Dramatic Comebacks & OT Thrillers Highlight Saturday Night
December 29, 2024By: Jon Rapoport
Banner Night In Banditland
It was a night of celebration in downtown Buffalo, where the Bandits raised their sixth NLL title banner high up to the rafters of KeyBank Center. With emotions running high, the sellout crowd of more than 19,000 fans watched the hometown heroes cruise past the Rochester Knighthawks 13-6. The champs jumped out on their Western New York rivals early, grabbing a 6-0 lead that they would never come close to relinquishing. Rochester made things a little interesting in the third, closing the gap to 7-4, only to watch the class of the league reel off four straight to once again widen the gap to a commanding 11-4 advantage.
The @NLLBandits get the dub on Banner Raising Night!
They sweep the season series against the Knighthawks on their quest for a 3-peat with a 13-6 win. Roll the tape 🎥 pic.twitter.com/Q1HlH29PK9
Josh Byrne and Dhane Smith played out of this world as usual with the reigning MVP notching two goals and nine assists, while the 2016 and 2022 MVP posted two scores and six helpers. Not to be outdone, Tehoka Nanticoke secured three spectacular goals, all bringing the raucous crowd to their collective feet.
Connor Fields and Curtis Knight scored two apiece for the Knighthawks, but every aspect of the evening’s festivities belonged to the Bandits.
Black Bears Stage Epic Comeback
A capacity crowd filled the Paramount Fine Foods Centre in the Toronto suburb of Mississauga, witnessing the now 0-4 Rock go down in heartbreaking defeat to the franchise’s Ontario rival from the Canadian capital of Ottawa. The Rock held an 11-8 lead with a mere eight minutes remaining in the fourth, courtesy of three second-half goals off the stick of Josh Dawick, who finished with seven points on the night. Down three, a lacrosse magician, Jeff Teat collected two consecutive scores, followed by a Kiel Matisz game-tying effort and a Taggart Clark game-winner, with just under two minutes left on the clock. In the blink of an eye, this contest was completely flipped on its axis.
Jeff Teat picks up his 2nd hatty 🧢 of the season, adds 4 assists and 13 shots on goal to lead @ottblackbears‘ 12-11 win over Toronto.
The aforementioned Teat was responsible for three goals and four assists, with Jacob Dunbar adding four scores and two helpers. In addition to Dawick’s exploits, Rock big names Chris Boushy and Mark Matthews left it all on the field, combining for four goals and seven assists.
This game was a sight to behold!
A Thunderbird Thrill Ride In Halifax
Just shy of 11,000 fans spent their Saturday night at Scotiabank Centre and boy did these residents of Canada’s Atlantic Coast get their money’s worth. Out of the gate, things looked grim for the Thunderbirds, with the young and hungry Albany FireWolves racing to a 5-0 advantage. Halifax cut the lead to 5-3, with Albany turning on the jets en route to what appeared to be an unreachable 9-3 hold on the game. Then, midway through the third stanza, something miraculous occurred. The now one-win Thunderbirds exploded for an astounding 10 successive goals, turning Albany’s six-goal surge into a comfortable four-score victory for the men from Halifax.
What. A. Comeback.@HFXThunderbirds ride a 10-goal run & 21 minutes of shutout lacrosse from Drew Hutchison to clinch their 1st win of the season, 13-9 over Albany.
Nine players found their way onto the scoring column for Halifax, as Clarke Petterson led the way with three goals and four assists. Randy Staats submitted one score and six helpers, while Dawson Theede and Thomas Hoggarth offered two goals each to the cause.
On the losing side of the equation, Ethan Walker achieved a hat trick, while Alex Simmons supplemented two goals and two assists in a shocking defeat.
Wings Pull Off A Dramatic Win At Saskatchewan
SaskTel Centre sits in the shadow of Saskatoon International Airport. This geographical setting served as ironic on Saturday night as the dramatic overtime battle between the Saskatchewan Rush and Philadelphia Wings involved an array of high-flying goals, including a supersonic effort courtesy of Philly rookie phenom Brennan O’Neill.
This game was close throughout with the Wings possessing three-goal separations after both the second and third quarters of play. The final 15 belonged to the Rush thanks to two Mike Triolo and one Zach Manns goal, sending the event to overtime. When it came time for bonus box lacrosse, Holden Cattoni sent the Wings into merriment mode, connecting on his fifth goal of the night, capping a 12-11 Wings win.
The aforenoted O’Neill and veteran teammate Mitch Jones collaborated on four goals and a whopping 13 assists in the victory.
Triolo scored four of his own, joined by seven of his Rush running mates who delivered one goal each in a valiant comeback that was all for not.
Curt Malawsky Back In His Old Stomping Grounds
Now in his second season behind the bench of the Vancouver Warriors, Curt Malawsky returned to Calgary’s WestJet Field at Scotiabank Saddledome, the place where he drew up X’s and O’s for a decade of leadership that included the 2019 NLL championship. On this night and in front of 13,000+ fans, Malawsky and his guys from Vancouver hit the Alberta dusk winners of a 14-10 triumph.
The Warriors linked four sequential second-quarter goals together, pacing the club to a 10-4 lead. The Roughnecks cut the lead to 10-8, before the Vancouver organization lit the lamp on four of the gathering’s final six outputs, securing the win for the British Columbians.
Kevin Crowley was outstanding, scoring five and gifting his buddies on three additional goals. Keegan Bal dished out five assists, with Reid Bowering and Payton Cormier coming together on four goals.
Kevin Crowley (5G, 3A) powered the @VanWarriors to a 14-10 dub over the Roughnecks.
Curtis Dickson cemented four scores and two helpers, while Jesse King joined Bal in the five-assist club. The ageless Dane Dobbie scored twice in the four-goal setback.
The Swarm Keep It Rolling
Week 5 concluded with a matinee matchup on the front range of the Rocky Mountains where the Colorado Mammoth welcomed the Georgia Swarm to Ball Arena. Over 9,000 enthusiasts took in a highly entertaining battle amongst two teams loaded with talent. The Denver crew gathered an early 4-1 lead, with the Georgians mounting a quick comeback, leveling the score 7-7 at halftime. The Mammoth held a one-goal lead with under five minutes left in the fourth when Liam Byrnes tied it up and Andrew Kew blasted what turned out to be the game-winner with 53 seconds remaining, giving the Swarm a hard-fought 13-12 win, advancing their record to 4-0 on the young season.
Former Mammoth Joey Cupido salutes the crowd at Ball Arena. Georgia Swarm at Colorado Mammoth from Ball Arena in Denver Colorado on December 29, 2024, (Photo: John Harrison)
Bryan Cole paced the Swarm courtesy of his Sunday afternoon hat trick. Lyle Thompson, Brendan Bomberry and Kew each claimed two scores for Georgia.
Connor Kelly and Connor Robinson both marched in the hat trick parade, but the combined Connor exertion was not quite the formula needed by the Mammoth.
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