Playoff Notebook: History Continues, Christian Del Bianco and Ryan Dilks Talk Postseason Play

Sports stats



NLL Vancouver Warriors

Playoff Notebook: History Continues, Christian Del Bianco and Ryan Dilks Talk Postseason Play

April 29, 2025 - National Lacrosse League (NLL)
Vancouver Warriors News Release


The Vancouver Warriors continue to make history after they knocked off the Knighthawks in the quarterfinals and head to the semifinals against the Buffalo Bandits.

The Warriors have only trailed 3:22 over the last seven games - six from the regular season and one playoff game - thanks to a well-balanced attack, tough defence, and incredible goaltending.

Warriors' defenceman Ryan Dilks and goaltender Christian Del Bianco recap their game against Rochester and look ahead to Buffalo. With a defensive philosophy to be "mean and clean" the Warriors' back end aims to keep teams to the outside and continue with their physical style of play.

Ryan Dilks

Dilks delivered a pre-game speech against Rochester emphasizing the importance of staying steadfast through the ebbs and flows of the game. The Warriors led most of the game, but the sentiment came in clutch in the fourth quarter when the Knighthawks made a push.

The team didn't panic because in a single elimination game, they knew Rochester was going to fight until the final horn.

"It's nice having Del Bianco back there, and the guys just sacrificed. They get in so many lanes, and they just make it hard for guys to see the net out there," Dilks said.

Dilks also scored his first goal of the season against the Knighthawks in transition off a feed from fellow defenceman Jeff Cornwall.

"Huge monkey off my back. The boys have been giving it to me all year, so I was telling them I was just saving for playoffs when it mattered most. It was a nice play by Jeff to hit the ball on the floor, and every once in a while a blind squirrel finds a nut," Dilks said.

Dilks is the conductor of the Warriors' group chat, and he says he loves the ribbing and that's what makes it fun to be be around the guys.

In addition to his goal, he picked up four loose balls and forced two turnovers. He finished the regular season with 31 forced turnovers, good for third in the league.

The 34-year-old has been part of three championship teams, and he says he could see the potential of being a playoff team slowly growing since last season.

"First thing that comes to mind is that it's [the organization] filled with good people. Curt and management have done a good job of filling the room with good people, and that's always a good start. Everyone's got some experience, everyone has strengths, and it's just nice because if anyone has an off night, we have nine or ten other guys up there that can fill the space and step up when we need them to," Dilks said.

Looking ahead to their semifinal matchup against the Buffalo Bandits, Dilks says they will have their hands full with the offensive firepower the Bandits have, including two of the top scorers in the NLL in Josh Byrne and Dhane Smith.

The Warriors beat the Bandits 13-12 at Keybank Center in March, so knowing they can compete with the best going into this weekend is important.

"Mentally, it's huge. It's probably one of the toughest places to play in the league and knowing that we can go in there and compete and not only make a game out of it, but we can win in that building," he said.

Dilks says it's back to the film room and turf this week to clean up their game against Rochester and fine-tune things they're looking to implement against Buffalo.

"It's going be a tough barn to play in, but the boys are confident right now, and we're going to keep it rolling."

Christian Del Bianco

Rochester pulled within three goals, and the Warriors responded, but Delbs says a key takeaway from that game was to make sure they keep their foot on the gas from start to finish.

"We talked about it in the dressing room that we have to have a bit more of that killer instinct. Once we kind of got punched in the mouth, we were able to throw some jabs back," Del Bianco said.

Del Bianco says the defence has been consistent all season and their veteran core and young talent are the perfect complement on the back end.

"I think there's something to be said about the veteran presence, and you can't teach that age and experience that some of those guys have. I think you plug in a couple of those youthful defenders that add a little bit of a spark, and it's obviously a winning equation," Del Bianco said.

Delbs finished the game against Rochester turning aside 47 of 57 shots he faced, also chipping in two assists on nearly 90-foot passes. In seven games with the Warriors, Del Bianco holds a 7-0 record, an 8.9 goals-against average and an 82.1% save percentage.

Going into Buffalo, the Warriors' netminder says they're going to play the way they've been playing all season - five at a time.

It's going to be a goaltending heavyweight battle between the 27-year-old Del Bianco and 42-year-old goaltender Matt Vinc, who Del Bianco says is "the goat" when it comes to the postseason. Delbs admires and respects Vinc's preparation and the way he approaches the game.

"He [Vinc] keeps doing it. Every time I see him he says 'This is my last year,' and I say 'You've said this to me five times now,'" Del Bianco laughed.

"To do what he's done at this level for so long is just so impressive. You look at him off the floor, the kind of shape he's in, and not only that, the mental fortitude and discipline to stay involved for that long. He obviously has great family support. He's the goat for a reason, and it's obviously a pretty exciting challenge."

As the semifinals approach this weekend, the Warriors continue to put in the work on the field and on the turf. They're refining their game each round, learning from the game before and looking to extend their season.

Check out the Vancouver Warriors Statistics

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

National Lacrosse League Stories from April 29, 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.

Other Recent Vancouver Warriors Stories



Sports Statistics from the Stats Crew
OurSports Central