BUFFALO, N.Y. — The Buffalo Bandits went into halftime watching their four-point lead decreased to 1 with the Nationwide Lacrosse League championship on the road.
However within the second half of Saturday’s decisive Recreation 3, the aggressive drama all however evaporated en path to historical past. The Bandits scored eight straight, constructing a spot that proved insurmountable and operating away with a 15-6 win over the Saskatchewan Rush in entrance of a spirited “Banditland” crowd decked out in orange.
The Bandits captured their third consecutive NLL championship, becoming a member of the Rochester Knighthawks (2012-14) as the one groups in league historical past to perform the feat. The win additionally clinched a seventh title for the Bandits, probably the most in NLL historical past, surpassing the Philadelphia Wings and Toronto Rock.
Throughout this three-year title streak, the Bandits — led by coach and legendary former Buffalo participant John Tavares — haven’t misplaced a postseason sport at dwelling, and that development continued Saturday for a sell-out crowd of 19,070. The Bandits are actually 7-7 within the finals.
Saturday’s win got here with some sturdy goaltending from Matt Vinc. The Rush had 48 pictures on objective in contrast with 53 for Buffalo, however Vinc, who additionally was a part of Rochester’s three-peat, didn’t permit a second-half objective.
The NLL remaining matched the 2 prime seeds, who completed the common season with matching 13-5 information. The Rush pressured Recreation 3 after rallying for an 11-10 win in final Sunday’s Recreation 2. The Bandits gained the opener 12-10.
Within the earlier two video games, the Rush jumped to early leads, beginning Recreation 1 up 2-0 and Recreation 2 with a 3-0 lead. That sample continued Saturday, as Saskatchewan scored simply 24 seconds into the sport, however the Bandits tied the rating lower than three minutes later and ended the primary quarter tied at 3-3
The Bandits got here out sizzling within the second quarter, happening a run and scoring 4 straight objectives within the first 5 minutes of the quarter to take a 7-3 lead. Two of the objectives in that run have been by 2024 MVP ahead Josh Byrne, who completed with 4 objectives and 9 factors.
The Rush, nevertheless, responded with a three-goal run of their very own to enter halftime down 7-6. Then the Bandits’ dominant third quarter got here, with every objective nicely documented by the followers, who chant the variety of objectives scored after every level.
Buffalo took a 13-6 third-quarter lead and by no means seemed again.
