BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — The reigning champion Bandits were the highest-scoring team in the National Lacrosse League this season. But it took a defensive struggle to continue Buffalo's quest for a three-peat.
Beginning the postseason with a 5-4 victory against the San Diego Seals in front of a crowd of 17,703 at KeyBank Center on Saturday night, the Bandits won the lowest-scoring playoff game in NLL history to advance to the semifinals.
Goaltender Matt Vinc made 48 saves, Buffalo's defense blocked 17 shots, and the Bandits prevailed despite being shut out for the entire second half. The five goals scored were Buffalo's fewest in a playoff victory, and four goals allowed matched the best defensive performance by the Bandits in any full postseason game.
Ian MacKay scored two goals, Dhane Smith had a goal and two assists, Nick Weiss scored while leading the Bandits with nine loose ball recoveries, and Kyle Buchanan netted what turned out to be the winning goal on a dunk from behind the net with 0.1 seconds remaining in the first half.
The Bandits killed five penalties in the second half of a highly physical matchup against an opponent they split a pair of one-goal games against in the regular season.
Buffalo will open the NLL semifinals at home Friday night against the winner of Saturday's quarterfinal playoff between Vancouver and Rochester.
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Jonah Bronstein joined the WIVB squad in 2022 as a digital sports reporter. The Buffalonian has covered the Bills, Sabres, Bandits, Bisons, colleges, high schools and other notable sporting events in Western New York since 2005, for publications including The Associated Press, The Buffalo News, and Niagara Gazette. Read more of his work here.
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