practice time and games spread out, the players need that time to adjust their sticks. It’s not a hockey stick. A lacrosse stick needs to be adjusted regularly, and having the stick in your hand consistently with your teammates is so important. Not to make excuses, we just haven’t had that timing yet.”
Wasn’t that…?
But following the Bandit’s 15-13 marathon win over Toronto, the teams have a regular schedule this week and even another home game Saturday night against the 4-1 Philadelphia Wings.
Marathon is an understatement regarding last Friday’s game, which took two hours and forty-five minutes to play.
There were so many stoppages, including 81 minutes of penalties, longer-than-normal official reviews and discussions, and some inconsistent fouls assessed, that the players, fans, media, and announcers were spinning.
I agreed with the fellows in the coffee shop while on the broadcast. They should have let Weiss and Hostrawser go—it would have changed the game entirely (my editorial comment).
But Weiss scored the biggest punch with the game-winner after sitting for fourteen minutes from assessed penalties.
Questions on the calls? “I was asking about a blindside hit. Do you know the rules? Didn’t get an answer. I was just asking,” said Tavares.
Regardless, the 17,240 in attendance watched Ian MacKay, with the league’s fastest shot, shoot thirty-eight percent from the floor with five blisters, including one with five-tenth of a second left in the first quarter.
For Steve
It was an emotional night for MacKay, as the sixth-year Bandit was playing the game for his stepfather, who passed away in mid-last week of cancer.
But the now full-time forward praised the play of his teammates instead.
“I was proud of the guys weathering it (the game), and facing adversity with so many ups and downs with the lulls in the game, it shows our ability to come out with a victory,” said MacKay, who leads the team in goals with 13, and is third In scoring behind Josh Byrne and Dhane Smith.
Buffalo Bandits vs Toronto Rock, January 10, 2025 at KeyBank Center.
Those who stuck around to the very end were treated to some incredible goals scored by the Bandits, including a stellar game-tying goal by Chase Fraser.
Thirty seconds later, Nick Weiss took a pushed pass from Steve Priolo and ran into the Toronto zone with Josh Byrne. He drew defenders to his right, and Weiss fired a shot that would be the game-winner.
As the molasses-like game ended, following an empty netter by Dhane Smith eight seconds prior, the Bandits celebrated their 4-0 start.
“I don’t want to get overconfident by any means,” Tavares said. There are a lot of great teams in this league, and we will have some tough battles.”
Another Triple Header!
It’s another Buffalo Sports triple-header this weekend! The Sabres host Pittsburgh Friday night, the Bandits and Philadelphia meet Saturday night, and the Bills host Baltimore Sunday for round two of the NFL playoffs.
It’s so good not to go double-digit days between games!
Buffalo Bandits vs Toronto Rock, January 10, 2025 at KeyBank Center.
Broadcast Information.
Television coverage of Saturday’s game against Philadelphia will be on CW23, ESPN+, TSN+, and NLL+. Game time is 7:30 pm.
Radio coverage will be on 1520 AM The Bet and Audacy.com. The pregame show starts at 7 p.m. Steve Bermel will join me in the booth for both TV and radio, while Dave Buchanan will provide updates and interviews between the benches.