It's my last one, it's my lates,
so it's my best one at the moment. Can
you guys play a better defensive
game all the way around for goaI
was told four is the record
goals against in the final,
so doesn't get much better
than that against that team.
You know, they put 16 up,
16 goals up against us last weed
to come back and hold him to fo,
quite the feat.
You know, Matty played well,
defense played well.
We didn't give him any good loo.
Josh, Josh had that big third quarter.
What did you know that he was?
Trending towards being
available tonight after
practice yesterday, but
then did you see him work his
way into the game tonight?
I thought he is his our first g.
He was a big part of it and he t
going right away and he didn't s
a beat for somebody who was hur.
He I thought he had a great gam.
He had a great playoff series
for all the games he was in.
How much of a lift is having hin
the lineup give you guys emotionally?
It's it's huge lift but you know
you got to be careful that you w
you don't take things for grant.
Oh we got Josh. We're going to win now.
No we still got to play a really good team.
We got to show up and and and py
full 60 minutes which we did. Cn
you compare the emotions for you to say
you're watching them and the trophy around
you wanted to the player now as a head.
Yeah I just enjoy watching my team have
fun and and I was just trying to enjoy
their moment with them and I know that
you know what it means to to win as a
player and get that banner raised and.
You know, be up there for a long time and I
was happy for every single guy on the team.
I thought throughout the entirer
everybody's worked hard and committed
and and bought into, you know,
what the coaches have been preaching. Is it
knowing recent finals history tt
you guys got done with the scho?
Yeah, I mean we could have easi,
you know, got caught in that rot where we,
you know, we lost two years ago.
We lost last year and and I
remember like with the press
conference earlier this morning,
you know, there's like. You kno,
was brought up all this deja vu all over,
as you know didn't want,
didn't want to answer the question because,
you know, I wanted to change
that narrative and you know,
I want to win, but I didn't want
to be cocky at the same time.
And it's nice to get that
monkey off our back.
He's a great leader on and off the floor.
He, you know, he's he's produce.
Literally every,
every big game that we've had ts
year and for a guy who who's so good,
I almost some sometimes things e
gets a little bit slack from pee
you know and you know that's ths
the biggest stage right there.
And he showed up again.
Coach, what was the biggest difference
from tonight or from game two to tonight?
Not giving them open looks
underneath into our net.
So we just made an adjustment
and it seemed to work.
What do you think?
Going through the mind of guys e
Dane and Steve and and Nick whod
waiting a long time and I'm just
going to say this feels good wha
relief that they were very happ.
You know the guys I talked to and and
and embraced was you know they'e
all you know finally they they t
these guys been together the coe
guys been together for a few yes
and you know going back to COVID year
I know if you remember that fark
but we had we were pretty strong
team that got season got cut sh.
And then we had a season off and then
he make the finals, your favori,
you lose to Calgary.
Make the finals,
your favorite lose to Colorado.
And here we are again playing against,
you know, Colorado and guys pulled out.
You know that was one of our
best games this year.
When you
the last four games, when you've
had the offense together and wo,
I think you won by a total of
39 goals before games combined.
Yeah, that's almost astonishing to do that.
I don't know if you can.
Possibly play any better in that
sense, Yeah. Amazing.
I know. And I don't like getting caught up
in the goal differential because sometimes
people think you have to win by that,
that many goals every game.
Like you need to win by 5
or 6 or something's wrong.
And sometimes when you have such
a strong offense like we do,
people expects you to win by 5
or 6 or score 15 every night.
You know, we're playing against great
goal is great teams, great defe.
So you know you're going to have
nights where it doesn't go in.
Like for example, today for Colorado,
you know, they're a great team.
They scored sixteen,
so it's easy to get shut down, you know?
And you know,
I commend every player on that n
our team for working as hard as
they did and not getting satisfd
because we won by so many goals.
We didn't get comfortable with .
You describe it all, what it's
like celebrating on the home fid
with the home fans and you know
any flashbacks that championshi.
That was one of the nice things
about losing in Colorado.
We got to celebrate it with our fans.
Obviously we have the most loyal
and passionate fans in the leage
and that was evident again toni.
I don't remember really think
that'll be for the players kind
of remember in that they're
going to remember that forever.
Like I mean I played for a long
time and we won four championsh.
The championship teams I remembr
more than other teams and it's t
group will forever be together as the
2023 National Cross League cham.
That's the bond they will share forever.
2 questions left guys.
Two questions coach.
I know it's more fresh off at te
emotions are still at his high off of
this but tonight what do you th.
That will mean just for the city
and for the Buffalo community
after a very eventful year.
Yeah, I think I hope it means a lot to
the people of Buffalo that definitely,
I think it means a lot to the
fans of Buffalo that follow us.
You know, we're not a national lacrosse,
we're not a National Hockey Lea,
We're not the NBA.
I get we're not a major sport,
but it's still, you know,
a big deal when in that lacrosse league.
It's growing in popularity in te
sport and I think we have a lote
people that are starting to fol.
Lacrosse and I think you
know what's happened,
People just want a champion.
You know, they were they want a championship
and they want people to be happ.
And when you win, people out moe
happy than they are when you lo.
So it's nice to give back to the
community that supported us for,
for not just this year,
but every year I've been here.
I
don't know if there's going to be a rally.
Johnny, can you make it? What day? Sometime
in the next couple days, I
assume. I'm definitely going
to try to make it, Yeah,
I wouldn't want to miss it.
Never know when the next one isl
right. Thanks guys. Thanks everybody.
I need to
end. I think we
got Josh Burn, James Smith,
Matt, Vince, go ahead.
You know, we've talked a few tis
and you always said you understd
how hard it is to get to this
point and win a championship.
And you did it. You rewrote the script.
