Matt Vinc anchored a defensive performance that held the Toronto Rock to their lowest goal total of the season and Kyle Buchanan scored a hat trick to lead the Buffalo Bandits to a 12-4 victory in Game 1 of the NLL Semifinals at FirstOntario Centre on Friday.
The Bandits lead the best-of-three series 1-0. They can clinch a trip to the NLL Finals for the fourth consecutive postseason with a win in Game 2 at KeyBank Center on Sunday.
Buffalo has defeated Toronto in the semifinal rounds of the last three postseasons, including two-game sweeps in each of the last two years.
The Rock entered this year’s playoffs as the top seed in the NLL’s unified standings at 15-3, but two of their regular-season losses came at the hands of the Bandits. The Bandits forced their cross-border rivals into another uncharacteristic performance on Friday, holding the Rock to just four goals – five fewer than their lowest total during the regular season.
Vinc made 53 saves and held the Rock scoreless during the first half – the first time Toronto has been shut out in a half this season. The four goals against were the fewest allowed by Buffalo since Vinc’s 46-save performance in the deciding game of last year’s NLL Finals, a 13-4 win over Colorado.
Vinc tipped his hat to the defenders in front of him during his postgame interview with TSN’s Brianne Foley.
“I think we did a great job packing it in, putting our players in some great spots for us,” Vinc said. “We have a lot of guys that soaked a lot of shots.”
Six different Bandits players blocked shots, including four from Paul Dawson and two each from Steve Priolo and Cam Wyers. Wyers also collected a team-high eight loose balls.
The Bandits went 7-for-8 on the penalty kill. The Rock’s lone power-play goal came from Corey Small with 2:04 remaining in the game, after Wyers had been assessed a five-minute major penalty.
Josh Byrne led the Bandits offensively with five points (1+4). Buchanan (3+1) and Dhane Smith (1+3) had four points each, while Chris Cloutier, Brandon Robinson, and Chase Fraser scored two goals apiece. Ian MacKay also scored as part of a three-point outing.
Small scored twice for the Rock, who also received goals from Justin Martin and Tom Schreiber. Nick Rose allowed eight goals on 37 shots in 52:38. Troy Holowchuk played 7:21 and allowed three goals on four shots faced.
MacKay buried a shot in transition to open the scoring and ignite a run of three straight goals by the Bandits in the final 7:46 of the first quarter. A turnover forced by Priolo led to a goal for Fraser on an odd-man rush two minutes later. Byrne added the third goal on a leaping shot through the crease.
Toronto thought it tied the game in what proved to be a pivotal moment early in the second quarter. Schreiber beat Vinc with a shot from the left of the net and celebrated with his teammates, all of whom were unaware that the official had waved off the goal due to Chris Boushy’s foot being in the crease.
Play continued while Schreiber and the Rock celebrated, with Cloutier pouncing at the other end for a breakaway goal. Instead of 3-1, the score was 4-0 Bandits. Buchanan added his first goal of the game less than two minutes later to make it 5-0, which held into halftime.
Well this was a fun turn of events…
N🚫 goal ➡️ Clooch goal!! pic.twitter.com/6Mi9laVZ8k
— Buffalo Bandits (@NLLBandits) May 4, 2024
Vinc held Toronto off the board until Martin scored shorthanded in transition with 5:56 remaining in the third quarter. Even then, the Bandits responded just 27 seconds later in the form of a power-play goal from Robinson.
Buffalo outscored Toronto 4-3 in the fourth quarter, including a pair of goals from Buchanan.
News and notes
1. The Bandits went 2-for-3 on the power play, improving to 6-for-7 during the postseason. Robinson and Buchanan each scored a goal with the extra man.
2. Priolo played his 29th career playoff game, moving into a tie with Mark Steenhuis for second in Bandits history.
3. Nick Weiss and Billy Hostrawser fought in the aftermath of a Buchanan goal during the fourth quarter, after which Weiss waved his arms to rally the large contingent of Bandits fans who made the trip to Hamilton as he walked off the floor holding a towel over his bloodied face.
A combined 26 penalty minutes were assessed on the play, including an ejection for Hostrawser.
So loud in here we thought we were in Banditland! 🗣️#LetsGoBandits pic.twitter.com/ISdBb0WQJa
— Buffalo Bandits (@NLLBandits) May 4, 2024
Up next
The Bandits return to KeyBank Center for Game 2 at 5:30 p.m. on Sunday. Tickets are available here.
Fans who can’t make it to Banditland can watch the game live on ESPNU and ESPN+ or listen on WGR 550.