Even at 42 years old, Matt Vinc still has it in net.
The 19-year NLL veteran held the Calgary Roughnecks in check Saturday night, saving 44 shots en route to an 11-6 win for the Buffalo Bandits. Buffalo joins Saskatchewan as the only teams with 10 wins this season, although the Rush have played 14 games to the Bandits’ 12.
Calgary put one past Vinc to start the game before Kiel Matisz, in his first game in black and orange, responded with a goal for the Bandits.
Kiel Matisz wasted no time getting his first goal as a Bandit! 🚨#LetsGoBandits pic.twitter.com/vop2S4yHvV
— Buffalo Bandits (@NLLBandits) March 16, 2025
The Roughnecks scored back-to-back goals to take a 3-1 lead, but for the next 19:32, it was all Buffalo. With 26 seconds left in the first quarter, Chase Fraser sniped a shot from below the restraining line over goalie Nick Rose’s left shoulder to bring Buffalo within a goal.
Josh Byrne and Kyle Buchanan dominated the second quarter, each scoring two goals to give the Bandits a 6-3 lead at halftime.
Byrne dodged from the right shot, driving to the middle to put it past Rose. Later, he scored from the same place when he shot it where Rose wasn’t covering.
The Byrnzy special. 🔥#LetsGoBandits | @Joshbyrne94 pic.twitter.com/VnyXLVpton
— Buffalo Bandits (@NLLBandits) March 16, 2025
Buchanan got his 20th and 21st goals of the season by slapping in the rebound off Dhane Smith’s shot and then cutting from behind the goal to get open for a Tehoka Nanticoke pass, shooting it past Rose and giving the Bandits a five-goal run.
1️⃣→9️⃣1️⃣
The quick stick! pic.twitter.com/1LVLTUWuQn
— Buffalo Bandits (@NLLBandits) March 16, 2025
Vinc was the story of the first half for Buffalo, though, stopping 24 of 27 shots in 30 minutes – including 12 of 12 in the second quarter. He made multiple saves on 1-on-1 opportunities for Calgary, slowing down two of the NLL’s top goal scorers in Curtis Dickson and Dane Dobbie. The pair combined for 14 first-half shots and only two – both from Dobbie – resulted in goals.
The Roughnecks broke up the Bandits’ scoring run with a goal 31 seconds into the second half, but Fraser answered by surprising Rose with a shot and notching his second goal. Calgary scored again to make it 7-5. Nearly seven minutes later, Nanticoke struck back with a goal off his own rebound.
Good luck stopping @Tehoka1 in front of the net! 😤#LetsGoBandits pic.twitter.com/FeJJBdDly4
— Buffalo Bandits (@NLLBandits) March 16, 2025
Vinc continued his strong performance with another 12-save quarter, shutting down a Calgary offense that was potent last week in Buffalo.
Buchanan opened the fourth quarter with a goal, cutting behind the Calgary defense for a quick stick shot. The tally gave him his second hat-trick in four weeks and fourth of the season, and the Bandits a 9-5 lead.
The Roughnecks scored to chisel the lead back down to three goals, but a 2-on-0 breakaway resulted in an easy goal for Buffalo’s Nick Weiss.
Byrne scored from the middle of the offensive zone to give the Bandits an 11-6 lead, their largest of the game. Buffalo’s leading goal scorer with 32 this season, Byrne earned his first hat-trick since Feb. 15 against San Diego.
Vinc saved eight of nine shots in the final frame; six goals are the Roughnecks’ fewest in a game this season.
BANDITS WIN!!!#LetsGoBandits pic.twitter.com/ERaIB5S16R
— Buffalo Bandits (@NLLBandits) March 16, 2025