By Pat Murray
BUFFALO — PREGAME:
The Bandits, who enter the game with the league's best record at 6-4, are out to subdue their nemesis -- the Rochester Knighthawks at HSBC Arena.
There are plenty of orange shirts in the arena tonight, a common theme among Bandits' fans. But the Knighthawks have plenty of supporters of their own who made the short drive west on the Thruway. The decibel level promises to be high all night.
More after the first quarter ...
FIRST QUARTER:
Buffalo goalie steve Dietrich was absolutely solid in the first period, making 10 saves as the Bandits built a 3-2 lead after the first 15 minutes.
Kim Squire scored two goals for Buffalo, much to the delight of the Bandits fans and the disappointment of the K-Hawks faithful.
It's a pretty good crowd for a Saturday (with apologies to Billy Joel). Most of the lower bowl of the arena is full and there's a good number of fans in the 300 level.
More at halftime ...
HALFTIME:
The Bandits capitalize on a two-man advantage, scoring twice to build a 9-4 lead at halftime. The K-Hawks outshot Buffalo 14-8 in the quarter, but once again Steve Dietrich was solid in goal for Buffalo.
The same couldn't be said for Rochester goalie Pat O'Toole. The former Bandit netminder made only two saves in the period.
The game is becoming chippy, and words were exchanged as the teams headed to the locker rooms. The Bandits may have a five-goal lead, but this one is far from over. More later ...
THIRD QUARTER:
Buffalo's Mark Steenhuis didn't just kill penalties, he killed the Rochester Knighhawks.
Steenhuis scored three goals in the third period, two of them while the Bandits were short-handed, to help the Bandits increase their lead to 14-7 heading into the final period.
Steenhuis has five goals on the game. His second short-handed goal gave the Bandits a 12-5 lead and spelled the end for Rochester goalie Pat O'Toole.
The Bandits fans are known to party hearty after the game, but tonight they're having quite a party while the contest is still going on.
More after the game...
FINAL:
Mark Steenhuis finished with seven goals as the Bandits won 18-13. With the win, the Bandits (7-4) maintained the best record in the National Lacrosse League.
Be sure to check out Sunday's paper for full coverage and look for 10 Questions with NLL Commissioner Jim Jennings coming in the near future. HAVE A GREAT NIGHT!
