fbpx

BUF at TOR - Sat. 7pm ET Schedule

×
WK
1
Fri, Dec 2
FINAL
Philadelphia
8
Halifax
18
Sat, Dec 3
FINAL
Vancouver
8
Toronto
19
Sat, Dec 3
FINAL
San Diego
15
New York
14
Sat, Dec 3
FINAL
Albany
11
Buffalo
10
Sat, Dec 3
FINAL
Rochester
16
Georgia
11
Sat, Dec 3
FINAL
Colorado
6
Saskatchewan
18
WK
2
Fri, Dec 9
FINAL
Las Vegas
11
Panther City
13
Fri, Dec 9
FINAL/OT
Saskatchewan
12
San Diego
13
Sat, Dec 10
FINAL
Toronto
7
Rochester
11
Sat, Dec 10
FINAL
Vancouver
9
Calgary
11
WK
3
Fri, Dec 16
FINAL
Calgary
14
Vancouver
5
Fri, Dec 16
FINAL
Panther City
9
Las Vegas
3
Sat, Dec 17
FINAL
Buffalo
11
Toronto
8
Sat, Dec 17
FINAL
Rochester
14
Albany
13
Sat, Dec 17
FINAL
Philadelphia
13
Georgia
12
Sat, Dec 17
FINAL
Halifax
20
New York
11
Sat, Dec 17
FINAL
Colorado
12
Panther City
9
WK
5
Fri, Dec 30
FINAL
Halifax
13
Buffalo
18
Fri, Dec 30
FINAL
San Diego
17
Calgary
14
Sat, Dec 31
FINAL
Panther City
9
Saskatchewan
11
WK
6
Fri, Jan 6
FINAL
Philadelphia
14
Las Vegas
9
Sat, Jan 7
FINAL
Panther City
9
Rochester
17
Sat, Jan 7
FINAL
Halifax
14
Albany
11
Sat, Jan 7
FINAL
Buffalo
18
Georgia
9
Sat, Jan 7
FINAL
Toronto
15
New York
7
Sat, Jan 7
FINAL
Calgary
8
Colorado
9
Sat, Jan 7
FINAL
Vancouver
11
San Diego
16
WK
7
Fri, Jan 13
FINAL/OT
Albany
11
Halifax
10
Fri, Jan 13
FINAL/OT
Saskatchewan
10
Colorado
11
Sat, Jan 14
FINAL
Halifax
8
Toronto
17
Sat, Jan 14
FINAL
Panther City
12
Philadelphia
10
Sat, Jan 14
FINAL
Georgia
9
Buffalo
11
Sat, Jan 14
FINAL
San Diego
10
Calgary
14
Sat, Jan 14
FINAL
Las Vegas
16
Vancouver
19
Sun, Jan 15
FINAL
Rochester
11
New York
8
WK
8
Fri, Jan 20
FINAL
Buffalo
12
Rochester
15
Fri, Jan 20
FINAL
Vancouver
14
Las Vegas
15
Sat, Jan 21
FINAL
Toronto
14
Philadelphia
5
Sat, Jan 21
FINAL
New York
16
Albany
10
WK
9
Fri, Jan 27
FINAL
Rochester
7
Halifax
17
Fri, Jan 27
FINAL
Buffalo
13
Philadelphia
9
Sat, Jan 28
FINAL
Buffalo
16
New York
10
Sat, Jan 28
FINAL
Las Vegas
10
Saskatchewan
15
Sat, Jan 28
FINAL/OT
Toronto
11
Calgary
10
Sat, Jan 28
FINAL
San Diego
13
Colorado
9
Sat, Jan 28
FINAL
Panther City
20
Vancouver
7
WK
10
Fri, Feb 3
FINAL
Georgia
10
Colorado
13
Sat, Feb 4
FINAL/OT
Calgary
12
Halifax
11
Sat, Feb 4
FINAL
New York
14
Toronto
22
Sat, Feb 4
FINAL
Albany
5
Philadelphia
13
Sat, Feb 4
FINAL
Rochester
10
Buffalo
13
Sat, Feb 4
FINAL
Panther City
10
San Diego
12
Sat, Feb 4
FINAL
Saskatchewan
14
Vancouver
8
Sat, Feb 4
FINAL
Colorado
8
Las Vegas
13
WK
11
Fri, Feb 10
FINAL
Toronto
11
Georgia
10
Fri, Feb 10
FINAL
Saskatchewan
6
Calgary
13
Sat, Feb 11
FINAL
Halifax
14
Rochester
16
Sat, Feb 11
FINAL
Albany
12
New York
14
Sat, Feb 11
FINAL
Vancouver
13
Panther City
14
Sat, Feb 11
FINAL
Colorado
9
Calgary
13
WK
12
Fri, Feb 17
FINAL
Calgary
14
Vancouver
9
Fri, Feb 17
FINAL
Saskatchewan
16
San Diego
11
Sat, Feb 18
FINAL
Georgia
7
Toronto
16
Sat, Feb 18
FINAL
Las Vegas
12
Albany
10
Sat, Feb 18
FINAL/OT
Philadelphia
12
Buffalo
13
Sat, Feb 18
FINAL
Colorado
7
Panther City
13
Sun, Feb 19
FINAL
New York
12
