BUFFALO, NY. (WKBW) — Last night the Buffalo Bandits delivered on a moment 13 years in the making. Winning the franchises fifth NLL championship in a 13-4 win over the Colorado Mammoth.
The best part of it all may be that they did so. Right here in Banditland.
Hours before the opening face-off the Bandit faithful rallied in hope that Buffalo would sit on top of the lacrosse world once again. And little did they know just a few short hours later. That hope turned into reality
“I don’t care about anything but this championship. I’ve said it before you don’t get recognized for your accolades, you get recognized for those banners," says Finals MVP Dhane Smith. "And we finally did it. It’s a dream come true.”
The game itself was chuck-full of storylines. Starting with goaltender Matt Vinc recording 46 saves on 50 shots. His four goals allowed has now set a NLL record for fewest goals against in the finals.
“The way we finished game two I don’t think that sat well with anybody the last couple of days," Vinc said after the game. "I think it shows a lot of character in our locker room. For not only on the defensive end but the offensive end to come out and have a performance like that.”
Then you could turn to Josh Byrne. Who came off the injured reserve just in time to put up a game high four goal performance and pace this Buffalo team on offense.
“Obviously you trust in your teammates and they trusted in me. This guy (Dhane Smith) is the first to look at me even when I'm making dumb plays and say keep going. It’s all good," Byrne said.
And of course you can’t forget about Dhane Smith. After three unsuccessful trips to the Finals. He finally gets to walk out of Banditland a champion.
“I had been in this league for 11 plus years and I had nothing to show for it. Until tonight. I’m so thankful for this organization. For Banditland. For every fan," Smith adds. "I know Buffalo has been through so much the past couple of years and they deserved it more than ever.”
Nobody understands the meaning of One Buffalo more than head coach John Tavares. Who has now won a title as both a Bandit player and coach.
"I hope it means a lot to the people of Buffalo. I know it means a lot to our fans that follow us. And I think what’s happened is that people just want a champion," Tavares says. "They want a championship and they want people to be happy. And when you win, more people are happy than when you lose.”
So soak it all in Banditland. Because soon another banner will be raised in the rafters.
