The Buffalo Bandits got off to their usual slow start Saturday at HSBC Arena, but recovered in time to defeat the Vancouver Ravens, 17-14, in front of 6,176 fans.

Vancouver’s Ex-Bandit Brigade scored four goals in the first six minutes of the game to give the Ravens a 4-1 lead. Craig Stevenson and Kevin Brunsch scored in the first three minutes, and while Mike Accursi found the back of the net two minutes later for Buffalo, Chris Prat dumped a pair of quick goals past Steve Dietrich in less than a minute and put the Ravens up by three.

John Tavares, Accursi and Chris Langdale quickly tied the game at four with eight minutes left to play in the quarter. Chris Gill found rope to give the Ravens back a one-goal lead, but less than ten seconds later, the game was tied again when Buffalo’s Andy Ogilvie scored. Rookie Peter Morgan scored his first goal of the night, giving the Ravens the lead once again at the thirteen-minute mark. With less than a minute left in the quarter, Pat Maddalena knotted the game yet again with a shorthanded goal. At the end of the quarter, the game was tied at six, and the Bandits were still shorthanded.

A minute and a half into the second quarter, Maddalena gave the Bandits their first lead of the night with his second shorthander, only to have Morgan tie it up again less than a minute later. Randy Mearns and Chris Driscoll took the lead back for Buffalo again at 9-7. Prat and Morgan each lit the lamp again for Vancouver, tying the game at nine with five minutes left to play before intermission. Ryan Powell, Kyle Couling and Driscoll put the Bandits up 12-9 before Brunsch finished the scoring for Vancouver, making the score 12-10 at halftime.

The third quarter was clearly dominated by the Bandits, who got four of the five goals scored in the quarter. Driscoll, Accursi and Maddalena each scored their third goals of the night to put the Bandits up by five, at 15-10. Jamey Bowen cut the Bandits lead to 15-11 with six minutes left in the quarter, but Tavares got that point back on a power play goal with a minute-and-a-half left before the whistle. The Bandits took a 16-11 lead into the final fifteen minutes of play.

Jason Clark scored the first goal, which would be the Bandits only goal, of the final stanza, to put Buffalo up 17-11. Gill scored his second of the night two minutes later, cutting Buffalo’s lead to 17-12. Ryan O’Connor scored on a power play at the eight-minute mark to cut into Buffalo’s lead yet again, and Jeff Hanson finished the game’s scoring with four-and-a-half minutes left to play. At the final whistle, the Bandits were victorious, 17-14 over the Ravens.

John Tavares earned Player of the Game honors for his six-point performance, all the more important after being held without any goals or assists Friday night at Philadelphia. Tavares and Driscoll led the Bandits with six points apiece, while Prat and Morgan paced the Ravens with seven and six points respectively.

BOX SUMMARY
                                      1  2  3  4     TOT
Vancouver Ravens (3-6)                6  4  1  3  --  14
Buffalo Bandits (4-3)                 6  6  4  1  --  17

VANCOUVER RAVENS              BUFFALO BANDITS
               G - A   PTS                   G - A   PTS
Prat           3 - 4     7    Driscoll       3 - 3     6
Morgan         3 - 3     6    Tavares        2 - 4     6
Gill           2 - 2     4    Accursi        3 - 1     4
Bowen          1 - 3     4    Ogilvie        1 - 3     4
Brunsch        2 - 0     2    Maddelena      3 - 0     3
Maetche        0 - 2     2    Couling        1 - 2     3
Hanson         1 - 0     1    Langdale       1 - 2     3
O'Connor       1 - 0     1    Powell         1 - 2     3
Stevenson      1 - 0     1    Kirkby         0 - 3     3
                              J Clark        1 - 1     2
                              Mearns         1 - 1     2
                              Dietrich       0 - 1     1
                              Gelsvik        0 - 1     1
                              R Kilgour      0 - 1     1
                              McCready       0 - 1     1

Shots on goal           53    Shots on goal           56
Saves made by           39    Saves made by           39
   Maetche           39          Dietrich          39
Penalties               10    Penalties                6
Penalty Minutes         20    Penalty Minutes         15
Power Play Chances       6    Power Play Chances      10
Power Play Goals         3    Power Play Goals         7
   Morgan             1          Accursi            2
   O'Connor           1          Tavares            2
   Stevenson          1          Driscoll           1
                                 Mearns             1
                                 Powell             1
Shorthanded Goals        0    Shorthanded Goals        2
   (None)                        Maddelena          2
Loose Balls             96    Loose Balls            107
   Maetche           15          Dietrich          13
   Reisig            15          Tavares           13
   Hanson            11          Kirkby            10
                                 McCready          10
Faceoffs Won            22    Faceoffs Won            14
   Stevenson    (22-13)          Kirkby       (10-12)
   Reisig       ( 0- 1)          Fraser       ( 3- 8)
                                 Ogilvie      ( 1- 0)
                                 R Kilgour    ( 0- 2)

  *** STATS OFFICIAL BY VERIFY WITH BUFFALO BANDITS ***