Twelve days.
That’s how long it’ll have been since the Buffalo Bandits shifted their mindset from making the NLL Finals to winning the NLL Finals.
In reality, that’s been the goal this entire season — to win a championship. But they’ve been careful along the way to take the season one step at a time.
“The goal is to win the championship every year. So, whether it’s back-to-back, three-peat, it doesn’t really matter,” defenseman Paul Dawson said before the season in November. “The goal is to try and get to the championship. But again, you have to take little steps before you get to the big steps. So, it’s one game, one week at a time.”
The final step is finally here. The Bandits open the best-of-three NLL Finals with Game 1 against the Saskatchewan Rush on Friday, May 16 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets for are still available here.
Here’s a look at how the Bandits have put themselves on the doorstep of winning a third consecutive championship:
The regular season
The quest for a championship began with a seven-game win streak of utter dominance in which they outscored opponents 109-69. They had five byes across the first 12 weeks and took advantage of the early-season rest.
Then came the avalanche — 11 games in 10 weeks, no byes. Some weeks, they played two games.
Looking back on it, the Bandits came prepared for the playoffs. Having to play 11 games in 10 weeks, it tested their endurance and their will to win, having to push through fatigue and injuries.
“The goal wasn’t to go 18-0.”
After 16 straight wins (including playoffs) it’s time to start a new streak. A look back on our historic winning streak: https://t.co/YiVegUXYTm pic.twitter.com/4HjYNJZa6q
— Buffalo Bandits (@NLLBandits) February 20, 2025
Buffalo went 6-5 across the sprint down the stretch, including two overtime losses and a one-goal loss to the Christian Del Bianco-led Vancouver Warriors.
After spending much of the regular-season atop the standings, their title came under danger following back-to-back losses to Albany and Vancouver in Week 17 and 18. Up to that point, the Bandits were 11-2 and needed to win one of the two games to clinch ensure home-field advantage to start the playoffs.
However, with the two losses, the Bandits had to start the playoffs early and make the last three games of the season must-win if they wanted to play in front of Banditland Game 1 in the quarterfinals and beyond.
“We had an easier sort of first half to our scheduling, and we knew that the last 12 games were going to be real tough,” Steve Priolo said. “They were really kind of jammed in there, so we knew there were going to be some tight one-goal games and with those games out of the way, the mindset for the last three weeks of the regular season was, the playoffs start for us now. So, it’s like for us playoffs started three games before the end of the season.”
Buffalo went into Colorado and beat the Mammoth 15-10 to clinch a home playoff game and then completed their goal by beating Halifax 15-12 in front of Banditland to clinch the regular season championship.
The playoffs run through Banditland. 😤#LetsGoBandits | @NLL pic.twitter.com/uC7ayi8q9Z
— Buffalo Bandits (@NLLBandits) April 13, 2025
Postseason tests
Throughout the playoffs thus far, the Bandits have been tested in multiple ways.
In the quarterfinals matchup between Buffalo and San Diego, Matt Vinc and Christopher Origlieri were battling each other in net, refusing to give in, resulting in the Bandits winning a 5-4 game against the Seals that was the lowest scoring in NLL history. The game provided a test the defense to prove just how far it could go to hold off San Diego and for the offense to rebound in the semifinals the next week.
The Bandits’ offense and defense both rose up to the occasion, beating Vancouver 9-3 in Game 1 of the NLL Semifinals to set a franchise record for fewest goals allowed in a game. Buffalo’s offense took on the load in Game 2, rebounding from an 8-6 deficit to come back and win 11-9.
BANDITLAND, WE’RE GOING BACK‼️#LetsGoBandits | @NLL pic.twitter.com/QFq1FgAvPX
— Buffalo Bandits (@NLLBandits) May 5, 2025
“I think a big thing for us is just having the confidence in one another and just knowing what we’re going to get,” Ian MacKay said. “Like I know what Priolo, Dhane (Smith), (Nick) Weiss, et cetera, is going to give. Then it’s in the games when, if you’re not getting those things, just kind of reminding and letting them know or picking it up for them. So, I think just that kind of unstated quiet confidence that we all have in each other is going to be huge for us as we go through the playoffs.”
Now, after what will be 12 days of no game action, the Bandits will look to win another championship and complete the three-peat, something that only one other team in NLL history – the 2012 to 2014 Rochester Knighthawks – has done. Dawson and Vinc were both a part of that Rochester squad.
Now, with a second chance to capture a three-peat, Dawson is keeping the same mentality.
“It’s been a long time (since then) and even when we were in Rochester, the three-peat was nice, but it was never a goal to accomplish those things as a team,” Dawson said. “It was always to get a championship whether that was one, two or three in a row, it didn’t matter. As long as you got to the championship, that was the goal.”
Buffalo will have fresh legs going into Friday’s clash against Saskatchewan, getting the chance to heal up and breathe a little bit before going to battle for the Bandits’ potential seventh championship in team history.
“We’ve learned that we can’t take anything for granted,” head coach John Tavares said. “We know that getting there isn’t enough and even having that experience, you’ll never be satisfied, and you don’t take anything for granted. The goal for everyone at the beginning of the year is to win a championship – we’re willing to do whatever it takes.”