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Bandits close to regaining prominence
By Mike Freedman
It’s been quite a while since the Buffalo Bandits have been heard from. Maybe that’s why their message is being heard so loud: the Bandits are back.
After dominating the world of indoor lacrosse throughout the early and mid-90s by winning a trio of titles, Buffalo’s professional lacrosse franchise slipped into mediocrity for the latter part of the decade.
However, with new head coach and former Bandit star Darris Kilgour in the fold, the team bolted to a league best 9-1 record as of March 12. They’re poised for their biggest postseason run since ’97, when they lost to Rochester in the Major Indoor Lacrosse League Championship Game.
"I’m very confident that this team can make a run," says Kilgour, who is in the top five in every offensive category in Bandit history. "To say that it will happen is naïve, but I definitely believe it’s possible. I believed that when I came back here and right now we’re looking good, but the day that you expect to win is the day you’re going to lose."
Led by all-everything forward John Tavares, third in the revamped National Lacrosse League with 31 goals, and first in points per game (with better than seven), the Bandits have plenty of firepower to complement goalie Steve Dietrich (7-1.)
"In my eyes, John is the best player to ever play this game," boasts Bandits’ g.m. Kurt Silcott. "We have a number of good players on this team and the way that he involves them is a testament to his game. His assist numbers are ‘ridiculous’ (4 apg). He’s clearly not a one-man show."
"Meanwhile Steve is a very calming influence on defense," Silcott added. "Like hockey, the goalie position is one that you have to fill with a high-quality player and we feel that Steve is a premier goalie in this league."
Even with Tavares and Dietrich as cornerstones, Silcott is the first to admit that it took the hiring of Kilgour, who played a primary role in all three Bandit title teams, to bring everything together.
"The fruition of everything has come with Darris," he explains. "He coaches the game the way I want it to be coached, with a run-and-gun style on offense and pounding people on defense. The combination of those two things is what made the Bandits a success back then."
Kilgour explains his coaching philosophy another way. "No team is going to lay down for you unless you make them," he says. "If you go out there and play really tough, some teams will lay down by halftime. We go out there and try to make the message clear: we’re better than you are, and you can try to hang with us, but we’re going to beat you. We don’t want teams hanging around in the fourth quarter."
Not many have. Five of Buffalo’s nine wins have been by a margin of five or more goals, leaving Kilgour feeling optimistic about bringing another championship back to his hometown. "Being from around here, you always want to be successful in front of your family and friends," explains Kilgour, who coached the Washington Power for two seasons before coming home. "It just seemed like a perfect fit to be able to come home and try to bring the Bandits back to where they were. There’s been some great memories here–things that I’ll never forget–and I’m striving to make more."
Stay tuned.
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