Buffalo Bandits Aim for Historic Three-Peat in NLL Finals

BUFFALO, N.Y. — The Buffalo Bandits face the Saskatchewan Rush in a winner-take-all game for the National Lacrosse League (NLL) Championship on Saturday at the KeyBank Center. This game represents a historic opportunity for the Bandits, as they seek a third consecutive title.

The Bandits, who previously clinched the championship in 2023, are prepared to repeat that success. In their 2023 title run, they won Game 1 at home, lost Game 2 away, and returned to Buffalo to secure the championship in front of their fans.

“It comes down to sacrifice,” said forward Dhane Smith. “You sacrifice being away from your kids, your family to get to this moment. We don’t want to waste this opportunity because you don’t get these often.”

The 4:30 p.m. game will be the culmination of the series after the Bandits fell to the Rush 11-10 in Game 2. The victory for Saskatchewan pushed the series to the decisive Game 3.

“This game means a lot to us and our fans,” said Bandits coach John Tavares. “If you took this opportunity at the beginning of the year, everyone would say yes. You’re going to see a very intense Buffalo Bandits team.”

Buffalo has won the NLL Cup six times in its history, with the latest back-to-back championships achieved in 2023 and 2024. On Saturday, fans will also enjoy the ‘Party in the Plaza’ event starting at 2:30 p.m. and can win prizes and take photos ahead of the game.