BUFFALO, N.Y. — The Bandits stirred in more of the ingredient that had been lacking and ran away with their first victory of 2017.
“We had more heart,” said defenseman Steve Priolo, who scored three fast-break goals in a 21-15 shootout win over the Vancouver Stealth on Saturday night.
Priolo led the charge to eradicate the winless label attached after two home losses to start the new season. The 6-foot-5 defenseman scored the winning goal and earned the black hard hat worn by the team’s game MVP.
“He’s using an offensive guy’s stick right now so I think that paid off pretty big for him,” teammate Ryan Benesch said. “He was our best player on the floor by far.”
Benesch and Mitch Jones scored four goals each.
“Our first two games, we were so flat,” Benesch said. “We played like crap in front of our home fans. They deserved way better than what we gave them our first two games. Hopefully, that (win) made up for our first two. It’s on us now to keep the ball rolling.”
The Bandits hadn’t scored 21 or more goals in a home game since 2009.
Jones was helped by positive vibes picked up from equipment manager Ted Cordingley.
“Before the game, Teddy tapped me and said, ‘You’ve got four in you tonight.’ So, getting four, I don’t know if that’s all on me or on Teddy,” Jones said.
A key to the win in front of 12,903 fans in KeyBank Center, Jones said, was not panicking after falling behind 2-0.
“We know what we’ve got in our room,” he said. “Our confidence showed through a bit more (Saturday) than it did earlier in the season. We’ll take it from here.”
They’ll take it to Connecticut for a game against New England on Saturday.
“Nothing like getting the boys together and going on the road,” Jones said. “We’re ready for that.”
Dhane Smith, the 2016 NLL scoring champion and MVP who suffered a lower body injury early in Game 2 on Jan. 14, could return against the Black Wolves.
Perseverance Pays
With captain Billy Dee Smith sick, the Bandits told Craig English on Saturday morning he’d be suiting up for his first regular-season game this season.
The 26-year-old checker played four games for Toronto in 2014, 13 for New England in 2015 and one with Buffalo in 2016. Fast-forward to the third period of his 19th career game. He planted his feet at the front of the Vancouver crease. He pulled down a pass from Anthony Malcolm in traffic. He shot the ball into the top of the net as he fell into the crease. It was his first NLL goal.
“It’s a pretty surreal feeling, that’s for sure, scoring in this league,” he said. “It took me a bit longer than some other guys but, yea, it was a very special moment — something that I’ll remember for sure. Doing it here in Buffalo just kinda added to it, that’s for sure.”
English has learned from his NLL experiences.
“I’m a guy who has to work hard every shift,” he said. “I like where I am now.”
Added coach Troy Cordingley: “There’s a guy who works his bag off and does everything you ask him to do. He probably got the biggest cheer from the bench when he scored. If there are any kids out there watching a guy who works, that’s the guy you want to watch. He works for everything he gets.”
Champs Win First
After raising a 2016 championship banner in their home opener, the Saskatchewan Rush finally played up to their potential in defeating the visiting Rochester Knighthawks 16-8.
Losing their first two games did not sit well with the players, and with Mark Matthews in particular. The 6-foot-5 lefty scored four goals and assisted on seven in displaying in front of a capacity Sasktel Centre crowd of 15,007 why he’s considered by many to be the most formidable forward in the NLL.
Also formidable was the 50-50 draw payout of $101,150 Canadian ($75,830 U.S.). An equal amount goes to the governing body of minor lacrosse in Saskatchewan.
In the third quarter, this Jumbotron message, apparently instigated by recent crowd estimates from President Donald Trump or his staff, was posted: "Tonight’s attendance 1.5 million."
Looking for Dawson
Dan Dawson, who is fifth in all-time points, remained out of Rochester’s lineup. He was shunted to the holdout list Jan. 6 and no explanation has been given for his absence. The Knighthawks play in Toronto on Saturday. Dawson, 35, is a firefighter weekdays in nearby Brampton so, if work or travel have been issues, perhaps he’ll reappear Saturday.
300 for Dobbie
Calgary’s Dane Dobbie became the 25th player in league history with 300 goals when he got 300 and 301 in a 14-12 victory over the Colorado Mammoth in Denver last Friday.
The 5-foot-8, 180-pound forward from Elora, Ontario, is in his 10th NLL season — all with the Roughnecks. He began playing lacrosse at age 3. That’s what males in the family did in that part of the world. Dane’s father, Larry Dobbie, was an Ontario Jr. A MVP in 1978. His late grandfather, Bob Dobbie, is in the Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame.
Long Wait
Zach Herreweyers had to wait to learn he’d scored his first NLL goal.
