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NLL Buffalo Bandits

'It's a Dream Come True': Bandits Win 2023 NLL Championship in Dominant Fashion

June 3, 2023 - National Lacrosse League (NLL)
Buffalo Bandits News Release


On February 16, the NLL sent out a tweet to its followers, asking fans to name their mid-season MVP.

Rochester Knighthawks forward Connor Fields and Buffalo Bandits assistant captain Dhane Smith were among the four players featured on the accompanying graphic.

"Even tho @dhanesmith92 is having a monster season, what @connorfields05 has done to turn the @RocKnighthawks into a top team cannot be overlooked," one fan responded.

Smith, the reigning MVP, who had been to the NLL Finals three times in his career without coming home with a ring felt compelled to send a response, making it clear that he wasn't satisfied with individual accolades alone.

"He can have it," Smith replied. "I want a championship."

Calgary Roughnecks goaltender Christian Del Bianco ended up winning the MVP award at the end of the season. On Saturday, Smith made good on his word and helped deliver Buffalo its first title since 2008 - and fifth overall - with a 13-4 victory over the Colorado Mammoth in Game 3 of the NLL Finals.

With 23 points in the series - and a league-record 49 in six playoff games - Smith was named MVP of the Finals. And come next fall, there will be a championship banner-raising ceremony in Banditland.

"I don't care about anything but this championship," Smith said after Game 3. "Honestly, I've said it before, you don't get recognized for your accolades. You get recognized for those banners and we finally did it. I'm so thankful. It's a dream come true."

The Bandits nearly reached the top of the mountain in each of the last two years the Finals were held but fell short both times. In 2019, they were swept by Calgary and last season, they were unable to seal the deal against Colorado after holding a 1-0 advantage in the best-of-three series.

It looked like their third-straight trip to the Finals might end in similar fashion. After winning Game 1 by a goal at home, they lost to the Mammoth 16-10 on the road in Game 2, setting up another winner-take-all scenario at KeyBank Center.

This time, however, Buffalo prevailed and did so in dominating fashion, outscoring Colorado 9-2 in the second half.

"I just enjoy watching my team have fun and I'm just trying to enjoy their moment with them. I know what it means to win as a player and get that banner raised, to be up there for a long time. I was happy for every single guy on the team," head coach John Tavares said.

"Throughout the entire year, everybody's worked hard and committed and bought into what the coaches have been preaching. ...It's nice to get that monkey off our back."

Josh Byrne returned to the lineup after missing the first two games of the series with an injury. He scored four goals, including three in the third quarter, and added three assists in the deciding game, bringing a much-needed energy to the lineup.

"After Game 2, no matter how I was feeling, I was going to play," Byrne said.

"...I never thought I would have to sit out a championship game, especially from an injury. It's just the most frustrating thing ever, but the universe has a funny way of working and fortunately we were able to get to Game 3 and now we're champs."

Goaltender Matt Vinc, who turns 41 on Friday, was sensational between the pipes, stopping 46 shots in Game 3. He allowed just one goal in each quarter.

While he already had three championships under his belt, he grew up a Bandits fan so this one - his first with the organization - holds an extra special place in his heart. He signed with the Bandits in 2018 for a night like Saturday where 18,282 fans piled into KeyBank Center to be part of something special.

"I can't put into words what that last five minutes felt like, being able to look up in the crowd and know exactly where your family members are, so many people that have supported you along the way," he said. "To have my kids in that crowd, you know, I was one of those kids and I remember a lot of those cool memories, those banners going up. To be able to be part of that is extra special.

"...It's been a long time for Banditland to experience a championship and to be able to part of the group that puts another banner up there, it gives you chills just talking about it."

Vinc also became the first goaltender in league history to play at least 2,500 minutes in his playoff career and the first to reach 30 playoff wins.

As far as the future of his playing career, Vinc said that decision would be made sometime later.

The Bandits were up 4-2 at half and then went on a 4-1 run to open the third quarter. Colorado's four goals in Game 3 were the fewest ever scored by a team in an NLL Finals game.

Tavares tied Darris Kilgour for the franchise record for wins as a head coach with 11. Saturday's victory marked his first championship as a coach after winning four with Buffalo as a player.

"It's more stressful being a coach than a player when you feel a lot more responsible for the overall team performance," Tavares said. "It's my latest one so it's my best on at the moment."

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