The Buffalo Bandits are preparing to face the Halifax Thunderbirds on Saturday at Scotiabank Centre, with both teams currently holding 3-5 records in the National Lacrosse League standings. The Bandits are coming off a 13-11 loss to the Philadelphia Wings, where they surrendered four straight goals late in the fourth quarter after leading 11-9.
Head coach John Tavares emphasized the importance of discipline and smarter play in late-game situations. “We need to have a little bit more discipline, especially when we have the lead in the fourth quarter,” Tavares said. He also highlighted that avoiding unnecessary penalties will be key against Halifax, noting, “Be able to take a hit and not retaliate or be smart enough not to take a penalty unless it’s a needed penalty. A good penalty isn’t in a prime scoring area. We don’t need to take a penalty in their crease or at center. It goes without saying.”
The Bandits have struggled this season with closing out games, having lost three matches after leading in the fourth quarter. Their previous meeting with Halifax ended in a 9-8 overtime loss despite holding a 7-4 advantage late in the third quarter. Penalties have played a significant role in these outcomes; for example, an infraction by Nick Weiss led to four consecutive Ottawa Black Bears goals during another close defeat.
Halifax leads the league with 179 penalty minutes—34 more than any other team—which could present opportunities for Buffalo’s power-play unit. In their last encounter, the Bandits capitalized on three such chances against Halifax.
Tavares also pointed out that his team needs to resist being drawn into extracurricular skirmishes that often result from Halifax’s aggressive style of play, as maintaining composure is critical for generating power-play opportunities.
This matchup marks Buffalo’s first four-game losing streak since 2018. Key veterans like Dhane Smith, Josh Byrne, Nick Weiss, Steve Priolo and Mitch de Snoo remain from that period and are expected to provide leadership as the team tries to rebound with ten games left on their schedule.
“It’s hard to keep your spirits up when you lose games as often as we’ve been losing and in the fashion we’ve been losing, but the guys still understand that we’ve proven over the years we have the roster to be very competitive and win a lot of games,” Tavares said. “We’re still continuing to stay positive and we’re trying to make the playoffs… Guys understand that, it’s just whether guys are going to commit to the little things like discipline and watching video, the game plan, and just committing to one game at a time. Having a leadership group understanding that, they know what it takes to win games. Even though right now we’re not showing it, we’re getting closer to winning form.”
Fans can watch Saturday’s game on WIVB News 4 (Buffalo broadcast market), stream it via ESPN+, or listen on WWKB 1520AM.
Lukas Nielsen has emerged as an offensive contributor for Buffalo this season. The youngest player on Buffalo’s active roster scored his second career NLL goal last weekend with an acrobatic move near goal late in regulation time against Philadelphia. Teammate Dhane Smith commented on Nielsen’s progress: “You’re so nervous, and when you get your opportunity, you don’t want to step on toes, you don’t want to do anything out of your character… He’s going to find his way; he just needs more reps… He does so many great things and he’s an unbelievable lacrosse player… I’m excited to see him grow.”
Halifax enters Saturday’s contest having lost three straight games and recently traded scorer Dawson Theede away—a move that has further challenged an offense already ranked lowest in total goals scored this season (71). Goaltender Warren Hill made 46 saves versus Buffalo earlier this year and ranks among league leaders with an .82 save percentage.
Clarke Petterson leads Halifax with 14 goals—including three against Buffalo—and netted their overtime winner previously; Randy Staats tops all Thunderbirds players with 33 points but was held scoreless by Buffalo defenders during their first meeting.