Halifax
13
WK
13
Fri, Feb 24
FINAL
Panther City
12
Colorado
14
Fri, Feb 24
FINAL
Calgary
9
Las Vegas
11
Sat, Feb 25
FINAL/OT
New York
10
Rochester
11
Sat, Feb 25
FINAL
Albany
4
Georgia
20
Sat, Feb 25
FINAL
Vancouver
16
Saskatchewan
12
WK
14
Fri, Mar 3
FINAL
Buffalo
10
Halifax
9
Sat, Mar 4
FINAL
New York
12
Philadelphia
19
Sat, Mar 4
FINAL
Las Vegas
12
San Diego
15
Sat, Mar 4
FINAL
Rochester
8
Toronto
9
Sat, Mar 4
FINAL/OT
Georgia
9
Albany
8
Sat, Mar 4
FINAL
Saskatchewan
10
Panther City
16
Mon, Mar 6
FINAL
Toronto
10
Philadelphia
11
WK
15
Fri, Mar 10
FINAL/OT
Halifax
9
Buffalo
10
Fri, Mar 10
FINAL
Calgary
16
Colorado
10
Sat, Mar 11
FINAL
Albany
6
Toronto
12
Sat, Mar 11
FINAL
Philadelphia
10
New York
13
Sat, Mar 11
FINAL
San Diego
12
Saskatchewan
11
Sat, Mar 11
FINAL
Vancouver
14
Las Vegas
5
Sun, Mar 12
FINAL
Rochester
19
Georgia
18
WK
16
Fri, Mar 17
FINAL
Saskatchewan
6
Calgary
11
Fri, Mar 17
FINAL
San Diego
16
Vancouver
9
Sat, Mar 18
FINAL
Georgia
13
Philadelphia
12
Sat, Mar 18
FINAL
Toronto
12
Halifax
14
Sat, Mar 18
FINAL
Albany
10
New York
13
Sat, Mar 18
FINAL
Colorado
13
Buffalo
8
Sat, Mar 18
FINAL
Las Vegas
8
Panther City
11
Sun, Mar 19
FINAL/OT
Philadelphia
9
Rochester
8
WK
17
Fri, Mar 24
FINAL
San Diego
17
Panther City
9
Sat, Mar 25
FINAL
Toronto
11
Albany
9
Sat, Mar 25
FINAL
Halifax
14
Philadelphia
10
Sat, Mar 25
FINAL
Georgia
13
New York
8
Sat, Mar 25
FINAL
Calgary
14
Saskatchewan
6
Sat, Mar 25
FINAL/OT
Buffalo
7
San Diego
6
Sat, Mar 25
FINAL
Colorado
12
Vancouver
14
Sat, Mar 25
FINAL
Rochester
7
Las Vegas
12
WK
18
Fri, Mar 31
FINAL
New York
7
Georgia
12
Fri, Mar 31
FINAL
Las Vegas
9
Colorado
11
Fri, Mar 31
FINAL
Calgary
8
San Diego
14
Q1
01:48
Buffalo
0
Toronto
7
Sat, Apr 1
20:00:00
Albany
Panther City
Sat, Apr 1
21:30:00
Vancouver
Saskatchewan
Sun, Apr 2
13:00:00
Georgia
Halifax
Sun, Apr 2
18:00:00
Rochester
Philadelphia
WK
19
Sat, Apr 8
19:00:00
Albany
Rochester
Sat, Apr 8
19:00:00
Saskatchewan
Georgia
Sat, Apr 8
21:00:00
Panther City
Calgary
Sat, Apr 8
21:00:00
Vancouver
Colorado
Sat, Apr 8
22:30:00
San Diego
Las Vegas
WK
20
Fri, Apr 14
21:00:00
Las Vegas
Calgary
Fri, Apr 14
21:00:00
San Diego
Colorado
Sat, Apr 15
19:00:00
Philadelphia
Toronto
Sat, Apr 15
19:00:00
Georgia
Albany
Sat, Apr 15
19:30:00
New York
Buffalo
Sat, Apr 15
21:30:00
Halifax
Saskatchewan
Sat, Apr 15
22:00:00
Panther City
Vancouver
WK
21
Fri, Apr 21
20:30:00
Calgary
Panther City
Sat, Apr 22
18:00:00
New York
Halifax
Sat, Apr 22
19:00:00
Georgia
Rochester
Sat, Apr 22
20:00:00
Toronto
Buffalo
Sat, Apr 22
21:30:00
Colorado
Saskatchewan
Sat, Apr 22
22:00:00
Las Vegas
San Diego
Sun, Apr 23
15:00:00
Philadelphia
Albany
WK
22
Sat, Apr 29
19:00:00
Philadelphia
Rochester
Sat, Apr 29
19:00:00
Buffalo
Albany
Sat, Apr 29
19:00:00
Halifax
Georgia
Sat, Apr 29
22:00:00
Colorado
San Diego
Sat, Apr 29
22:00:00
New York
Vancouver
Sat, Apr 29
22:30:00
Saskatchewan
Las Vegas
Powered By
MGM Logo
Scores / Schedule
Stories/Op-Ed

