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Buffalo Bandits

Bandits Score 3 Unanswered Goals to Defeat Mammoth

April 6, 2024 - National Lacrosse League (NLL)
Buffalo Bandits News Release


Dhane Smith scored the game-winning goal and added an insurance goal to secure the 13-11 win.

The one-two punch of Josh Byrne and Dhane Smith led the Buffalo Bandits to a 13-11 win over the Colorado Mammoth inside Ball Arena on Friday night.

Byrne tallied the game-tying goal on a jab step to the crease to tie the score at 11-11 with 7:03 remaining in the fourth. Smith scored the game winner just over a minute later with an identical shot from the left side of the floor before he tacked on an empty-net power-play goal to close out the game.

Smith led all players with five goals and added an assist for a six-point performance in the win while Byrne ended his night with seven points on three goals and four assists.

"This team's so hard to play against," Byrne said on the ESPN Broadcast. "Wardo's one of the best goalies in the league and they've got a stingy D and a great O. That's a big confidence booster for us, for sure."

Chris Cloutier also posted a six-point night (2+4) while Tehoka Nanticoke (1+2), Kyle Buchanan (1+2), and Chase Fraser (0+3) each had three points.

Each team's defense came up with 10 blocks in the game, giving both goalies a lower save total than normal. Matt Vinc made 32 saves for the Bandits. Dillon Ward stopped 30 shots in the opposing net.

Colorado was led in scoring by the trio of Zed Williams (3+2), Connor Kelly (4+1), and Tyson Gibson (0+5), who each recorded five points.

Buffalo opened the first quarter on fire, scoring the first three goals of the game. Smith drove to the crease on the Bandits' first offensive possession and beat Ward before Justin Robinson buried a shot in transition to double the lead. The third goal was a bouncer from Cloutier that went between Ward's legs.

Colorado's first goal came as Kelly streaked into play from the penalty box and buried a shot on the run. The Mammoth tallied three more goals, including a power-play goal, to take a 4-3 lead with 4:54 remaining in the first.

The Bandits responded with a pair of power-play goals to lead by one heading into the second.

Both defenses locked it down in the second quarter as Kelly scored the lone goal in the frame with 2.7 seconds left on the clock. Colorado called a timeout and pulled Ward to go 6-on-5 and Kelly capitalized to tie the game at 5-5.

Buffalo led 8-6 entering the fourth, but Colorado fought back thanks to a 5-on-3 power play to tie the score at nine apiece. The two teams exchanged goals from there before Byrne and Smith closed out the game with three unanswered goals.

The Bandits improved to 9-7 with the win and will head home to Banditland to take on the Calgary Roughnecks next Saturday.

"It's one play at a time," Byrne said. "Really trying to focus on positivity, swinging the ball. Every game trying to get a little bit better. I think that's what we've been trying to do the last few games and not looking too far. If we keep doing that, I think we'll be alright."

Here's more from the win.

Milestones

Fraser entered the game needing one point to reach 200 career points. He secured it in the first two minutes of the game as he assisted Cloutier's goal to give Buffalo a 3-0 lead.

Connor Farrell had a special moment prior to that as he tallied his first career NLL point with an assist on Robinson's goal.

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National Lacrosse League Stories from April 6, 2024


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