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Warriors Face Reigning NLL Champions In Matchup Six Years in the Making

On Saturday, the Vancouver Warriors (7-7) will battle the Buffalo Bandits (11-3) in a matchup six years in the making. The Warriors haven’t played in Buffalo since December 2018, and now they return to face the league-leading Bandits, who have already clinched a spot in playoffs. 

The Warriors are riding the momentum of a two-game win streak, including this past weekend, where they defeated the Georgia Swarm 15-13 on College Night at Rogers Arena. The win, which came down to the wire, was powered by dominance in the faceoff circle, strong goaltending, and aggressive offensive play. 

Faceoff specialist Alec Stathakis was praised by General Manager and Head Coach Curt Malawsky after going 23 for 32 from the circle and picking up 17 loose balls. Malawsky said Stathakis is athletic and isn’t afraid to get scrappy, making him a key part of Friday’s win. 

The offensive push was powered by Keegan Bal (3G, 9A), Ryan Martel (4G, 1A), Marcus Klarich (3G, 2A), and Kevin Crowley (2G, 4A). Although the Swarm outshot the Warriors, goaltender Christian Del Bianco turned aside 43 of 56 shots, helping the team towards the win. 

As for this week’s opponent, the Buffalo Bandits are coming off an 11-10 overtime loss to the Albany FireWolves (6-9), in which The Bandits outshot the FireWolves, but were edged out by Albany in a hard-fought overtime.  

For the Bandits, Dhane Smith, Ian MacKay, and Chase Fraser all found the back of the net twice. Josh Byrne picked up seven points (1G, 6A), and spent a lot of time around the crease with 13 shot attempts.  

The Bandits, now laser-focused on clinching home-field advantage after solidifying their playoff berth, have had an outstanding season. The back-to-back National Lacrosse League Champions have lost just three games, with two of those coming in overtime. Only the Calgary Roughnecks, San Diego Seals, and Albany FireWolves have managed to topple the champs this season. 

Not only have the Bandits dominated all season, but they have a massive fan base to back them up. The Bandits led the league in attendance in 2023-24 with an average of 16,974 fans per game. Over half of the players said that KeyBank Center was the toughest place to play as a visiting team in the NLLPA player poll.  

If you’re watching from home, you’ll want to keep an eye on Dhane Smith, Josh Byrne, and Matt Vinc for the Bandits. Smith, a 32-year-old from Kitchener Ontario, ranks first across the league for assists (73), and second for points (104). Byrne is coming off a league-leading season with the Bandits where he tallied 135 points and was named the league’s Most Valuable Player. Veteran netminder Vinc holds the most goalie wins across the league and ranks fifth for total saves (565).  

While most of the Bandits roster hails from Ontario, three players come from the Greater Vancouver area, including Lukas Nielsen, Josh Byrne, and Chase Fraser. 

Nielsen, a New Westminster native, was selected seventh overall in the 2024 NLL Entry Draft after a standout season with the Junior A Salmonbellies. 

Veteran forward Byrne, also a Salmonbellies alumnus, was drafted first overall in 2017 and plays for Chaos Lacrosse Club in the Premier Lacrosse League, helping his team to championship games in 2020 and 2022, and winning in 2021.  

Fraser, from Vancouver, was picked 13th overall in 2017. A former Junior A Delta Islander, he played in the 2016 Minto Cup and previously suited up for the Chaos LC in the PLL alongside Byrne. 

With just four games left in the regular season, the Vancouver Warriors are focused and ready to take it one game at a time as they push for a playoff spot. Catch all the action live on Saturday at 4:30 p.m. PST on NLL+ and TSN+.

Vancouver Warriors
Vancouver Warriors
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