By Joseph Keyser
BUFFALO, N.Y.--The Buffalo Bandits lost to the Calgary Roughnecks 17-11, putting them on an at-home losing streak. In the game, Buffalo forward Dhane Smith scored his 400th career NLL goal.
“We can’t take any team lightly,” Bandits forward Kyle Buchanan said. “We’ve won [the championship] twice in a row. We’re sitting at the top of the standings. We can’t come in and be a little bit lackadaisical.”
The Bandits recent championship success has a target on their back, but it’s not something the team is taking lightly.
“I said to the guys in the locker room that we’ve been winning, but not playing that good,” Buchanan said. “I think that’s sort of a kiss of death to get comfortable in those routines and those kinds of habits.”
Buffalo aims to rally back and get back into the win column more as the season continues.
“Right now, we’re 9-2 and our goal is to stay at the top,” Bandits head coach John Tavares said. “It’s a tough league. I remind the team every game that every team in this league can win any night.”
The Bandits got out to an early 2-0 lead with goals from Smith and transition player Ian MacKay.
Calgary forward Tanner Cook scored a pair of goals in the first to tie it up.
The second quarter was a back-and-forth affair that saw forwards Josh Byrne, Tehoka Nanticoke and Smith score for Buffalo. At the end of the second, the Bandits trailed 7-6 while being outshot 27-to-26.
Both teams scored thrice in the third, with Buchanan scoring two and Nanticoke scoring the other.
The final frame is where the Roughnecks took control and ran up the score.
“They kind of got out of hand the last five or six minutes,” Tavares said. “In the fourth quarter they took over and we didn’t have an answer. We’ve been answering all year long. It’s eventually going to catch up to you.”
The Bandits and Roughnecks play each other next Saturday at Scotiabank Saddledome at 9 p.m.
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