Buffalo Beats Las Vegas 13-10 to Clinch Playoff Berth and Tucker out Lymphoma Cup Win

Sports stats



NLL Buffalo Bandits

Buffalo Beats Las Vegas 13-10 to Clinch Playoff Berth and Tucker out Lymphoma Cup Win

March 21, 2025 - National Lacrosse League (NLL)
Buffalo Bandits News Release


Josh Byrne (2+6), Dhane Smith (2+5) and Chris Cloutier (3+2) led the Bandits to a win.

Domination was the Buffalo Bandits' game plan to begin Friday night as they clinched the inaugural Tucker Out Lymphoma Cup and a 2025 NLL Playoff berth.

The Bandits were in control for the first 30 minutes of the game, outscoring the Las Vegas Desert Dogs 11-2 in the first half en route to a 13-10 win at KeyBank Center. With the victory, Buffalo secured a fifth consecutive playoff appearance.

"We had a great first quarter, great first half," head coach John Tavares said. "You think about that part of the game, and you look at the final score, there's a big difference, right? It was a three-goal game, but it seemed like we dominated for the most part. But they just found a way to stick in there."

Buffalo started the scoring quickly with Lukas Nielsen scoring on his first shot in his NLL debut, benefitting from a Josh Byrne interception and putting it past the Las Vegas keeper.

Nielsen's goal preceded seven more from Buffalo over an 11:10 span, including two each from Chris Cloutier and Dhane Smith and a give-and-go between Nick Weiss and Justin Martin on a fast break that resulted in Martin's second goal of the season.

Las Vegas answered less than a minute later after the 8-0 Buffalo scoring run, scoring once before the end of a quarter in which Bandits goalie Matt Vinc made 15 saves. Byrne (1+4) and Smith (2+3) each had five points in Buffalo's tone-setting opening quarter.

"It just shows how deep we are, and at any given moment, we're dangerous," Cloutier said. "Everywhere on the floor, no matter who has the ball, you have to worry about them, and that's definitely a big advantage to have."

The second quarter was much quieter; Las Vegas scored first, 6:46 in. The Bandits' offense woke back up following that goal, scoring three times in a 1:42 span before halftime. Cloutier completed a hat-trick by jumping over the crease and scoring with his arms twisted up. Byrne and Smith each added two more points onto their tally, giving them seven points apiece in the first half.

"I've definitely been fighting a little (to score), but I also try to keep it in my mind [to] just do what you can do and the guys around me will pick up the slack," Cloutier said. "If it's not working for me, get someone open. It's not a bad job to have when it's not falling for you and you're getting Josh Byrne open as a default."

Ian MacKay scored to open the second half before three Las Vegas goals made it 12-5 early. But MacKay answered back with his 25th of the season, breaking up the Desert Dogs' scoring run and giving Buffalo a 13-5 lead.

Las Vegas surged with five late, unanswered goals, but they weren't enough to overcome the early deficit. went on a 5-0 scoring run to end the game.

The Bandits ended the night by celebrating their cup win and playoff appearance on the field postgame. But they'll be back on the turf in less than 24 hours, playing at Albany on Saturday at 7 p.m.

"(Clinching the playoffs) came a little bit earlier than I think we expected, but it's a good sign," Smith said. "The next step is getting a home playoff game, which will be huge down the stretch. We've been struggling a little bit at home but the momentum going forward is unbelievable. We're excited about the next step, and we have to take care of business tomorrow."

Check out the Buffalo Bandits Statistics

• Discuss this story on the National Lacrosse League message board...

National Lacrosse League Stories from March 21, 2025


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central