It’s playoff time in Buffalo.

Really.

In case you’ve been living under a rock, or like the rest of America, ignore pro lacrosse altogether, the Buffalo Bandits beat the New York Titans on Saturday to advance to the NLL Championship.

Thanks to a franchise record seven (7) goals from Mark “Who’s House?” Steenhuis, the Bandits defeated the Titans 19-12 to make their third title game appearance in the last five years.

How many titles did they claim in the previous two showings? 0. What about the time before that, when they hosted in in 1997? Lost to Rochester.

Yes, as hard as it is to believe, it has been 12, count them, twelve years since the Bandits won a championship.

For a championship starved town, having to deal with a drought like this from the Bandits is brutal. While they may not be as “major league” as the Bills or Sabres, being the home of one of the premier teams in the NLL is something to be proud of. For being a lower echelon sport, the Bandits can draw more than many NHL or NBA teams.

There are three banners hanging from the HSBC Arena rafters. The wait for the fourth could end this weekend.

It has been way too long.

Tickets available at Tickets.com. Be there.