Bandits win Game 1 of NLL Finals against FireWolves

The Buffalo Bandits won Game 1 of the NLL Finals against the Albany FireWolves by a score of 12-8 on Friday night.

The Bandits entered halftime down 6-5, but outscored Albany 7-2 in the second half, securing this important road victory in this best-of-3 series.

Buffalo alternate captain Dhane Smith scored or assisted 11 of the Bandits’ 12 goals and said the team’s success was based solely on sticking to the game plan.

Reigning NLL MVP Josh Byrne, Chris Cloutier, Ian MacKay and Tehoka Nanticoke also recorded multi-point nights while Chase Fraser, Kyle Buchanan and Dylan Robinson each added a goal.

Albany was led by Ethan Walker, who had a seven-point performance.

Game 2 is scheduled for Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at KeyBank Center, and if they win, the Bandits will win the NLL title for the second year in a row.