Knighthawks and the flu can’t keep Bandits from clinching home playoff game

April 11th, 2009 by Lauren Ward

Hearing that both John Tavares and Mark Steenhuis are under the weather is about the best news you can hope for as a team facing the Buffalo Bandits. Until you remember Mike Accursi and Roger Vyse. And Pat McCready. And Ken Montour. Plus the entire Bandits defense and sharp-shooter Phil Sanderson. Anyway, chances are that even with the flu Tavares and Steenhuis are going to find a way to combine for eight points as they did last night in the 13-9 win over the Knighthawks, planting at least one playoff game in Buffalo.

Accursi and Vyse each stepped up with three goals and one assist, while Tavares scored two and set up three, Steenhuis had one goal and two helpers, McCready one and three, and defenders Billy Dee Smith and Sanderson got in on the scoring action, with Sanderson notching his first of the season.

In typical Montour fashion, Buffalo’s starting goaltender stopped 52 of 61 including 17 in the fourth quarter where the Bandits outscored the Knighthawks 5-2 to cement the win, while in front of him the defense kept Rochester shooters to the outside and took all the sparkle out of Gary Gait’s trick shot attempts.

Shawn Williams led the Knighthawks with two goals and two assists, while Bobby McBride, Shawn Evans, Craig Point and Joe Walters each chipped in one goal and two assists.

Buffalo travels to New York tonight while Rochester will be in Boston.