Fri, 09 May 2008 08:44:47 -0400 http://www.banditsinsider.com/ PostNuke Powered Site en-us http://www.banditsinsider.com/images/logo.gif http://www.banditsinsider.com/ sydwhunte@aol.com http://www.banditsinsider.com/Article217.html Bandits.com With two kicks at the National Lacrosse League's Champions Cup finals in the last five years, the Bandits should revert to the famous Robert W. Service poem 'The Spell of the Yukon' for a bit of perspective. While Friday's game was not poetry in motion by any shape of the imagination, there was that undying spirit put forth in effort to achieve victory. "I wanted the gold and I sought it," penned Service in the opening line, arguably the most famous tale of tales depicting the rough times of miners way up yonder in the Yukon looking for fortune. Fri, 09 May 2008 08:44:47 -0400 http://www.banditsinsider.com/Article215.html The Buffalo News Getzville resident Dr. Sherri La Shomb, who works with the Buffalo Bandits, has been named the National Lacrosse League’s athletic trainer of the year for the second time in three seasons Fri, 09 May 2008 08:30:46 -0400 http://www.banditsinsider.com/Article214.html Buffalo News At this time last season, Roger Vyse was living in lacrosse purgatory. He was 20 pounds heavier, a lot less confident and unsure of whether he’d be dressing for the Buffalo Bandits from game to game. Thu, 08 May 2008 11:23:04 -0400 http://www.banditsinsider.com/Article213.html NLL.com The Buffalo Bandits host the New York Titans on Saturday at 7:30 PM ET at HSBC Arena in the East Division Final. The winner of Saturday's game will host the 2008 Edge NLL Championship Game. The red-hot Titans have won five straight games, including a franchise first road-win over the Minnesota Swarm last weekend. New York and Buffalo finished the regular season with identical 10-6 records, but tiebreakers gave Buffalo the regular season championship and home-field advantage. Thu, 08 May 2008 05:52:05 -0400 http://www.banditsinsider.com/Article212.html Lacrosse Magazine The Titans (11-6) will travel to HSBC Arena for Saturday night's East Division final against the Bandits (11-6). Ho, hum for the Titans, who are 7-5 away from the familiar turf of Madison Square Garden after last Saturday's 11-8 victory over the Minnesota Swarm in the Xcel Energy Center. After losing 16 of their first 21 games, the second-year Titans are the hottest team in the NLL. They have won 10 of their last 12, and face a team that has been nearly as hot in the Bandits, who are 8-2 following a 3-4 getaway. "It was a great win for the franchise," said Titans coach Adam Mueller. "Winning our first road game was just amazing." Wed, 07 May 2008 18:16:12 -0400 http://www.banditsinsider.com/Article211.html OurSportsCentral.com The Buffalo Bandits announced today the NLL East Division Final against the New York Titans this Saturday (May 10) will be broadcast live from HSBC Arena on WGR Radio 550 AM. Game time is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. They will also air a 30-minute pre-game show beginning at 7:00 p.m. Buffalo advanced to the East Division Finals with a 14-12 win over the Philadelphia Wings at HSBC Arena last Friday. The Bandits won the East Division regular season title and home field throughout the playoffs as the top overall seed. Wed, 07 May 2008 18:13:56 -0400 http://www.banditsinsider.com/Article210.html NLL.com Four of the eight playoff teams' seasons have ended this weekend as the first round of the road to the Champion's Cup continues. The weekend was marked by upsets, with three of the four home (and higher seeded) teams losing out to the lower-seeded opponent. "That's one of the good things about the National Lacrosse League. They don't fool around. You lose, you're out. No extended soap opera. Play well or die." Tue, 06 May 2008 22:45:48 -0400 http://www.banditsinsider.com/Article209.html The Oregonian San Jose's Frank Resetarits had the ball. The clock was running down on Sunday and the Portland LumberJax were clinging to a one-goal lead in their first-round National Lacrosse League playoff game at San Jose. Resetarits tried to score and Portland's Brodie Merrill dove in front of the shot and kicked the ball into the crowd. Next, Merrill intercepted a pass and Ryan Powell added an empty-net goal at the buzzer to give the LumberJax an 18-16 victory over the Stealth, winners of the West Division. The 18 goals were a franchise record for the Jax, who also picked up their first playoff victory. Portland advances to Saturday's West Division final at Calgary. Mon, 05 May 2008 06:38:45 -0400 http://www.banditsinsider.com/Article208.html Bandits.com The Bandits have won the East Division Title and home field throughout the playoffs as the top overall seed. The Bandits will play their first game of the playoffs on Friday, May 2 as they face off against the Philadelphia Wings at 7:30 p.m. at