Who doesn’t love a good shootout?
All eyes were on KeyBank Center on Friday during the electric matchup between the Toronto Rock and the Buffalo Bandits, now reigning as the only undefeated team in the League. Toronto pulled ahead early in the showcase, pulling apart the rigid Buffalo defense by overloading the ball side and sealing the adjacent defenders. The Bandits’ defense works so well not only because of their grit and physicality but also because of their ability to switch quickly and re-shape the defense, allowing them to stay tight in their formation and react to aggressive motion offenses. By overloading the ball side, the defenders are forced to respond and follow their man, breaking their formation. The off-ball Toronto forwards then switch and seal, cutting off the two and three slides, further emptying the lane for the ball carrier to attack the net. Defensively, Toronto collapsed on the crease and shut off the quick dish to the backside cutter. Still, a lack of contact on the perimeter, as well as slow reactions in transition and during substitutions, prevented them from building a substantial lead. Bandits forward Dhane Smith and Josh Byrne were able to rack up a combined 17 points against the Rock by taking advantage of the sloughed Toronto defense, and Ian Mackay tallied eight of his own (five goals, three assists) by recognizing quick unmarked shot opportunities.

Keegan Bal Takes It Personal
Bal had been relatively quiet vs San Diego, dishing out an assist to Adam Charalambides late in the first quarter and earning himself a two-minute penalty for boarding early in the third. His time in the sin bin would allow San Diego captain Wes Berg to open up the scoring in the second half, leading the Seals to their first multi-goal lead of the game. Headed into the fourth, the Warriors trailed San Diego 6-3, and Bal made it clear he cannot be ignored in a deficit. He is a patient and deadly shooter who drags his defender away from the play and right into the pick, letting it fly the moment the goalie takes a step forward and his defender shifts their momentum. Bal’s efforts earned him six goals in the fourth quarter and tied the game at 7-7 for the first time since his first-quarter assist to Charalambides. Bal is now the fourth player in the League’s history to rack up a sock trick in a single quarter.
Everyone Gets Involved in Halifax
Halifax’s unselfish play secured a textbook team win against the Rochester Knighthawks, with all but five of the Thunderbirds’ runners tallying at least a point during regulation. Their quick ball movement and risky feeds to the inside kept the Rochester defenders guessing, forcing the Knighthawks to pay extra attention to the flight of the ball rather than the middle forward setting an up pick, opening up the passing lane to the low forwards cutting to fill the empty space on the crease. Additionally, by collapsing the low defenders into the middle and forcing the middle defender out of position, the Thunderbirds were able to empty out the alley for Randy Staats and Dawson Theede to receive and score.
Halifax was also able to draw multiple defenders during substitutions to generate quick shots in transition. By carrying and holding the ball at the restraining line while the first sub draws and buries two defenders low ball side, the second & third subs were able to sprint out of the box and receive in undefended space.
Calgary Muscle Not as Rough as it Was
The Roughnecks’ defense set the tone early on in the game, laying the lumber on the Wings’ forwards as a warning to stay out of the middle in response to Blaze Riorden’s opening goal on Calgary’s doorstep. They were forced to adjust early to Philadelphia forwards Mitch Jones and Brennan O’Neill, both of whom exploited the aggressive defense by taking advantage of ball-watching and dodging hard to get hands free down the perimeter. Calgary was able to shut down the crease in the first half by switching early and keeping sticks in the passing lanes, generating quick changes in possession and drawing penalties to take the lead heading into the third quarter. The Wings stuck to their deceptive offensive play rather than feeding into the Roughnecks’ physical play, passing and picking down then skipping across the defense to find Cattoni, Jones and Resetarits with free hands and ideal matchups. The Roughnecks had the opportunity to take back the lead in the fourth quarter, but a string of home run plays in transition and panicked forced passes to forwards with two, or three, defenders forcing them to the boards allowed the Wings to take control of the game in the final minutes of the game.

Albany Overcorrects Defensively
The Firewolves laced up in Colorado on Saturday in desperate need of a win after a crushing loss in overtime against Las Vegas in Week 6. Albany looked to hammer the nail in early offensively to avoid a fourth-quarter shootout against the Mammoth. Albany’s substitution game is extremely effective, which makes them all the more dangerous in transition. By keeping the ball hot and firing low, they were able to secure a lead through the first half, exploiting small gaps in the defense and capitalizing on quick rebounds on the crease. Albany’s offense kept the steam heading into the second half but left their defense behind in the first. Despite holding their lead through the third quarter, Albany began to panic defensively, readjusting prematurely to bar Colorado from cutting inside, allowing the Mammoth forwards to move around the perimeter and shoot from deep without coverage, keeping them in the contest. The Firewolves’ defenders worked quickly to prevent the cross-field skip pass, pressing out on the ball and the adjacent forwards, unintentionally creating defensive vacuums off the ball for the Mammoth to dodge to the net with little to no coverage. Though Albany seems to be perfecting the art of the hot start, they are still struggling to maintain the heat for the full 60 minutes.