Buffaloes Split Day Two, Finish Round Robin at 3-1

The Buffaloes closed out round-robin play at the 2026 National Collegiate Box Series Championships on Thursday at Frank Ritter Arena on the campus of Rochester Institute of Technology with a split of their two games. After falling to the Hawkeyes in the morning, the Buffaloes bounced back in convincing fashion with a 16-4 victory over Vermont to finish the preliminary round with a 3-1 record and earn the No. 2 seed heading into the semifinals.

The day began with a matchup against the Hawkeyes, a familiar rival from the former Upstate Collegiate Box Lacrosse League. The teams traded goals throughout the opening quarter and were deadlocked at 4-4 after the first 12 minutes. The Hawkeyes seized control in the second quarter, outscoring the Buffaloes 5-1 to build a 9-5 halftime advantage. Buffalo struggled to solve the Hawkeyes' defense in the third quarter as the lead grew to 12-7 entering the final frame. Both offenses found success in the fourth quarter, scoring four goals apiece, but the Hawkeyes held on for a 15-10 victory. Obrigh Tallchief led the Buffaloes with three goals and one assist, while Matthew Blythe powered the Hawkeyes with four goals and two assists.

The Buffaloes responded in emphatic fashion in their final round-robin game against Vermont. After a tightly contested opening quarter, Buffalo closed the period with a late surge to take the lead before extending its advantage to 6-2 at halftime. The Buffaloes never looked back, dominating the second half on their way to a 16-4 victory. The offense showcased its depth as 13 different players found the back of the net and 15 players recorded at least one point. Jack Wenham (4 goals), Conner Vaughn (2 goals, 2 assists), and Brodie Hill (1 goal, 3 assists) each finished with four-point performances to lead the attack. Sawyer Leonard scored twice for Vermont.

With the victory, the Buffaloes secured second place in the round-robin standings and advanced to Friday night's semifinal against the Paper City Oaks, representatives of the Albany and New England region. Faceoff is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. Earlier in the day, the Dramingos and Vermont will meet in the 4-vs.-5 play-in game at 10:00 a.m., with the winner advancing to face the undefeated Hawkeyes in the second semifinal at 8:00 p.m.

Fans can watch every game live on NCBS.tv or the USBOXLA YouTube channel as the race for the 2026 NCBS National Championship continues.