Vancouver Warriors Make History with Victory in First Playoff Game

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Another victory making history in Vancouver sports! For lacrosse fans, the 2025 NLL season has been unforgettable — for the first time ever, the Vancouver Warriors have secured a spot in the playoffs. Their first playoff match took place on Saturday, April 26, 2025, where the team delivered an electrifying performance at home and came out with a win.

In the NLL quarterfinals, it’s a single-elimination game — the winner takes it all and advances to the semifinals. Riding a six-game winning streak, the Warriors came out strong and defeated the Rochester Knighthawks 15–10 in a historic night, securing their place in the semifinals.

The game took place at Rogers Arena, where over 8,000 fans filled the stands, and the players made it clear they were there to win. Led by Brett Mydske, the team got off to a fast start and went into halftime leading 9–3. In the third quarter, the Knighthawks managed to score two quick goals and cut the lead, but the Warriors responded right away with two goals of their own.

Keegan Bal was undoubtedly the star of the game. In his first career playoff appearance, the offensive player scored 5 goals and added 6 assists, totaling 11 points. After the game, Bal made it clear he’s happy with the victory but not satisfied just yet — ever since head coach Curt Malawsky joined the team last year, they’ve seen that the dream of winning a championship could become reality.

Besides Keegan Bal, 10 other Vancouver Warriors players found the back of the net and contributed points, including Kevin Crowley, Marcus Klarich, Dylan McIntosh, Ryan Dilks, Riley Loewen, Jeff Cornwall, Owen Grant, Ryan Martel, and Reid Bowering. Newly acquired goalie Christian Del Bianco also had a standout performance, making 47 saves and helping lead his team to victory.

After the game, Warriors General Manager and Head Coach Curt Malawsky expressed how proud he is of his players, saying they are confident about the playoffs and will be ready for what’s next.

“As a coach, you’re never a coach in a GM for personal gain. You want to see your players win championships. You want to see your players find success. You want to see them spend time with their family after they’ve climbed the mountain and gotten it done. And I think that’s my driving motivation. It’s for the kids now — they have something to look up to, you know what I mean? They’re in BC, and now they aspire to be a Vancouver Warrior. I’m not sure if that was the case a couple of years ago. But it is now, and I think that’s probably one of the prouder moments we have here.”

The semifinals will be a best-of-three series, and the first game is already scheduled. As the number one seed, the Buffalo Bandits will host Game 1 this Friday, May 2, 2025, at KeyBank Center.

Game 2 will take place on May 4, 2025, at Rogers Arena, and tickets are already on sale. A packed arena and high energy are expected — so if you haven’t seen the Warriors live this season, this is your chance. It’s time to put on your black and gold and cheer for the win.

Go Warriors!