Two Classic Games Pace The Week 18 NLL Thrill Ride
March 30, 2025By: Jon Rapoport
Del Bianco Shuts The Door On The Bandits
More than 19,000 Western New Yorkers packed KeyBank Center for a tussle between the two-time defending champion Bandits and the visiting Vancouver Warriors. This thriller came down to the absolute last second with newly acquired Christian Del Bianco impeding a flurry of Buffalo shot attempts, with the former NLL MVP leading his club to a 13-12 victory. Vancouver is now 3-0 since CDB’s arrival on Canada’s Pacific Coast, with the 27-year-old averaging 44 saves per game in wins against the Rock, Swarm, and now the reigning champs.
On the flipside, in the wake of starting the season 7-0, the Bandits have gone 4-4 in their last 8, including downtown Buffalo losses to the Seals, Roughnecks, and as of tonight, the boys from British Columbia.
This wild affair opened with the teams combining on four goals on the first four shots of the contest. The scene settled with the Warriors later holding a 7-4 halftime lead. Seat belts needed to be fastened come the second half when the Bandits reeled off four straight scores to take an 11-9 lead. The bumpy ride continued in the fourth when the road guys assembled a four-goal streak of their own, setting up a 13-11 advantage. Ian MacKay brought the separation to one amid a late final quarter connector, only for Vancouver’s new leading man between the pipes lowering the curtains on any thoughts of a comeback.
All told, Del Bianco knocked down 40 of 52 shots, with his masked counterpart Matt Vinc stoning 32 of 45 projectiles.
Keegan Bal led the scoring for the winners, adding four goals and six assists to his resume. Kevin Crowley, Riley Loewen, and Ryan Martel contributed two scores apiece for the Western Canadians.
MacKay notched a hat trick in his own right for the Bandits, while Dhane Smith and Josh Byrne collaborated on three goals and nine assists in bitter defeat.
San Diego Seals @ Rochester Knighthawks 03/29/25 (Photos for NLL by Jonathan Tenca)
Ryan Smith Thwarts Furious Seals Comeback
74 miles due east on Interstate 90 was the setting for a chaotic battle bringing together two clubs who have been playing some outstanding lacrosse. The host Rochester Knighthawks took the Blue Cross Arena floor winners of four in a row, while the visiting Seals of San Diego entered Saturday evening conquerors of three straight. On this night, the Western New Yorkers walked away owners of an exhilarating 14-13 success, extending their run to five straight, while now possessing a 9-7 mark for the season.
Rochester appeared to be in complete control, sitting on the good side of an 8-3 second quarter and 12-6 third quarter lead. The plot suddenly flipped when the Southern Californians produced seven of the next eight goals, erasing their monumental deficit and tying the mêlée at 13-13. Then, with a mere 11 seconds showing on the clock, Ryan Smith conveyed the game-winner, destroying the Seals’ dreams of a comeback for the ages.
Smith had an amazing night at the office, scoring five and assisting on one more. Connor Fields added a hat trick to go along with two assists, becoming the fourth player in NLL history to post 110 points in at least three seasons. Ryan Lanchbury doled out six assists, complementing his single goal.
A hat trick and a historic milestone tonight for Connor Fields! 👏
Tre Leclaire scored four for the disappointed West Coasters, with Jake Govett adding three scores to the cause. Wes Berg and Ryan Benesch went in on four scores and eight helpers, but it was not quite enough to raise one’s hands in glorious triumph.
The Seals fall to 8-7 heading into next weekend’s collision with the Halifax Thunderbirds.
A Sock Trick Spectacular In Saskatchewan
Saturday’s Western-most fracas occurred in the shadow of Saskatoon International Airport where the already headed to the postseason Rush welcomed the Colorado Mammoth to the prairies. With more than 8,000 witnesses centering their weekend plans around a trip to SaskTel Centre, the high-producing Rush kept the good times rolling, vanquishing the 2022 NLL champs 17-12.
