Buffaloes Open NCBS Championship with Two Wins

The Buffaloes are off to a perfect start at the 2026 National Collegiate Box Series Championships, opening tournament play with a pair of victories Wednesday at Frank Ritter Arena on the campus of Rochester Institute of Technology in Rochester, N.Y. Buffalo improved to 2-0 in round-robin play after defeating the Paper City Oaks, 14-11, before holding off a late rally to edge the Dramingos, 11-10.

The Buffaloes opened the tournament against the Paper City Oaks, representatives of the Albany and New England regions. The two teams traded goals early before Buffalo found its rhythm and created some separation in the second half on its way to a 14-11 victory. Conner Vaughn paced the offense with four goals, while Chace Cogan added a hat trick in the winning effort. Zach Terry recorded three goals for the Oaks.

Buffalo returned to the floor later in the day for a rematch of the 2025 NCBS Championship Game against the Dramingos. The Buffaloes controlled the opening half, building an 8-3 halftime advantage behind a balanced offensive attack and strong defensive play. The momentum shifted after the break, however, as the Dramingos scored seven second-half goals while limiting Buffalo to just three. The comeback pulled the game within one goal with 3:26 remaining, but the Buffaloes shut the door defensively the rest of the way to earn an 11-10 victory. Obrigh Tallchief led the way offensively with three goals and two assists.

The Buffaloes return to action Thursday for their final two round-robin games. Buffalo will renew its I-90 rivalry with the Hawkeyes at 10:00 a.m. before closing out pool play against Vermont at 3:00 p.m. Fans can watch both games live on NCBS.tv or the USBOXLA YouTube channel.