Week 20 saw a rivalry renewed. The Rochester Knighthawks made the hour-long trip down the I-90 to take on their crosstown foes, the Buffalo Bandits. This clash had some serious implications, as both teams had quite a bit to play for. The Knighthawks were in “must-win” territory, as they were fighting for their playoff lives. The Bandits came in on a six-game winning streak and needed to continue it for a chance at hosting a first round playoff game. KeyBank Center was ready to pop at any second.
Let’s face the facts: this game was never really close. Buffalo jumped out to an early lead and their defense, along with Matt Vinc, clamped down and stifled a potent Rochester offense. Buffalo stretched their winning streak to seven, beating Rochester 12-6. After the dust settled in Week 20, Buffalo saw themselves in third place, which means they would host a first round game if that’s where they remained. If the league wasn’t on notice already, they surely are now.
Buffalo used the energy from the crowd right from the jump, as they buried the first two goals of the game, one from Dhane Smith and the other from Josh Byrne. Zed Williams got the Knighthawks on the board with his first, which was courtesy of his patented step-back laser. The Bandits closed out the first quarter with two more goals, both from Kyle Buchanan, the first of which was on the power play. Bucky also hit the 700-point mark in his remarkable career. 4-1 Bandits after one…