The Colorado Mammoth rookie from Wallaceburg, Ontario, via the NCAA’s Loyola Greyhounds, leapt into the crease to fire a ball into Calgary’s net, but a referee waved it off believing a foot had touched the crease line. The team challenged the ruling and a video review resulted in the ruling on the floor being reversed.
Teammate Zack Greer retrieved the ball for Herreweyers to keep. The second-quarter goal shaved Calgary’s lead to 8-5.
Herreweyers was the ninth player selected in the 2016 NLL entry draft. Before enrolling at Loyola, he was coached by Toronto Rock star Brodie Merrill at The Hill Academy just north of Toronto.
Scoring Race
Vancouver’s Corey Small and Rhys Duch lead the NLL scoring race. Each has 12 goals and 18 assists for 30 points in four games. Colorado’s Callum Crawford is third with 25 points (8g, 17a), also in four games. Matthews is next with 23 points (9g, 14a) in three games. And Georgia’s Lyle Thompson has 22 (8g, 14a) in three.
Rose and Poulin Excel
Two teams — Georgia and Toronto — remain undefeated and a big reason is goaltending. The goals-against averages (minimum 100 minutes played):
Nick Rose, Toronto, 8.00
Mike Poulin, Georgia, 9.85
Aaron Bold, Saskatchewan 10.50
Fran Scigliano, Calgary, 11.00
Dillon Ward, Colorado, 11.38
Matt Vinc, Rochester, 12.10
Evan Kirk, New England, 13.02
Tyler Richards, Vancouver 13.31
Davide DiRuscio, Buffalo, 13.35
Billings Returns
Former MVP finalist Garrett Billings got into his first game of the season with Vancouver after being on injured reserve and emerged with one goal. Coach Jamie Batley wants more.
“He got the one seeing-eye single that went in through a couple of legs but Garrett has got to be better than that,” Batley said. “Garrett has to get two or three goals and be better especially against a goalie like [Davide DiRuscio]. Once you got him to move, you could score goals. When he’s getting seven shots, he’s got to score more than one.”
Week 5 Schedule
FRIDAY
Vancouver (2-2) at Saskatchewan (1-2) 8:30 p.m.
Vancouver lost 21-15 in Buffalo last Saturday. That followed a 14-10 home loss to Calgary on Jan. 14. The Stealth had started the season with a 15-9 win at Colorado on Jan. 7 and a 12-11 win at Calgary on Jan. 6.
Saskatchewan won 16-8 at home against Rochester last Saturday. That followed losses of 13-11 in Toronto on Jan. 14 and 18-10 in Georgia on Jan. 7.
Vancouver took two of three from Saskatchewan last season. The Stealth won 13-11 in Saskatoon on Jan. 15, the Rush won 24-16 in Langley on March 19, and the Stealth won 14-12 at home on April 23.
SATURDAY
Rochester (1-2) at Toronto (2-0), 7 p.m.
Rochester lost 16-8 in Saskatoon last Saturday. That followed a 15-8 home win over New England on Jan. 7 and a 12-5 home loss to Toronto on Dec. 27.
Toronto had a bye last weekend. It won its home opener 13-11 over Saskatchewan on Jan. 14.
The Rock won 17-6 the last time these teams met in Toronto last Feb. 27.
Buffalo (1-2) at New England (0-3), 7 p.m.
Buffalo is coming off a 21-15 home win over Vancouver. That followed am 18-14 home loss to Georgia on Jan. 14 and a 12-8 home loss to Colorado on Dec. 30.
The Black Wolves are finally getting to play their home opener. They lost 14-9 loss in Georgia last Friday. That followed an 11-10 OT loss at Colorado on Jan. 14 and a 15-8 loss at Rochester on Jan. 7.
The last time the Bandits ventured into Mohegan Sun Arena, on Jan. 30, 2016, they lost 15-11. The other two meetings last season were in Buffalo and the Bandit won 12-10 on Feb. 6 and 12-7 on April 30.
Colorado (2-2) at Calgary (2-1), 9 p.m.
Calgary won 14-12 in Denver last Friday in the first game between the teams since Calgary beat Colorado 11-10 in OT in the first round of the 2016 playoffs. Colorado won two of three in the regular season last year.
John Grant Jr. was not in uniform for Colorado’s last two games.
Georgia (3-0) at Vancouver, 10 p.m.
Signing unrestricted free agent goalie Mike Poulin in the offseason is paying huge dividends for Georgia. Poulin was outstanding in making 52 saves in a 14-9 home win over New England last Friday. That followed an 18-14 win in Buffalo on Jan. 14 and an 18-10 home win over Saskatchewan on Jan. 7.
Vancouver will grind through its second two-game weekend of the month.
This is the only meeting this year. In the lone 2016 meeting, the Swarm won 14-6 at home. The last time they played on the West Coast, in 2015, they were based in Minnesota and they lost 21-15.