U.S. Men's Box Team Boasts Distinct Buffalo Influence

If previous World Lacrosse Box Championship tournaments are anything to go by, there will be a handful of Buffalo Bandits completing a year to remember, collecting a gold medal months after securing a National Lacrosse League championship ring.

Canada has the more established names gunning for glory over the next few weeks in Utica, N.Y. The dynamic MVP duo of Dhane Smith and Josh Byrne are joined by captain Steve Priolo and transition expert Ian MacKay on a roster resembling an NLL All-Star lineup.

But don’t discount the Americans. The United States roster also boasts a distinct Buffalo influence, featuring four players who suited up last season in Banditland: defensemen Zack Belter, Dylan Robinson and Dalton Sulver and forward Brandon Robinson. Three among that group — Belter and the Robinsons — got playing time in the NLL Finals against the Albany FireWolves.

Now, they hope lessons learned during title runs can translate to international success.

“The past two years in Buffalo, I joined the team at the right time,” Dylan Robinson said. “Being around all these veteran guys all the time, there’s just a winning culture there. I’m hoping that I and the guys from Buffalo can bring that to Team USA. In this quick two-week tournament, you’ve got to be dialed in right from the start.”

Coach Regy Thorpe and the Americans are the beneficiaries of a bridging of eras for the Bandits, as well as an injury bug that ensured nearly all the team’s defensemen got adequate playing time this season. Dylan Robinson and Sulver played in a career-high 17 and 12 regular season games, respectively, while Belter suited up for eight in his rookie season. All three are 26 years old or younger, with Dylan Robinson being the youngest at 22.

Adjustments to the lineup led to a troubling 5-6 start for Buffalo but resulted in a unit that was well prepared once reinforcements came for playoff time.

“Probably in the long run it will be better for us,” Bandits general manager Steve Dietrich told USA Lacrosse Magazine in May. “It gave guys like Cam Wyers, Dylan Robinson, Zack Belter, guys like that, it gave them an opportunity to play in situations that they probably weren’t ready for. They had to roll with the punches.”

From Belter’s perspective, it was an invaluable experience.

“The teammates in Buffalo and the coaches helped get me ready for when my number was called,” said Belter, a St. Bonaventure alum who grew up in nearby Wheatfield, N.Y. “The reality is, as an American, we’ve all learned the game from Canadians and Native Americans. They’ve helped the growth of box lacrosse in the U.S. It is pretty cool to see that, this year, it’s probably the most NLL guys Team USA has ever had.”

The championship pedigree these players bring is indeed indicative of the Americans’ added indoor experience. There are only three players on the roster who did not suit up in the NLL last season. That includes Joel White, a champion and nine-year veteran of the league, and Joey Spallina, who very likely will be the No. 1 overall pick when he finishes his career at Syracuse.

No one is learning the box game on the fly, experimenting with how their tremendous field skills translate. These are players used to seeing the best of the best.

“It’s a different game, especially when you play against Canada and the Haudenosaunee,” Dylan Robinson said.

The Americans open play against both of those nations, kicking off on Friday, Sept. 20, against the Haudenosaunee with the much-anticipated Canada-USA matchup coming four days later.

When it comes to the Bandits representatives, the Canada-USA duel will mark a meeting of mentors and mentees.

“Dhane, Josh, Ian and Steve have helped me so much in the past year,” Belter said. “They’re all such great leaders and such great players. I’ve learned from every single one of them. It’s going to be fun to compete against them.”

Will all that time practicing against each other give either side an advantage?

“That’s a double-edged sword,” Belter said. “We see so much of them, and we have an idea of what they’re going to do. But they’re also extremely smart and they know our games just as well.”