48 hours after the Buffalo Bandits’ Game 1 victory over the Vancouver Warriors, the two franchises were back at it on Sunday evening, this time 2,600 miles (4,184 Km) westbound across the North American continent, at Rogers Arena in downtown Vancouver. In the wake of Friday’s 9-3 triumph, Buffalo officially lowered the curtain on the Warriors’ magical season, overpowering Curt Malawsky’s squad 11-9, in a tightly contested clash decided in front of more than 9,000 rabid British Columbians.
An 11-9 victory over Vancouver in Game 2 gives @NLLBandits the 2-0 series win and the right to chase their three-peat.
GAME RECAP 👇 pic.twitter.com/zRfEBS8ZTT
— NLL (@NLL) May 5, 2025
The two-time defending champs now await the winner of the Rush vs. Thunderbirds series, which resumes next weekend, with Saskatchewan leading the best-of-three 1-0.
Buffalo ascended to a speedy 2-0 advantage, setting the conditions for the Warriors to even the score at 2-2, shortly before the first quarter horn activated. The champs would eventually take a 5-4 lead into the halftime intermission. Come the third quarter, the situation twisted in the complete opposite direction, as the resilient home club produced a flurry of goals, lofting Vancouver to an 8-6 lead. From that point forward, it was 100 percent the Buffalo show, with the kings of the mountain connecting on five of the nightfall’s final six goals.
Make sure to catch a glimpse of goal number 11, as it provided one of the unmistakable plays of the year, courtesy of a Chase Fraser through-the-legs extravaganza.
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The Vancouver native notched a hat trick in his old stomping grounds, while Ian MacKay added three goals and three assists, capping a series in which the Port Elgin, Ontario product deposited seven scores into the vulnerable Warriors’ twine. Dhane Smith scored two goals and three assists, alongside longtime running buddy Josh Byrne, who was on the receiving end of his second consecutive four-assist performance.
On the eliminated side of the gamut, Adam Charalambides had an outstanding game, scoring three and helping on four more. Keegan Bal and Marcus Klarich each deposited two goals and three assists, but the Warriors could not quite lasso the victors from ahead of the pack.
Between the pipes, Matt Vinc once again outpaced Christian Del Bianco, allowing eight fewer pieces of vulcanized rubber to enter the real estate the two superstar goaltenders were tasked with protecting, throughout the duration of the now completed 2-0 sweep.
Buffalo Bandits’ Ian MacKay on May 2, 2025 at KeyBank Center in Buffalo, NY. Vancouver Warriors @ Buffalo Bandits. (Caroline Sherman/NLL)
The irresistible force met the immovable object when the two-time defending champion Buffalo Bandits tussled with Christian Del Bianco and the Vancouver Warriors in Game 1 of the NLL Semifinals. Vancouver entered the matchup with top-seeded Buffalo, winners of seven consecutive games, every single one of which occurred since Del Bianco transferred his stick and mask to Canada’s Pacific Coast.
On this Western New York night, it was the Bandits who finally handed the former MVP goaltender his first loss in a Warriors uniform, hitting the Buffalo night winners of a 9-3 romp. With no rest for the weary, both clubs will take to the friendly skies for a Sunday night Game 2 showdown at Rogers Arena. The ball is placed on the dot at 9:00 ET/6:00 PT.
The @NLLBandits take Game 1 9-3 over Vancouver! Josh Byrne scores 5 points and Matt Vinc makes 35 saves.
GAME RECAP 👇 pic.twitter.com/7jOX2G9XAE
— NLL (@NLL) May 3, 2025
Vancouver jumped out to a quick 1-0 lead, only to witness the NLL’s best rattle off six successive scores, three of which were delivered via the wizardry of Ian MacKay, who added four total scores to his ever-growing postseason resume. Owning a 7-2 halftime advantage, the teams played a fairly nondescript second half, only combining for three goals, in what would eventually conclude in a six-goal triumph for the titleholders.
While Del Bianco was the keeper everyone had their eye on, it was living legend Matt Vinc who stole the show, restricting 35 of 38 Vancouver trajectories. Vinc has only allowed a minuscule seven goals in 2025 playoff victories over both the Seals and Warriors.
In 2 playoff games, goaltender Matt Vinc has allowed only 7 total goals for a GAA of 3.5 😱
He stopped 35 shots in @NLLBandits‘ 9-3 win over Vancouver.
Vinc highlights 👀 pic.twitter.com/RPoQWbCJZ4
— NLL (@NLL) May 3, 2025
CDB played a solid game between the pipes, allowing under 10 goals, but it was not close to enough when competing against the all-time great who operates out of the Buffalo crease.
While MacKay was the driving force on offense for Buffalo, Josh Byrne and Dhane Smith made their usual impact, as the 2024 MVP boasted one score and four helpers, with the 2016/2022 MVP generating two goals and one assist of his own.
On the Warriors’ side of the tracks, no player found the net on more than one occasion, exemplified by Keegan Bal, who only mustered one goal and two assists on the evening.
