Debuts & Big Performances: Saturday Night in the NLL
March 2, 2025By: Jon Rapoport
The NLL’s Best Meet In Saskatoon
The SaskTel Centre was the backdrop for a battle between the 8-1 defending champion Buffalo Bandits and the upstart Saskatchewan Rush, who entered Saturday’s home game with a 9-2 record, amid being on the winning end of five consecutive contests. Unfortunately, for the 7,000 box lacrosse devotees in attendance, all good things must come to an end as Buffalo escaped the prairies with a 9-7 victory.
Down 2-1 in the first quarter, the Rush rattled off four straight scores, taking a 5-2 second stanza lead. It was then the Bandits’ time to turn the tables, as the two-time reigning kings of the NLL delivered four successive tallies of their own, ending the third with a 6-5 advantage. Come the final 15 minutes, Buffalo connected on three of the last four blasts, culminating in the hard-fought two-goal triumph.
With 5 points tonight, Dhane Smith moves past Gary Gait and into the Top 10 all-time in scoring. 👏 pic.twitter.com/bkPwsSwoPY
Josh Byrne posted two goals and four assists, while Dhane Smith notched five helpers, moving him to 10th on the all-time scoring list, passing the iconic Gary Gait. Matt Vinc was stellar between the pipes for Buffalo, getting in the way of 41 of 48 attempts.
Matt Vinc was rock solid for @NLLBandits vs Saskatchewan! He makes 41 saves and holds the Rush to just TWO goals in the second half 🤯
Zach Manns was the lone offensive star for the Rush, providing four of his club’s seven goals. The Bandits remain undefeated on the road this season, moving to a robust 5-0.
Nick Rose Debuts In Goal For The Roughnecks
In the wake of the blockbuster trade that sent Nick Rose from the Toronto Rock to the Calgary Roughnecks, the 37-year-old keeper took the floor for his new squad, going down in an 11-8 defeat to the Colorado Mammoth, in front of just shy of 10,000 rabid Denver NLL fans.
Rose got off to a horrific start, allowing five, first-quarter goals. The new addition to the Alberta sports scene would settle in during the final three quarters, letting a mere six scores fly past him. Fellow star keeper Dillon Ward brought his best on Saturday night, stopping 49 of 57 shots.
On the offensive side of the equation, Eli McLaughlin generated four scores and one helper. Ryan Lee added two goals and five assists, with the very generous Connor Kelly dispensing five additional assists.
Tanner Cook implemented a hat trick, as Curtis Dickson and Tyler Pace combined on four scores for the losing club from Calgary. The Mammoth move to 7-5, with the Roughnecks now standing at 6-6.
The Thunderbirds Hit The Jackpot In Las Vegas
The red-hot Halifax Thunderbirds touched down in Sin City winners of four straight showings. Thanks to a wire-to-wire 9-5 drubbing of the hometown Las Vegas Desert Dogs, the fellas from Nova Scotia now hit the Nevada desert winners of five consecutive efforts, while proudly possessing a solid 7-4 record.
Cody Jamieson found the back of the net on two occasions, reaching the 350-goal mark for his outstanding NLL career.
Halifax was the definition of balance with a whopping eight players writing their name in the scoring column.
Vegas was unable to get a whole lot going in this one, with a rare bright spot coming courtesy of Josh Jackson, who scored his first career goal. The normally productive Jack Hannah was limited to just two assists, while brand-new Desert Dog Holden Cattoni scored two goals in a disappointing defeat. Sin City goaltender Landon Kells was pretty good in his own right, redirecting 52 of 60 endeavors to light the lamp.
Warren Hill was outrageous in the crease, walling off 41 of the 46 balls launched in proximity to the red pipes.
Behind a big effort from Warren Hill, the @HFXThunderbirds take the 9-5 win in the desert!
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