The Buffalo Bandits entered their back-to-back weekend slate on the outside of the NLL playoff picture. After a thrilling 11-10 overtime win over the Saskatchewan Ruch on Friday, Buffalo utilized hat tricks from Dhane Smith and Josh Byrne to beat the Toronto Rock 14-9 at TD Coliseum on Saturday.
The Bandits (6-6) returned to the heart of the playoff race as Smith and Byrne recorded eight and seven points, respectively. The score was knotted at 7-7 midway through the third quarter before the Bandits scored seven of the final nine goals – with Byrne recording three in that span – to win their second game in a row.
“Obviously a great weekend for our team, beating the first-place team Saskatchewan at home and coming here on the back to back with a young, athletic team waiting for us,” head coach John Tavares said. “I thought our team showed a lot of character and showed the league that we’re not done yet here, we’re still fighting for a playoff spot, so don’t count us out just yet. We have a great team. There’s a lot of great teams in this league, a lot of parity, and right now, our goal is just to find a way in the playoffs.”
Smith – who was held scoreless on Friday – powered the Bandits’ offense in the first half by rattling off three consecutive second-quarter goals in 3:51 to make it 6-4. The Rock responded with three of the next four tallies to make it 7-7 before the Bandits’ second-half blitz.
The Bandits dressed six forwards for the second consecutive game, a concept Tavares said he hasn’t implemented often. That roster construction was further challenged by the absence of Ian MacKay, who was placed on injured reserve prior to the game.
Buffalo also mixed up its lineup with the return of Ryan Benesch, who had last played on Feb. 20, and the NLL debut for Carter Coffey. Shorthanded offensively, the Bandits’ transition game shined with four goals by defensemen: two from Nick Weiss, one from Mitch de Snoo, who played parts of four seasons with the Rock, and one from Matt Spanger.
Despite the two games in two days, the Bandits continuously pushed the ball in transition to help turn the tide in a game that featured four lead changes and four ties.
Byrne – who scored back-to-back goals to put the Bandits ahead 10-7 early in the final quarter – said their collective “pride in conditioning” and enhanced cohesiveness were pivotal in the five-goal win.
“It’s super easy in the third and fourth quarter of a back-to-back game to let your fatigue get to you and let that mental state of ‘Hey we’ve done well, let’s put on cruise control.’ But it’s that killer instinct that we understood what was at stake. It’s no secret that if we didn’t go on a run this weekend, we’re probably getting dismantled. At the end of the day, we’re just fighting for another game with each other, and that’s hard to beat.”
The Bandits, defensively, were able to navigate a four-goal, three-assist performance from veteran Toronto forward Mark Matthews.
Toronto leading goal scorer CJ Kirst – who entered with the most goals by any NLL rookie – went 0-for-8 on his shot attempts and was held scoreless for just the second time this season.
It was another dominant performance from Bandits goaltender Matt Vinc, who made 46 saves, including 30 in the first half. Vinc made a combined 89 saves against the Rush and Rock this weekend, including a number of stops in transition.
“Unbelievable. He’s a big part of it,” Tavares said of Vinc. “At the end of the day, teams need to score goals, and if our goalie is playing well, we’re putting the ball in the net, you’re a hard team to stop, so I think we got a lot of that this weekend and hope to see a lot more.”
The Bandits had 11 different players record a point, including two from defenseman Dylan Robinson, who also had a team-high nine loose-ball recoveries, and a pair from de Snoo, who had eight loose balls.
Kyle Buchanan and Tehoka Nanticoke – two of the six forwards the Bandits dressed – had four and three points, respectively.
Smith – who had three goals in the previous three games combined – said playing with six offensive players can be helpful in terms of developing a rhythm, and it’s a system where everyone can get their share of touches. He also added that the Bandits are beginning to return to their identity that’s allowed them to win three consecutive NLL championships.
“Coming into Toronto, a rival of ours for years, we knew it was going to be tough,” Smith said. “We just had to focus on the first five minutes, because we knew they were gonna run on us. We stood on our heads a little bit at the beginning and weathered the storm. We can compete with anybody.
“I’ve said it so many times, it’s what Bandits team is gonna show up. If we just think everybody’s going to give it to us, it’s never going to happen, but when we play Bandits ball for 60 minutes, we’re going to be a hard out. We may not be first place this year in playoffs by any means, but we’re pushing for a playoff spot, and if we get in, I wouldn’t want to play us.”
Carter Coffey makes NLL debut against Toronto
Coffey woke up on Saturday not knowing if he would be in the lineup. After a conversation with Tavares, the rookie defenseman was “surprised” he would be making his NLL debut against the Rock.
Buffalo selected the 22-year-old in the third round of the 2025 NLL Draft placed him on the active roster prior to the Jan. 10 game against Rochester, but he didn’t play yet. On Saturday, he got to live out his dream playing a crucial role defensively.
“Definitely, first few shifts were nervous,” Coffey said. “But after a couple, I felt comfortable out there, was getting used to it. It’s a lot faster than what I’m used to, but it was a good time, and really enjoyed the win.”
Coffey had family and friends in attendance to watch his debut. It took time to settle into the pace of the game, and his fellow defensemen helped calm his nerves. He collected one loose ball but was effective in man-t0-man coverage, and Tavares said he “didn’t notice him out there today, which is a compliment when you play defense.”
“Just nice to get the first one out of the way and get comfortable,” Coffey said. “Just as a team, it’s really great to get the win and keep moving and hopefully pursue a big playoff run.”
Up next
The Bandits have a week off and will return to the KeyBank Center for a rematch with the Colorado Mammoth on Friday, March 13, at 7:30 p.m.