HSBC Arena. Sun, 04 May 2008 17:18:17 -0400 http://www.banditsinsider.com/Article207.html Canadian Press Casey Powell scored four goals, including the game-winner with less than 4:20 left in the fourth quarter, as the New York Titans advanced to the National Lacrosse League's East Division final Saturday with an 11-8 win over the Minnesota Swarm. Powell, who led the team with 86 points in the regular season, put his team up for good with a bounce shot past Minnesota goaltender Nick Patterson at 10:40 of the final quarter. He added his fourth goal and seventh point of the game 1:37 later as the Titans beat the Swarm for the first time in franchise history. New York will face the Buffalo Bandits next Saturday, with the winner advancing to the NLL final. Sun, 04 May 2008 10:13:28 -0400 http://www.banditsinsider.com/Article206.html Denver Post Somebody has put a hex on Colorado sports teams. On Saturday, 15,554 watched at the Pepsi Center as another Denver team went down. This time it was the Colorado Mammoth, losing 15-13 to the Calgary Roughnecks in the first round of the National Lacrosse League playoffs. This is the same Mammoth team that was once 5-0. But Colorado's lone playoff game was a microcosm of its season. A three-game losing streak followed the 5-0 start. Against Calgary, a 4-1 lead turned into a 4-4 tie. Sun, 04 May 2008 10:11:42 -0400 http://www.banditsinsider.com/Article205.html Buffalo News Two bad quarters nearly led to one giant disappointment. Instead, the Buffalo Bandits relied on their survival skills to advance in the National Lacrosse League playoffs Friday night. The top-seeded Bandits scored three straight goals in the fourth quarter and defeated the Philadelphia Wings, 14-12, before 9,344 at HSBC Arena to advance to next Saturday night’s East Division final. “In the fourth quarter I think the boys just said, ‘You know what, this is our season,’ ” said coach Darris Kilgour, whose Bandits improved to 11-6 with a third straight win, all on home turf. “It really hit us in the face that this could be our last game if we don’t straighten it out and get to work.” Sat, 03 May 2008 10:40:14 -0400 http://www.banditsinsider.com/Article204.html Philadelphia Inquirer The Wings' first appearance in the National Lacrosse League playoffs since 2002 was a short one. Mike Accursi picked up four goals and three assists last night as the Buffalo Bandits ousted the Wings, 14-12, at HSBC Arena in the first round of the Champions Cup. Accursi snapped an 11-11 tie at 8 minutes, 56 seconds of the fourth quarter, and Buffalo, the overall top seed in the playoffs, then scored two consecutive goals, including Kevin Dostie's game-winner at 11:42. Sat, 03 May 2008 10:38:55 -0400 http://www.banditsinsider.com/Article203.html NLL.com The Buffalo Bandits defeated the Philadelphia Wings by a score of 14-12 in an East Division Semifinal Playoff Game on Friday night at HSBC Arena in Buffalo. The Bandits, the top overall seed in the 2008 Playoffs, will host the East Division Final on Saturday, May 10th at 7:30PM ET. Buffalo will host the winner of Saturday's East Division Semifinal game between Minnesota and New York. The loss ends the season of the Philadelphia Wings, who made their first return to the playoffs since the 2002 season. The Wings got off to a quick start taking a 4-2 lead after the first quarter. The Bandits stormed back in the second, scoring five straight goals at one point. Buffalo held an 8-6 lead going into halftime. A four goal run in the third quarter gave the Wings momentum and a 10-9 lead, but the fourth quarter belonged to the Bandits as they outscored the Wings 5-1 and went on to a 14-12 win. Fri, 02 May 2008 23:00:28 -0400 http://www.banditsinsider.com/Article202.html Niagara Gazette Home field advantage in the playoffs is always important. When it comes to the Buffalo Bandits, however, the edge gets amplified. “You can’t compare Buffalo to anywhere, there’s no fair comparison,” forward Mike Accursi said. “They are by far the craziest and best in the league. There’s such an enthusiasm you can’t find anywhere.” The Bandits will host their opening playoff game at 7:30 p.m. against the fourth-seed Philadelphia Wings, in divisional semifinal play of the National Lacrosse League Champions Cup playoffs. Fri, 02 May 2008 06:14:45 -0400 http://www.banditsinsider.com/Article201.html Philadelphia Daily News Sharp-witted decision-making before the start of the 2008 season now has the Wings in position to capture a Champions Cup trophy after locking up their first National Lacrosse League playoff spot since 2002. The Wings are reaping the benefits of the talent acquired in free agency and the draft and the guidance of first-year head coach Dave Huntley. The road goes through Buffalo tonight in the Eastern Division semifinal. The Wings and the Bandits split games during the regular season, the latter a loss in March that