BUFFALO SPORTS NEWS YEARS RESOLUTIONS
On this New Year’s Day, I’ve decided to take a swing at what I would think are resolutions for some of our professional teams in Buffalo.
With one game left in the regular season, the Buffalo Bills have outperformed the expectations that just about every analyst had set before the year began. My resolution for the Bills is to find a way to remain the underdog throughout the playoffs. As we’ve seen in recent years, when Buffalo is the favorite, expected to win in January, that’s when they’ve found ways to fall short of the ultimate goal. Luckily, the schedule works in their favor for this playoff run at least in the “underdog” metric, having to most likely defeat the Ravens, avenging an earlier loss in Baltimore, and of course, going to Kansas City to defeat the Chiefs in a potential AFC Championship game. If the Bills can use that underdog mentality to remain “humble and hungry” throughout the next month, I believe it can help lift them to the biggest game of the season
For the Sabres, there are a few ways to go in terms of resolutions, but one that I think is reasonable for the immediate future is to win more home games. So far this season, Buffalo is 7-9-3 at KeyBank Center, with only two teams in the NHL having fewer wins on home ice. In the calendar year of 2024, the Sabres went 20-19-3 in Buffalo. That 48% winning percentage is a clear mark that the team should look to improve in the 2025 calendar year, especially to end this regular season, which has 21 home games remaining. My goal for those home games would be to win at least fourteen of them, a solid two-thirds winning percentage in front of their hometown fans to close the season.
Finally, what can a team that has won back-to-back championships say they want to improve upon for the coming year? The Bandits are like your friend that is in great physical and mental shape, has a six-figure salary, a happy family and visually no flaws… they’ll take on a New Year’s Resolution and crush it just because they’re bored. There aren’t many things to say the Buffalo Bandits need to work on, but with some older players on the roster, I’ll say my resolution for Buffalo’s lacrosse team is to have a seamless transition of leadership between the vets that are bound to move on in the coming year or two and the next wave of Bandits. Goalie Matt Vinc (42), Forward Kyle Buchanan (37), plus Defensemen Paul Dawson (39) and captain Steve Priolo (35) are each at the tail end of their professional careers, which is no shocker to the Bandits. To their credit, Buffalo drafted three defensemen in the first two rounds of the 2024 draft, after using the seventh overall pick to select Forward Lukas Nielsen, who made the opening night roster. The biggest shoes to fill will clearly be in between the pipes, as Vinc has been terrific, including a 62-save, record setting performance last time out. With a solid wave of talent already here, like Tehoka Nanticoke, Josh Byrne, and Chase Fraser, it’s safe to say the Bandits will nail this resolution and have this group primed to carry the torch into the next era of Buffalo lacrosse.
WEDNESDAY WHIP-AROUND
Time to check in on the local college basketball scene with the ‘Wednesday Whip-Around’:
DIVISION I
Buffalo Bulls MBB: 5-7, MAC play begins this weekend as the Bulls are in Oxford, OH for a meeting with the Miami Redhawks before hosting Ohio University next Tuesday the 7th.
Buffalo Bulls WBB: 11-0, One of eight undefeated DI teams across the country, are the highest ranked MAC team in the mid major poll at #6; begin Conference play hosting Central Michigan on New Year’s Day, before heading to Kent State for a MAC Championship game rematch next Sunday.
St. Bonaventure Bonnies MBB: 13-1, Opened A10 play with an epic, 77-75 win over VCU yesterday, thanks to a game-winning, buzzer-beater layup from Rochester native Melvin Council, Jr. The Bonnies travel to Fordham Saturday for a 2PM meeting with the Rams.
St. Bonaventure Bonnies WBB: 4-8, Lost their conference opener at Loyola Chicago on Sunday; BONA hosts Rhode Island on Thursday at 1PM, before going to Virginia to take on George Mason on Sunday.
Canisius Golden Griffins MBB: 0-13, Closed non-conference play with a thirty-three point loss at Bradley; The Griffs begin Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference action on Sunday at Sacred Heart.
Canisius Golden Griffins WBB: 1-11, After dropping their first two MAAC games at Merrimack and Siena, the Griffs lost a non-conference game vs Colgate earlier this week. Canisius hosts Sacred Heart on Sunday for a league game.
Niagara Purple Eagles MBB: 6-7, The Purple Eagles are 1-1 in conference play, with a win over Siena. NU lost a Big Four battle at St Bonaventure two weeks ago. They travel to Maryland for a league match at Mount St. Mary’s on Sunday.
Niagara Purple Eagles WBB: 1-9, The Purple Eagles lost back to back MAAC games at Siena and Merrimack to start the league schedule 0-2. Niagara hosts Mount St. Mary’s on Saturday, searching for their first win in conference play.
DIVISION II
Daemen Wildcats MBB: 11-0, The Wildcats are 4-0 in the East Coast Conference, winning in dominant fashion. Daemen has outscored their league opponents by an average of 26 points. The Wildcats, coming off sweeping the Doc Jacobs Classic in Vermont, travel to New Hampshire for a non-conference matchup at Franklin Pierce before going to Molloy and Queens for more ECC games.
Daemen Wildcats WBB: 8-5, Starting a perfect 4-0 in league play, the Daemen lost to both Alaska Anchorage and Hawaii Pacific at the Hoops in Hawai’i Classic over the holiday break. The Wildcats host Indiana (PA) on Friday for a non-league tilt at 6:30 before joining the men’s team downstate next weekend to restart ECC play.
D’Youville Saints MBB: 2-10, After starting 0-4 in the ECC, the Saints look to start the New Year with a win when they host Frostburg State Friday night at 6PM.
D’Youville Saints WBB: 3-10, DYU picked up their lone league victory over St Thomas Aquinas, but have since dropped two games in a showcase in New Hampshire. The Saints are at Queens and Molloy next weekend.
DIVISION III
Hilbert Hawks MBB: 8-3; WBB 0-11, Both host SUNY Canton on Thursday at 2PM.
Buffalo State Bengals MBB: 2-7; WBB 3-6, Host SUNY Morrisville next Tuesday.
Fredonia State Blue Devils MBB: 1-7; WBB 4-4, Host SUNY Cortland next Tuesday
JUCO
SUNY Niagara Thunderwolves MBB: 14-2; WBB 14-1
ECC Kats MBB: 8-6; WBB 2-11
JCC Jayhawks MBB: 4-12; WBB 8-2
USCAA
Villa Maria Vikings MBB: 13-3; WBB 0-10
Bryant & Stratton (Buffalo) MBB: 6-6; WBB 8-2
