When coach John Tavares assessed final season following the Buffalo Bandits’ third consecutive championship, he recognized an space of enchancment for 2025-26: be higher in transition.
With an skilled defensive group – additional bolstered by the addition of 10-year NLL veteran Mitch de Snoo – creating alternatives for Buffalo’s dynamic offense and shutting down opponents are key components for the Bandits’ success. It’s a mix that has made Buffalo among the finest shutdown groups within the NLL.
The Bandits should showcase their elevated transition recreation as they face the high-powered Halifax Thunderbirds offense on Saturday at KeyBank Heart at 7 p.m.
De Snoo didn’t have time to make a single observe with the Bandits after being acquired from Philadelphia within the days earlier than the opener, however nonetheless had a transparent message from Tavares.
“I talked to Mitch earlier than the sport about having the inexperienced gentle in transition,” Tavares mentioned.
De Snoo’s ankle-breaking to arrange a Josh Byrne transition purpose within the 15-11 win over Georgia embodied that strategy. It was additionally symbolized by the efficiency of transition participant Nick Weiss who had three assists and 10 free ball recoveries.
Weiss has been often known as a proficient two-way participant over his 12 NLL seasons headlined by 974 free ball recoveries and 174 created turnovers. Weiss was credited by Tavares as a participant who may help in transition each offensively and defensively and mentioned it’s a facet of his recreation that goes unnoticed.
“I really like the power he brings,” Tavares mentioned. “He’s an excellent, regular defenseman, he performs the sport laborious and he has a variety of talent. He does show that in transition at instances the place he has an excellent swim transfer and he has a scoring contact as effectively. … When Nick’s in transition, he appears to be having enjoyable. I like what he affords our crew, nice chief on and off the ground.”
“It’s not like he forces transition. He simply enjoys operating in transition. … Between him, [Steve] Priolo, Robinson and de Snoo, these guys pushing the ball up the ground probably will give us extra alternatives in transition. Nick [Weiss] is a superb defender, however you by no means hear individuals discuss him being a lot of a transition participant, however he’s truly actually good at it.”
A key piece to getting out in transition and permitting the offense to maximise odd-man rushes is being able to create turnovers, get key saves and shut down an opponent’s high offensive gamers. This was accomplished masterfully by defenseman Cam Wyers who had the project of storied Georgia scorer Lyle Thompson and held him scoreless.
Wyers and the Buffalo protection is ready to face a set of 100-point scorers from a 12 months in the past in Randy Staats – who had 4 targets and 5 assists towards the Bandits final 12 months – and Clarke Petterson who dominated the rating sheet in Buffalo’s 15-12 win over the Thunderbirds a season in the past.
Tavares talked particularly about Staats and Cody Jamieson who headline a veteran Halifax offense that scored the second most targets within the NLL final season. With a purpose to match that offense, it’ll be on Buffalo’s protection to ignite the transition recreation and shut down the Thunderbirds’ offensive threats.
“They’re a triple risk,” Tavares mentioned of Staats and Jamieson. “They’re nice passers, nice shooters they usually get inside and rating as effectively. With these two, they usually have some athletic guys round them, they’ve an excellent mixture of gamers. They undoubtedly can put the ball within the web and final 12 months at residence they precipitated us suits defensively. Particularly Randy, he was drawing two guys and if we didn’t double him, then he took benefit. … They create some issues for any protection, however hopefully we are able to get to the sport plan and reduce their alternatives and provides us an opportunity to win the sport.”
Right here’s the whole lot it’s worthwhile to know forward of the Bandits’ conflict with the Thunderbirds.
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Lineup Notes (Up to date 3:15 p.m.)
Transition participant Kiel Matisz was added to the energetic roster from injured reserve and defenseman Taylor Dooley was positioned on the observe squad.
Matisz – who might make his season debut Saturday towards Halifax – was acquired from the Vancouver Warriors in March and had eight factors in seven common season video games with the Bandits following the commerce final season.
The Bandits energetic roster stays at 21 with 4 observe squad gamers and three on injured reserve: Matt Spanger, Zack Belter and Coltrane Tyson. Spanger and Belter have been on the KeyBank Heart flooring for shootaround Saturday morning. The latter nevertheless, left and didn’t return.
Tyson was on the ground however not an energetic participant.
All eyes stage middle
Two of the highest faceoff gamers within the NLL will go toe-to-toe on Saturday as Jake Withers – who led the NLL in 2024-25 with 299 faceoff wins – will battle with Bandits transition participant Connor Farrell.
Within the Thunderbirds’ dominant 11-2 season opening win over the Oshawa FireWolves, Withers went 15-for-17 (88.2%) on the faceoff dot whereas Farrell went 26-for-31 (83.9%) towards the Swarm.
The battle waged within the faceoff dot might show crucial after final 12 months’s matchup was tied 12-12 within the fourth quarter with lower than seven minutes to play.
Withers gained 22 of 31 faceoffs of their battle final 12 months and Farrell mentioned he’s in a greater place bodily this 12 months with the improved well being of his shoulder. The latter shared he watches extra movie on the officers to check timing than his faceoff opponent and mentioned the gamers round him who scoop up free balls are key to his success.
“I watch a variety of movie on the refs, so I attempt to research their cadences a bit bit,” Farrell mentioned following the season opener. “I had an excellent feeling … I felt in an excellent rhythm. We have been speaking lots, me and the blokes on the restraining strains. We had an excellent little factor occurring, all of us.”
Scouting the Thunderbirds
Halifax heads to Buffalo after a record-setting 11-2 win over Oshawa as goaltender Warren Hill matched Bandits netminder Matt Vinc (2015) and Bob Watson (1999) for permitting the fewest targets in a recreation.
Hill – who didn’t play towards the Bandits final season – made 49 saves on 51 pictures and didn’t permit a purpose for the ultimate 46:40 after Oshawa took a 2-1 lead within the first quarter.
“I don’t suppose that man will get sufficient credit score,” Tavares mentioned. “He’s an outstanding goaltender. I’m glad we didn’t play them final weekend. He’s coming into Buffalo on a scorching streak, and we’re simply gonna have to seek out methods to beat him. We’ve got to create some alternatives each inside and outside and while you get that probability hopefully our gamers can benefit from it.”
Graeme Hossack (a finalist for the 2025 NLL Defensive Participant of the Yr), final 12 months’s main purpose scorer Dawson Theede and NLL Transition Participant of the Yr finalist Ryan Terefenko are all again for the Thunderbirds who reached the NLL Semifinals in 2024-25.
Nevertheless, ahead Thomas Hoggarth – who scored a career-high 31 targets final season – was positioned on injured reserve on Tuesday and shall be out for Saturday’s recreation.
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