Josh Byrne Is A Rookie Playing Beyond His Years

Heading into last September’s NLL Draft, Buffalo Bandits GM Steve Dietrich admits that there was no clear decision for who the Bandits would select with the first overall pick. “It was a tough decision between [Josh Byrne, Jake Withers, and Zach Currier] who ended up going one, two, three; those were the three guys we were looking at.”

 

Ultimately, despite the cases that Withers and Currier could make for being the Bandits top pick, Dietrich and the front office staff decided to attempt to fill the void of Ryan Benesch – the team had traded him to the Colorado Mammoth in exchange for right-handed sniper Callum Crawford and goaltender Alex Buque a month earlier – with the immense talents of another attacking lefty in Byrne.

 

Dietrich and his team saw great potential in Byrne, not just because of the numbers he had put up in the BCJALL and at Hofstra University, but also the unquantifiable aspects of his game as well. “He has incredible offensive instincts; a great mind. We thought that he had very quick feet, a quick step and was able to go over the top, through the middle or underneath. We thought he had a complete game and we obviously liked his speed.”

 

For Byrne, being selected first in the draft – it was the Bandits first overall pick since 2004 when they chose Debby Powless – meant he would be on the team whose assistant coach, John Tavares, is the most prolific left-handed scorer in NLL history.

 

“John T. being one the greatest lefties to ever play the game, it couldn’t have been a better fit for me,” Byrne said, “To learn from him, different shots, different things. The way he looks at the game is so different. The way he runs all kinds of plays, the back doors he plays, the different outs, it’s quite astonishing to look at. To finally learn all that from him is definitely helping my game for sure.”

 

Tavares is quick to express that the admiration is mutual. “I thought he looked really good when he first came to [training] camp, “The Bandits all-time points leader said of Byrne. “He definitely showed why he was the first overall pick. He showed a lot of poise, looked in good shape, good shooting from the outside, good feet, good decision-maker, so he looked like he had all the qualities of being a great player.”

 

While he was able to impress the coaches and the front office prior to the start of the season, Byrne understood the process of finding a role and fitting in as a rookie, particularly such a highly-touted newcomer like he was, would take some time to get the offense clicking with the dynamic lefty as a consistent scorer and contributor.

 

Through his first few NLL games, there were glimpses of Byrne’s excellence, but it wasn’t until mid-January that the forward’s talents began to create the type of production that many would have expected from him. As the team began to grow as a unit and build chemistry, Byrne was able to play his style of game while playing the type of game that his team needed to win.

 

“I think through the first couple of games, Josh was getting his feet wet, he didn’t want to step on anyone’s toes,” Bandits coach Troy Cordingley said of Byrne’s game. “He was giving up the ball more than we wanted him to; he was a little bit too unselfish. Now I think he’s found a balance of being unselfish and doing what he can do with the ball.” In his first career game, he showcased that unselfishness by recording four assists to go along with his first NLL goal.

