Feb. 8, 2000

BUFFALO, N.Y. - By TOM BORRELLI
Buffalo News Sports Reporter

The Buffalo Bandits normally rely on their Canadian-born box lacrosse specialists to provide the lion's share of the offense.

But Saturday's 21-17 National Lacrosse League victory over the expansion Albany Attack at Marine Midland Arena offered a huge splash of red, white and blue.

Two Americans making their professional debuts combined for five goals, three assists and provided more spark than a dangling muffler as the Bandits completed their season-opening, three-game homestand with a 2-1 record before an announced crowd of 6,742.

Scott Hochstadt, a three-time All-American at the University of Maryland, replaced Craig Stevenson in the lineup and scored three times. Mario Lopez, a two-time All-American at the University of Massachusetts, stepped in for the suspended Andy Ogilvie and had two goals and three assists.

They got plenty of help from their friends. John Tavares had two goals and seven assists, Derek Malawsky had three goals - two that sent the Bandits on their way - and four assists and captain Mike Accursi had two goals and three assists. Chris Driscoll, Shawn Williams and Travis Kilgour all chipped in with four-point games and Matt Disher was often spectacular in goal, making 53 saves.

"Speed is the name of the game and these two guys (Hochstadt and Lopez) were playing great in practice so I couldn't hold them back," said Bandits head coach Ted Sawicki. "They're talented and they can check. They were both involved so much in transition."

"They both wanted to prove to the coaching staff that they belong and they both did that," said Accursi, whose Bandits are averaging a league-high 19 goals per game.

The performance was especially sweet for Hochstadt, who lives in Columbia, Md., and spent Friday holding vigil with his family.

"I was at the (Georgetown University) hospital from 6 a.m. yesterday and stayed there all day," Hochstadt said. "My mom had a seven-hour surgery for (breast) cancer and I still haven't even gotten to talk her since the operation. It was an emotional game for me, an emotional win and I dedicated all I did today to her."

None of Hochstadt's family members were able to attend his pro debut. They were in Washington, D.C., at his mom's bedside.

"I always had my family behind me in the stands back at Maryland. But my mom was with me here today," said Hochstadt, pointing to his heart. "It actually helped me because the game didn't mean so much compared to my mom being in a life-and-death situation. I think it helped me to keep my mind off the game, so I wasn't nervous about playing for the first time."

"I can certainly relate to Scott's situation," said Sawicki, who lost both his parents to cancer during the offseason. "Playing was probably a nice relief for him. When you're with a team you have friends rallying around you."

Lopez, who missed the first two games with a knee injury, may have been the fastest man on the field.

"Getting used to the faster transition is going to take some getting used to," Lopez said with a laugh. "I pretty much like to run. I felt we were able to run by these guys, especially late. They seemed to be a step slower."

The Attack (1-3) played seven ex-Bandits Saturday and were led by Darris Kilgour, with two goals and five assists, and Troy Cordingley, with four goals and an assist. But ex-Bandit Ted Dowling, who entered the game second in the NLL in scoring with 24 points in three games, was held to a goal and an assist. He was using borrowed equipment because U.S. Airways lost his, but he also was the target of plenty of guys wearing orange and black. Sawicki assigned two players on all three lines to mark Dowling.

"If Teddy doesn't have the ball he can't get a goal, it's as simple as that," Buffalo's Shaydon Santos said. "I think we all did our jobs well because he didn't see the ball a lot. Without the ball, he's not going to hurt us."

Said Dowling: "Teddy Sawicki is a very smart coach. He put Kyle Couling, who I think is their best defensive player, on me. He's very agile and he did a good job. It's hats off to them for winning the game."

Malawsky scored back-to-back goals late in the third quarter to put Buffalo ahead, 15-13. Disher made 17 saves in the final quarter and Albany never was able to tie it up again.

"I like to be a little bit busier rather than having a lot of lulls," Disher said. "We had one lapse but we just kept digging."

The Bandits bolted to a 9-3 lead thanks to an 8-1 run in the first half but Albany answered with a 6-1 run to get right back in it.

"You can't fall behind Buffalo by six and expect to come back and win," Attack coach Terry Sanderson said. "It takes too much out of the tank."

The Bandits hit the road for the first time next Saturday, facing the Pittsburgh CrosseFire (2-3).

Reprinted from the Buffalo News