Vancouver Warriors Ready for Quarterfinal Matchup against the Halifax Thunderbirds
NLL Vancouver Warriors

Vancouver Warriors Ready for Quarterfinal Matchup against the Halifax Thunderbirds

Published on April 23, 2026 under National Lacrosse League (NLL)
Vancouver Warriors News Release


Playoff lacrosse is back at Rogers Arena, as the No.1 seeded Vancouver Warriors set out to take on the No.8 seeded Halifax Thunderbirds in the first round of the NLL playoffs. These two teams last faced off only two weeks ago, with the Warriors winning 8-7.

This season was a historical one for the Warriors, as they finished atop the league standings in the regular season for the first time in franchise history, with a record of 13-5. This is their second season making the playoffs, and they will be looking to make a deep playoff run.

This team has shown resilience and tenacity all season, being able to play close games and not being deterred by falling behind. They have shown on multiple occasions that there is not a situation they cannot come back from, and with a good mix of veteran leadership and talented youth, the Warriors are positioned and ready for their opening game this Friday.

The win over the Thunderbirds earlier this month was a gritty comeback effort, with the Warriors trailing for most of the game. Forward Jesse King eventually tied the game and got the go-ahead goal, scoring three goals in the fourth quarter. Their defence kept the ball in the Warriors' possession, picking up 66 loose balls throughout the game, with defencemen Ryan Dilks and Reid Bowering both collecting six each. Netminder Christian Del Bianco stopped 43 of 50 shots he faced, and faceoff specialist Max Adler won 10 of 18 draws.

The Warriors have continuously shown this degree of patience and trust in their process and system this season. There is a strong belief that they can pull through with a victory regardless of the situation presented to them, and this mentality will serve as an important asset heading into round one.

The regular season ended on a high note for the Warriors, as they head into game one following a 17-10 win over the Philadelphia Wings at home. The forward group was generating high-danger offensive chances throughout the game and consistently found the back of the net while holding off the Wings.

NLL point leader, Keegan Bal, extended his point total with an impressive 11 point night, scoring six goals and five assists. With that, Bal finished the regular season with 124, surpassing his previous career-high of 112. He finished five points ahead of last year's NLL MVP, Connor Fields of the Rochester Knighthawks.

Curtis Dickson, Adam Charalambides, and King also had strong nights, each tallying six, five, and seven points respectively. The defence was also effective, collecting 78 loose balls and seven blocked shots, including three from Captain Brett Mydske. Del Bianco stopped 34 of 44 shots faced, and Adler won 18 of 30 draws taken in the contest.

The Thunderbirds also won their final game of the regular season, beating the Black Bears 12-6. This was a high-stakes game for the Thunderbirds, as the win punched their ticket to the playoffs as the eighth seed.

Alongside Bowhunter, forwards Clark Petterson and Graeme Hossack were involved in much of their offence, registering four (1G, 3A) and three points (2G, 1A) respectively. They also had significant depth scoring across their lineup, with 13 different players making it onto the scoresheet.

This will be the first time these two teams face each other in the postseason. With their previous matchup fresh in the minds of both sides, this will undoubtedly be an exciting first-round matchup.

The Warriors will open the playoffs at 7:00 p.m. PT, and you can watch the game live on TSN, TSN+ and NLL+.

With NLL+, you can re-watch highlights and full games throughout the season, and you can sign up for NLL+.

Check out the Vancouver Warriors Statistics

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National Lacrosse League Stories from April 23, 2026


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