ended the Wings' 6-0 unbeaten streak. The Bandits are led by forward John Tavares, the team's scoring leader with 87 points (29 goals). The winner plays New York or Minnesota in the division finals. Fri, 02 May 2008 06:13:39 -0400 http://www.banditsinsider.com/Article200.html Mississauga News Mississauga's John Tavares has been named player of the week in the National Lacrosse League. Tavares, 39, a teacher at Philip Pocock Secondary School, scored four goals and four assists for the Buffalo Bandits in their 14-10 win over Portland last Saturday at HSBC Arena in Buffalo. Thu, 01 May 2008 22:29:45 -0400 http://www.banditsinsider.com/Article199.html NLL.com The first-place Buffalo Bandits (10-6) host the fourth-place Philadelphia Wings (10-6) at HSBC Arena on Friday in the East Division Semifinals at 7:30 PM ET. The Wings, who are playing their first playoff game since 2002, have gone 3-5 in their last eight games after starting the regular season 7-1. The Bandits are surging, having gone 7-2 in their last nine games after starting the season 3-4. However, Saturday is a new season, and both teams are itching to make a run at the Champion's Cup. Thu, 01 May 2008 22:27:56 -0400 http://www.banditsinsider.com/Article198.html Canadian Press The Buffalo Bandits are a solid National Lacrosse League team year in and year out, yet, they've gone 12 excruciatingly long years without a pro title. Coach Darris Kilgour and his players have talked about it and they are all aware that, as the No. 1 playoff seed this spring, they've got a wonderful opportunity to end the frustration and hoist the Champion's Cup. They are due - make that past due. Thu, 01 May 2008 05:49:15 -0400 http://www.banditsinsider.com/Article197.html OurSportsCentral.com The Buffalo Bandits announced today their first-round playoff game on Friday, May 2 will be broadcast on WGR Radio 550 AM. They will also air a 30-minute pre-game show beginning at 7:00 p.m. Tue, 29 Apr 2008 21:57:00 -0400 http://www.banditsinsider.com/Article196.html Canadian Press Athan Iannucci didn't just break the single-season National Lacrosse League goals record. He obliterated it. The 26-year-old native of New Westminster, B.C., scored 71 goals for the Philadelphia Wings in shattering the previous standard of 61 by the great Gary Gait when he played for the Colorado Mammoth in 2003. To do it in only his second year as a pro was a feather in Iannucci's cap, and the achievement will almost certainly put the league's MVP award in his trophy case. Tue, 29 Apr 2008 05:54:32 -0400 http://www.banditsinsider.com/Article195.html NLL.com Portland at Buffalo (Saturday): A few hours after San Jose clinched the West Division, the Buffalo Bandits (10-6) wrapped up the East Division, along with home field advantage throughout the playoffs, by defeating the Portland LumberJax (6-10), 14-10. The 39-year-old John Tavares led the way with four goals and four assists in the win. "He's a legend, the ageless wonder," said Bandits transition man Mark Steenhuis to Tom Borrelli of the Buffalo News. "It's amazing for us to see it and be a part of it. To see him pushing 40 and still be able to take over a game like that is pretty exciting." Tue, 29 Apr 2008 05:52:55 -0400 http://www.banditsinsider.com/Article194.html Philadelphia Daily News The Wings didn't need to end the regular season with a bang, considering they had already locked up the fourth and final playoff spot in the National Lacrosse League's Eastern Division. But they did it anyway. The Wings edged Toronto, 15-14, yesterday at the Air Canada Centre, utilizing an explosive first quarter in which they outscored the Rock, 8-2. After Toronto tied the game at 14 with just under 5 minutes to play, Wings star Athan Iannucci stepped up for a shorthanded goal with less than a minute left for the win. Mon, 28 Apr 2008 06:36:59 -0400 http://www.banditsinsider.com/Article193.html Buffalo News Taking care of business on the home turf will allow the Buffalo Bandits to stay right there for the duration of their playoff involvement. And they can thank National Lacrosse League career scoring John Tavares for that privilege. The 39-year-old, 17-year veteran scored three consecutive goals in the second half to lead the Bandits to a 14-10 victory over the Portland LumberJax before 18,325 happy fans at HSBC Arena Saturday night. Sun, 27 Apr 2008 09:49:31 -0400 http://www.banditsinsider.com/Article192.html Canadian Press Ryan Ward scored four goals - all in the first half - as the Minnesota Swarm held on for a 12-11 win over the Chicago Shamrox in National Lacrosse League action Saturday night. Ward was a major factor in the Swarm's 10-goal first half as Minnesota (10-6) ended its regular season on a winning note. Sean Pollock and Andy Secore each added two goals and three assists, while Rory McDade chipped in with a goal and four assists. Sun, 27 Apr 2008 09:48:05 -0400