The Buffalo Bandits were interlocked with their arms draped over their teammates’ shoulders as they christened a third consecutive championship banner to the KeyBank Center rafters.
Defensively in the second half, the Bandits played like a group ready to chase another trophy.
Dhane Smith scored a team-high four goals with a game-high eight points, Josh Byrne tallied six points and the Bandits allowed just three goals in the second half en route to a season opening 15-11 win over the Georgia Swarm on Saturday at KeyBank Center.
Buffalo’s second-half shutdown marked a shift in the game after they’d allowed eight goals in the opening half and trailed 9-8 early in the third period.
The Bandits allowed just two goals over the final 29:15 and prevented Georgia from scoring for over 14 minutes from the 14:15 mark of the third quarter to the 14:22 mark of the fourth quarter.
“Defensively, we’re a lot more stingy down there,” head coach John Tavares said. “Didn’t give them as many step-down shots that they had in the first half. [Shayne] Jackson was shooting the ball very well, and he did get one in the second half, but I thought we came out with a little pressure. We made a few adjustments and they seemed to work today.”
A key piece to the Bandits’ second-half success was also predicated on playing better defensively in transition. Tavares said Buffalo allowed four transition goals in the first half and it became a focus for the final two quarters, which included eight created turnovers and 42 loose ball recoveries.
The Bandits finished the game with 12 blocked shots, 13 created turnovers and 80 loose ball recoveries. Buffalo held Georgia to 1-for-5 on power-play opportunities including two killed penalties in the fourth quarter.
Bandits goaltender Matt Vinc shined in the second half with 11 of his 32 saves coming in the fourth quarter. His performance proved pivotal as the Bandits dressed eight defensive players instead of their traditional nine.
Smith – who along with captain Steve Priolo was joined…
Tunkhannock’s Mackenzie Gregory gets past Lackawanna Trail’s Hannah Phillips during a game on Wednesday, Dec. 11.
Bangor Opera House in downtown Bangor, Maine. Image credit Wangkun Jia via Shutterstock
Fall scenery at Bangor, Maine.