The Rush led 13-5 as the teams funneled to their respective dressing rooms, turbocharged by a stretch of eight succeeding first-half goals from the locals. The Denver dudes made things a bit more reputable in the second half, outscoring the now 11-win Rush by a 7-4 clip.
Austin Shanks secured a sock trick, together with four assists. Ryan Keenan accomplished five scores and two helpers, including a remarkable epoch of three goals in just 90 seconds, during the second quarter. Clark Walter was feeling downright benevolent, dishing out an incredible seven assists. While Robert Church, Zach Manns and Brock Haley each scored two in the well-rounded Saskatchewan effort.
What a game for Austin Shanks! He puts up 10 points including a sock trick as @SaskRushLAX get the W over Colorado.
Ryan Lee fortified a sock trip for the losing club from the Rockies, scoring an even 50 percent of the Mammoth goals. Tyson Gibson augmented a hat trick for his troubles, but this one was in Rush control from the early stages of the gathering.
The Rush and Bandits are tied for the best record in the NLL, holding dueling 11-4 placements.
March 28, 2025: The Ottawa Black Bears vs Philadelphia Wings
The Black Bears Roll In Week 18 Opener
The NLL’s lone Friday night clash took place in America’s birthplace, where 6,500 die-hards crowded the Wells Fargo Center to witness the squad from the Canadian capital come into South Philadelphia and dominate the Wings 13-5. The Black Bears enumerated a seven-goal second through fourth stanza explosion into an eight-score celebratory jamboree against a Philly franchise that has now lost nine consecutive games. Courtesy of a newly crowned three-game win streak, Ottawa abruptly enjoys a 7-8 record.
Jeff Teat dispensed yet another otherworldly performance, scoring four and helping on five more. That Teat fella may have a future in professional lacrosse. Taggart Clark matched Teat’s four goals while serving as the presenter on three assists. Connor Kearnan put on his philanthropic hat, facilitating his teammates on five scores.
TEATER!
Jeff Teat scores 4 goals and records 5 assists as the Black Bears take down the Wings 13-5
Not a single Wings player scored more than one goal, including Mitch Jones, who did assist on four of his team’s five goals, despite not finding the scoring column on his own.
Former Wings keeper Zach Higgins was stellar against his previous organization, walling off 41 of 46 blasts his direction. His replacement, Nick Damude, got in the way of 39 out of the 51 boomers launched in his vicinity.
The two teams combined for a whopping 24 penalties.
March 28, 2025: The Ottawa Black Bears vs Philadelphia Wings
The Swarm Overcome Thunderbirds Last Minute Heroics
Week 18 concluded with yet another spine-tingling scenario, as a sultry Sunday matinee took center stage at the Gas South Arena in suburban Atlanta. In the weekend’s lone overtime confrontation, the Georgia Swarm took down the Halifax Thunderbirds 13-12.
The Southerners leaped to early 3-0 and 5-2 leads, laying the groundwork for a Halifax four-uninterrupted goal outburst in the second quarter, leading to a 7-6 halftime prize. The second half remained close with the Swarm eventually carrying a two-goal advantage into the final minute of regulation. But, to the dismay of the home crowd, Cody Jamieson lowered the shortfall to 12-11 with just 19 seconds remaining, followed by the Dawson Theede equalizer as the numbers 0:03 flickered on the clock. In the blink of an eye, this melodrama was heading to a bonus session of lacrosse.
With the momentum now firmly on the Thunderbirds’ side, Andrew Kew won the game for the Swarm, snatching victory from the jaws of defeat, 3:16 into the OT assembly.
Shayne Jackson had a fantastic day for the victors, boasting of three scores and six helpers, while Lyle Thompson contributed one blast and two slick passes to the merriment.
For the dejected Eastern Canadians, Theede scored four and assisted on one more, as Clarke Petterson set up five goals for his teammates, along with one for himself. All told, eight HFX players posted at least one tally on the ledger.
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