MacKay’s Hat Trick Propels Buffalo Bandits to Victory Over Las Vegas Desert Dogs
The Buffalo Bandits secured a hard-fought 15-13 victory over the Las Vegas Desert dogs on Saturday at KeyBank Center, fueled by a dominant performance from forward Ian MacKay and a resilient defensive effort despite late-game injuries.
MacKay’s incredible natural hat trick – scored within a span of just 4:33 in the second quarter – proved to be a pivotal moment in the contest, shifting momentum firmly in favor of the Bandits. He finished the night with seven points, including a crucial secondary assist on dhane Smith’s goal in the final 90 seconds to seal the win.
The bandits built a commanding 14-7 lead in the fourth quarter, but the Desert Dogs mounted a fierce comeback, scoring five consecutive goals to narrow the gap to 14-12. However, Buffalo’s offense, led by MacKay and a team-wide effort, proved too much for Las Vegas to overcome.
MacKay’s goals were far from conventional. His first was a spectacular, superman-style dive across the crease, giving Buffalo a 5-3 lead. He followed that up with a quick-stick goal just 37 seconds later,and capped off the hat trick with a highlight-reel shot fired with his back to the net. “The first dive one, Josh [Byrne] and I were working on that hook pick and we were able to get it,” MacKay explained. “Josh baited the defense into thinking he was shooting and dumped it in. They were closing in on me so I just figured dive and try to make something happen there.I think it surprised the goalie a little bit. The backhand one, its one of those ‘no, no, no, yes’ kind of ones. Everybody on the bench is probably panicking seeing that and probably not the smartest shot so thank god it whent in or it’d be on the bad clips in film next week.”
Head coach John Tavares lauded MacKay’s impact, stating that his third goal “demoralizes the other team.” MacKay’s journey to becoming a key offensive threat is noteworthy, having begun his seven-year National Lacrosse League (NLL) career as a defenseman before transitioning to a transition role. Tavares described MacKay as a “phenomenal” player with an smart understanding of the game on both ends of the floor.
Beyond the hat trick, MacKay reached a meaningful milestone, eclipsing the 200-point mark in his career. He also secured the primary assist on Kyle Buchanan’s opening goal of the fourth quarter. “Honestly I had no idea that was coming up,” MacKay saeid. “Just to get one point in this league is pretty cool, and to get to 200 is pretty special. You don’t get there without your teammates and the guys around you. And for a guy playing defense the majority of my career, coming up and playing offense…”
Buffalo’s dominant first half defensively, holding the Desert Dogs to just one goal in the first quarter and two in the second, laid the foundation for the win. Matt Vinc, who surpassed Tavares for second all-time in games played with 307, made two critical saves in the final 2:30. Paul Dawson also reached a milestone, surpassing 1,000 career loose-ball recoveries, while captain Steve Priolo added eight loose-ball recoveries and three created turnovers.
“controlled most of it,” Tavares said. “It’s a 60-minute game, and did well for 50 of them… We asked a lot of our defense, and we got a lot of minutes, and when you when you get a little bit tired, you tend to sit, and that’s probably why they have a lot of good opportunities shooting from the outside. Chris (Cloutier) and Jones in particular.”
The Bandits will next travel to Rochester to face the Knighthawks in an Empire State clash on Saturday, January 10, at Blue Cross Arena at 7 p.m.
