Keegan Bal Lifts Warriors Past Bandits with 10-Point Outing

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NLL Vancouver Warriors

Keegan Bal Lifts Warriors Past Bandits with 10-Point Outing

March 31, 2025 - National Lacrosse League (NLL)
Vancouver Warriors News Release


Buffalo, NY - Four goals in the fourth quarter and a furious last-minute defensive stand lifted the Vancouver Warriors to a thrilling 13-12 victory over the two-time defending NLL Champions, the Buffalo Bandits, before a stunned sold-out crowd of 19,074 on Saturday night in Upstate New York.

It would be easy to be intimidated walking into the KeyBank Center. The last two NLL Championship banners hanging proudly from the rafters, 19 thousand-plus fans jamming the building on a cold, rainy night, and the top team in the league coming off an overtime loss last weekend in Albany. Based on that list, a win becomes more difficult.

But when GM and Head Coach Curt Malawsky asks his team to play five-minute segments, play where your feet are and commit as a team from top to bottom, the reasons for losing this game dissipate and the team that played the better game for sixty minutes, in this case the Vancouver Warriors, secured the victory.

"You play the game of lacrosse for opportunities like this," said the GM. "You are going to play in front of 18,000 people. It's exciting, it's loud, but don't let it intimidate you...enjoy it, enjoy the process and see where it takes us. We didn't change our mentality at all, we kept on battling."

Vancouver came out running, pacing to a 4-2 lead after just five minutes and never relinquishing the lead until five minutes into the 4th quarter, when a pair of markers from perennial all-star Josh Byrne 30 seconds apart gave the home side their only lead of the game at 11-9. The Warriors then wrestled the game back with four goals of their own in just under four minutes to turn the two-goal deficit into a two-goal lead and then held off the Bandits for the win.

Speaking of all-stars, where does Keegan Bal fit into that equation? A game-high four goals, six assists and 10 points for Vancouver's quiet leader. On a night where everyone was looking at Byrne and future Hall of Famer Dhane Smith, Coquitlam's Bal took over and delivered a complete game.

"He seems to be in the clutch for us every time we need him," professed Malawsky. "At the end of the third quarter, I see him smiling at the end of the bench saying to the boys 'Guys where would you rather be'? That's leadership."

"What an exciting game from start to finish," said the understated Bal post-game. "It's always hard to come into this building, but just really happy and proud of the guys."

Bal doesn't have to say much, he let's his actions speak louder than his words. In the past three games, 'Baller' has erupted. 11 goals, 20 assists and 31 points, which is an average of over 10 points per game, and it is part of why the Warriors are now looking at playing some meaningful games into April and possibly May if they can continue to get performances like this from #45.

Speaking of three games, that is now the sample size of goaltender Christian Del Bianco. In his first trio of games as a Warrior, 'Delbs' has a record of 3-0 and has stopped 80% of all shots faced against Toronto, Georgia, and now Buffalo.

Here is a stat that is going to make teams sit up straight and pay close attention. In the past three games, the Vancouver Warriors have trailed that trio of teams for exactly 3 minutes and 22 seconds. All against Buffalo, for a brief three minutes of the fourth quarter of this game.

Another stat, when Vancouver leads at halftime this season, they are now 7-1, when they lead after three quarters, they are now 7-2 and when the Warriors score 10 or more in a game, which has happened in all three of these wins, they are 7-2.

But the most important stat is the win-loss record. At 8-7, the Warriors have equaled their win total from last season with three games left in the season. Vancouver is now in a three-way tie with San Diego and Colorado for fifth in the Unified Standings. A win over Albany on Friday at Rogers Arena will secure the franchise their first .500 season in the seven years of calling Rogers Arena home.

But don't tell that to this team, let us worry about that. The Vancouver Warriors need to continue to play five minutes at a time and see where things end up.

The win over Buffalo made one thing crystal clear...the next three weeks to end the regular season are going to be interesting for this team and exciting for their fans. It all starts up again on Friday at home to Albany.

Check out the Vancouver Warriors Statistics

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