 

Byrne’s game has always been able doing what it takes to win, whether that meant distributing the ball or putting the ball in the back of the net. As part of the New Westminster Jr. Salmonbellies, Byrne tallied 118 goals and 108 assists in 43 games including a 2013 campaign where he finished third in points with 112 (56 goals and 56 assists). At Hofstra, Byrne found more of scoring touch in the field game racking up 71 goals compared to 40 assists in 29 games.

 

Over his last three games, there’s been a significant uptick in goals coming from Byrne. He has had at least a hat trick in all three contests and even piled on five scores against the Bandits fiercest rivals, the Rochester Knighthawks, on February 3rd. His 11 goals in three games nearly doubled his six-game total to begin the year. And, with his opening game withstanding, his assist totals have been on the rise as well. He has compiled ten assists in his last four games whereas in the four games that preceded those he had only five.

 

A handful of his latest goals and many of his others have come off of what is becoming a signature move for Byrne. He uses his exceptional footwork to find a path to the crease, plant his feet, elevate, and while he’s mid-air, place the ball behind the goaltender. His dunk-style technique is something Bandits head coach Troy Cordingley has seen develop since training camp.

 

“It shows that he’s highly intelligent,” Cordingley said of the lacrosse IQ shown on the dunk goals. “When you’re diving across the crease, you only have so much time. By him dunking – he has a great vertical – he’s got more time to make a decision with the ball then he would if he were diving across. With his stick up in the air, he has so many options, whereas, if he dives, he only has one or two options. That is his signature move, and I’ve seen him do in training camp, do it practice, do it in other leagues. It’s something that he’s perfected and done really well to make himself more successful.”

 

Tavares notes out that while Byrne’s points per game total has risen since the beginning of February, Byrne was still doing the things he needed to do to give the Bandits a chance to win. “One thing offensive guys don’t get a lot of credit for is the ability to set screens and get guys open. Josh is very good at setting those screens and doing the dirty work. That’s a characteristic that a lot of young guys don’t have; they’re not willing to do the dirty work. The one thing I’ve liked the most from the get-go, he’s always willing to get dirty for his teammates.”

 

Cordingley had similar sentiments for Byrne as a teammate saying, “I think he’s special because he’s a guy that wants everyone to be successful and a guy that makes everything better. Those types of guys are special players.”

 

It can be said that there’s more willingness to get grind it out for your teammates when you know that your teammates would do the same for you.

 

In Byrne’s case, he’s always trying to learn what he can from he teammates on and off the turf, a few of whom he has plenty of time with because they either live with him or next door. Not only is Byrne roommates with Dhane Smith, who was a very skilled rookie in his own right but has shown that he is one of the most dominant offensive forces in the league, but their neighbors are Byrne’s mentor Mitch Jones and righty forward Craig England.

 

“I’m trying to learn from the guys as much as I can both on the floor and off the floor,” Byrne said. “Especially a guy like Jones who has been a mentor being on the left side with me. He’s walked me through plays, and we’ve worked to get our chemistry on. With [Dhane] Smith as a roommate, so he’s always there as a vocal leader for me. We talk about what could work and what might not. Having all these guys around me at all times definitely pushes me forward.”

 

With all the work Byrne is putting in both physically and mentally, it’s no surprise that he leads all rookies in scoring with 36 points (17 goals and 19 assists) and has 15 more points than any other rookie in the league. That total puts him in a position to likely win the NLL Rookie of the Year award which has mostly been given to the rookie with the most points. That is if he continues to add points at this rate.

 

That’s not to say that other rookies are under-performing. Jake Withers is the best faceoff man in the entire league at 66% and has the second-most caused turnovers with ten only behind Zach Currier who has 17 caused turnovers which is third-best in the NLL. Currier has collected a league-leading 85 loose balls while Withers has the third-most with 82.

 

Even if he doesn’t win the award for best rookie, Byrne is focused on winning a championship. “At the end of the day, I’m not looking at points. Sure, it would be great to win the award, but, I’ve never won a Minto Cup or a Mann Cup, so the big thing for me is focusing on winning a championship.” He also didn’t win an NCAA National Championship while at Hofstra.

 

Whether Byrne wins the NLL Rookie of the Year Award or not – Derek Keenan in 1992 is the only other Buffalo Bandits player to win the award – Dietrich has been very impressed with Byrne’s play of late and says that he has no doubt that he made the right decision on draft day for the Bandits this year and beyond. “If we had to do the draft over, he would be our pick again,” Dietrich said. “The other guys in the first round are all having great years, but, for what we needed, and what we continue to need, Josh has been more than we ever could have asked for.”

 

NLL