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NLL Buffalo Bandits

Game Notes: January 7 at Georgia

January 6, 2023 - National Lacrosse League (NLL)
Buffalo Bandits News Release


LAST TIME OUT

The Bandits secured their second win of the season with an 18-13 victory at home against the Halifax Thunderbirds on Dec. 30. For the first time this season, the Bandits surrendered the game's first goal with Halifax getting on the board at 2:41 of the opening quarter. At the close of the first quarter, the game was tied at two, with both Buffalo goals coming from Josh Byrne. Heading into the second half, the game was tied at eight.

Byrne added three more goals in the second quarter while Tehoka Nanticoke, Dylan Robinson and Brandon Robinson each chipped in a goal for Buffalo. The Bandits scored five unanswered goals in the third quarter before Halifax managed to find the net. Going into the fourth quarter, the Bandits held a three-goal lead over the Thunderbirds (13-10). In the opening minute of the final quarter, Byrne netted his sixth goal of the game which would prove to be the game winner. The Bandits scored four more goals in the fourth quarter, while the Thunderbirds were only able to manage three, resulting in an 18-13 Bandits win. Goaltender Matt Vinc stopped 44 of the 57 shots he faced in the game to record his second win of the season.

Byrne finished the game with a team-leading seven goals and 12 points (7+5) while Dhane Smith led the team with eight assists.

THIS WEEK'S MATCHUP

Last season, the Bandits and the Swarm played each other two times. The Bandits won the first matchup, 12-10, on Jan. 14 at KeyBank Center in a back-and-forth affair.

Josh Byrne led Buffalo with seven points (2+5), while Dhane Smith added five points (2+3). In goal, Matt Vinc made 37 saves on 47 shots faced and held Georgia to just five goals in each half. In the second game of the season series, the Bandits earned an 18-9 victory on the road on April 16. Buffalo had 10 different goal-scorers in the game and six players recorded at least five points.

Smith led the way for Buffalo with a team-leading nine points (2+7) against Georgia.

IN THE HISTORY BOOKS

Several Bandits have made moves to climb up the ranks in the franchise's all-time records through the first three games of the season while others are poised to make moves in the all-time franchise records.

Dhane Smith ranks third in Bandits franchise history in goals (314), assists (526) and points (840), and is nine assists away from tying Mark Steenhuis for second place (535). In last weekend's game against Halifax, Josh Byrne recorded his 164th assist to surpass Mike Accursi for sixth place all-time in assists for Buffalo. Bandits goalie Matt Vinc became the third netminder in franchise history to record 2,000 or more saves following his 52-save performance against Toronto on Dec. 17.

Vinc enters the game against the Swarm one win away from tying Anthony Cosmo for second all-time in franchise history in wins (38). With the victory against Halifax in the team's last game, head coach John Tavares surpassed Les Bartley for second all-time in team history with 37 wins.

FEEL THE BYRNE

Josh Byrne scored seven goals for the second time in his career and set a new single-game career high in points with 12 in the team's 18-13 win against the Halifax Thunderbirds on Dec. 30.

Byrne joins Mark Steenhuis and John Tavares as the only players in Bandits history to record multiple games with seven or more goals in a game.

Byrne, who was named the NLL's Player of the Week on Jan. 4, is the only player in the NLL to have scored seven or more goals in a game this season.

Through three games this season, the New Westminster, B.C. native ranks third in the league in goals (11) and is tied for fourth in the league in points (21).

UPCOMING MILESTONES

Kyle Buchanan needs six goals to reach 200 in his career.

Dhane Smith needs six loose ball recoveries to reach 700 in his career.

Matt Vinc needs four games played to pass Shawn Williams for 10th place and tie Anthony Cosmo for 9th place on the NLL's all-time list with 258.

Vinc needs one win to tie Anthony Cosmo (38) for second place in Bandits franchise history.

NEXT GAME

The Bandits will travel back to Buffalo for their next game on Saturday, Jan. 14 as the team is set to take on the Georgia Swarm again, this time at KeyBank Center at 7:30 p.m.

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