BANDITS PREPARE TO HOST GAME THREE OF NLL FINAL SATURDAY
Anticipation is building in the lead up to Game Three of the National Lacrosse League Final between the Buffalo Bandits and the Saskatchewan Rush. KeyBank Center will be the place to be on Saturday evening, with the first faceoff set for 4:30pm.
After the first two games of the NLL Final were split, with the home team taking each contest, Banditland is expected to be a major factor in the series finale, as the Bandits attempt to complete the second three-peat in NLL history.
SOTO BOOED IN RETURN TO THE BRONX FOR SUBWAY SERIES
The New York Yankees took two of three games in the Subway Series against the New York Mets over the weekend. This also marked the first time Juan Soto has played against his former team from the Bronx since turning down a half-a-billion dollar contract from the Yankees this offseason.
The Yankees won game one 6-2 on Friday night, which was Soto’s official return to Yankee Stadium as a member of the Mets. During his first at bat, Yankee fans in the outfield bleachers turned their back toward the same player that sent them to the World Series less than seven months ago. Throughout the weekend, especially on Saturday when the Mets won 3-2, Soto was mercilessly booed by the Bronx faithful. On Sunday, Yankee fans got the last laugh, thanks to a grand slam from Cody Bellinger, lifting the Bronx Bombers to an 8-2 victory to seal the Subway Series win. On the weekend, Soto went 1-10 at the plate, with four walks and three strikeouts.
The Yankees currently sit second in the American League, three games behind the Detroit Tigers, while the Mets are fourth in the National League standings.
GIRLS FLAG FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS PREVIEW
While Friday Night Lights may be wrapped up for this girl’s flag football season, the playoffs are just getting started. There are three Section VI Titles to be awarded this season, the most in the sports’ young history.
Class A will see eight teams compete in the quarterfinals tonight, with top seeded Kenmore (that’s East and West combined) holding the top spot with a 12-2 record this season. 9-2 Orchard Park and 5-5-1 Lancaster are the next two teams in the standings, fighting for the blue patch. The semifinals will take place Friday at the higher seeds’ home field, before the Class A Championship will be held at Sweet Home, next week Wednesday night.
We got to see the two time defending regional champions at Clarence High School this season, and they did not disappoint. The Red Devils are the favorite to three-peat as the top seed in Class B. Williamsville South, who had Clarence on the ropes in week five of FNL, is the second seed, with a 13-1 record, and their only loss coming at the hands of the Red Devils. Hamburg, Grand Island, and North Tonawanda all present challenges to the top two teams in Class B, but it seems to be Clarence’s Sectional Title to lose. The quarterfinals are tomorrow night, with the semis to be played on Saturday, then the Championship game will be the appetizer at Sweet Home next Wednesday afternoon.
The class with the most parity this postseason is likely to be Class C, with the top three teams combining for a total of two losses. Undefeated Depew leads the way as the 1 seed, boasting an unblemished 13-0 record. If you followed along with the FNL season, you might remember when Depew overcame a halftime deficit to defeat Holland a few weeks ago. The Wildcats have two teams hot on their tail, with the second seeded Fredonia sitting at 11-1. It was early in the season when the Hillbillies survived the Jamestown Red and Green on Friday Night Lights with a 20-12 road victory. As the third seed, the defending Champion Pioneer Panthers pose the greatest threat in Class C. It’s rare that a team with Pioneer’s resume is given “bulletin board material” when entering the playoffs. The Panthers have lost just one game all season, a 19-6 loss at Depew just a couple weeks ago. To follow that up, Pioneer bounced back by handing Clarence their only defeat of the season, with a 25-19 non-league victory. The semifinals are set, which includes Fredonia hosting Pioneer, tonight at 7PM. The Class C Championship game will be held at Williamsville North on Saturday at noon.
The Scoreboard is presented by Zenner and Ritter Heating and Cooling.