Finally. How are you feeling
right now? It's a dream come tr.
Weight off shoulders.
Weight off all of our shoulders.
We knew it wasn't going to be e.
I think that was our most comple
game of the year and started frm
obviously the best goal in the d
to our great defense to a great
offense and trust in the proces.
The coaches did a great job of adjusting
a little bit, and I'm so thankf.
I like again, I'm in shock right now.
Josh, can you take
us through your experience of te
last week with the whole medical
issue and how you felt today,
man, One of the biggest emotional roller
coasters of my entire life, You know,
calling this guy the day of the game.
Just follow my eyes out,
tell him I can't play and trustg
these guys And then and really .
Trusting the teammates and I'm trying to be
there in any way that I can and you know,
frustrating, frustrating.
I've never, I never thought I wd
have to sit out a championship
game especially from an injury.
Like it's just the most
frustrating thing ever.
But you know the universe has a funny way
of working and fortunately we were able to
get to game three and and now we're champ.
So could I could you could have
wrote it any better?
Man,
how certain were you were uncertain a
week ago that you'd be able to play here
tonight, tonight. After game tw,
no matter how I was feeling,
how was going to play Josh,
you had to assist on the first Golden.
How much did that help you get
settled into the energy in
the floor? Not great, honestly.
I was just, I was throwing the l
away a lot in the first quarter.
But you know, obviously you trun
your teammates and they trusted in me.
So you know, this guy's the first one
to be looking at me and even whI
make a dumb play, he's I keep g.
It's all good.
This, I don't care about
anything but this championship,
I honestly, I've said it before.
You don't get recognized for your accolades.
You get recognized through those banners.
And we finally did it and
I'm so thankful again.
It's just like it's a dream come true,
Matt. You don't put up a safe percentage
of 920 without having a lot of .
Was that just a defensive masterpiece
from your group? One? Yeah,
obviously, I think.
You know, the way we've finished game two,
I don't think that's that
well with anybody you know,
the last couple days and you kn,
I think that, you know, might b,
you know, the least amount of
composure we could have had in e
two and shows a lot of characte.
I think in our locker room for,
you know, not only on the
defensive end but offensive end,
for us to come out with
a performance like that,
stay out of the penalty box,
just do all the little things r,
I think basically we could have
scripted a better game plan
offensively and defensively.
I mean I'm just fortunate,
you know, I think to be the the
last line of defense and you kn,
it's a pleasure to be able
to play behind that group.
You won the NIL Cup a few times before. How
different is it to win it here in Buffalo?
Yes, anytime you're you can win.
It's 100. It's special.
But you know since that first time that
I decided to come to Buffalo, I.
You know, this was what I wante.
You know, I think it would have been cool
to be able to win last week in Denver,
but you know that atmosphere,
you know it's second.
I can't. You know,
put it into words kind of what ,
you know last five minutes kind
of felt like being able to look
up in the crowd and know exactly
where your family members are.
So many people that have I think
supported you along the way.
You know have my, you know,
my kids in the in that in that crowd,
you know, I was one of those ki.
And you know I think I remember
a lot of those you know,
those cool memories,
you know those banners going
up and you know be able to be
part of that is is extra special
J T's kind of talked about.
It's been lonely like this.
It's been a long time for Bandit
Land to to experience a champiop
and be able to be part of the gp
that puts another banner up the.
It's, you know,
it gives you chills just talking about it.
That part of the grossly premature question.
But would you like to do it again or,
you know, I think I felt like ts
was going to be a question agai.
It's it's, I don't know if thers
a time to talk about this stuff,
because it doesn't.
Involved just me in in in tonigt
today it's about our group and I
think I just want to focus on or
group you know these guys besid.
I think that's the our main focs
is you know I can join the momet
because it's a big it's a big oe
and I'm just you know I think Im
proud to to be sitting here with
these two guys you know hell of
lacrosse players great leaders d
yeah it's just I don't know I tk
it's going to be an emotional.
Day for a lot of guys, you know.
I think for us trying happy to
finally get one in band land.
The fact that you've gone through three
finals before this and come up just short,
make this a little sweeter.
You almost appreciate it more, t
definitely. I feel like 2016.
I was a little kid,
I didn't didn't really understand it.
I was grateful that we got ther,
but I didn't really get it.
Obviously 2019,
I felt like we had the team to do it.
We fell short.
Each year we kind of got a little bit better.
Obviously last year we got our e
win under a belt and then this r
obviously winning championship.
The world has a funny
ways of kind of working.
And again, I'm just so thankful.
Again, I'd love to have 4 championships,
don't get me wrong,
but this one,
this one means the world to me.
Was there a moment in the game y
where it really hits you that you'd be?
Waiting a few minutes with a co.
It was. I was nervous the whole time,
honestly. I was like,
I was like even when we were up,
like quite a bit, I was like,
it doesn't feel real.
Anything could happen.
Like, I don't really know.
It was a crazy emotional
roller coaster ride.
But yeah, no. Did
Steve Andrew, the Trophy
describe that moment?
Again, you you. It was heavy.
It it was heavy. It really was.
Or I'm weak I'm not too sure but
honestly you you dream as a kid.
Play professional lacrosse.
At least I did Once I got
to the professional level.
My my goal was to win a championship.
I put so much hard work with these guys
throughout this process and it wasn't easy.
Again, I've been in this leaguer
11 plus years and I had nothing
to show for it until this tonig.
And I I'm so thankful for this organization,
for for Bandit Land,
for every fan that no matter
how the circumstances were,
I know Buffalo's been through so much.
In the past few years and they
deserve it more than ever.
And I'm just so thankful for my
teammates because I wouldn't be sitting
here without every one of those guys.
Thanks
guys. Thank you. Thanks, guys.