Jr. NLL

BUFFALO BandITs Jr. NLL TEAM

The Buffalo Bandits Jr. NLL Team is a competitive tournament team for box lacrosse players in the U13, U15, and U17 age groups. Each team will compete for the I-90 Cup in a play day with the Jr. Knighthawks at The Classic Rink in East Aurora on August 10. After the I-90 Cup, teams will compete at the prestigious Jr. NLL Tournament, hosted at the Toronto Rock Athletic Center in Oakville, Ontario on August 22, 23, and 24. In addition to representing the Bandits, players will receive box lacrosse training from current or former Bandits players and select local box lacrosse coaches. This is an incredible opportunity to compete on an international stage against top players from the USA and Canada.

Age Groups

• U13 (2013 and 2014 birth year)
• U15 (2011 and 2012 birth year)
• U17 (2009 and 2010 birth year)

Coaches

• U13
  • Zack Belter
  • Chase Fraser
• U15
  • Chris Cloutier
  • Mike McNamara - Bandits Alumni and coach of Jr. Bandits Elite Winter Program
• U17
  • Tehoka Nanticoke
  • Nico Capron

*Coaches subject to change without notice*

Tryout and Practice Location

Buffalo Riverworks

359 Ganson St.

Buffalo, NY 14203

Tryout Dates

• Monday, June 2
• Monday, June 9

Coaches reserve the right to make cuts after the first tryout date. 

Tryout Cost

• $40

*If you played on the 2024 Jr. NLL Team, your tryout is free. Please check your email for your discount code when registering.*

What's included with tryout

• Two sessions - 90-minutes of floor time each session. We have both rinks booked at Riverworks during your time slot. Should registration numbers exceed rink limits, you will be broken into two groups. 
• One complementary ticket to a 2025-26 Bandits regular-season home game. All games subject to availability
  • Complementary ticket will be emailed out in after individual game tickets go on sale to the public.
• Jr. Bandits branded reversible pinnie.

Tryout and Practice times

• U13 - 5:30 p.m. - 7 p.m.
• U15 - 7 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
• U17 - 8:30 p.m. - 10 p.m.

We have both rinks at Riverworks reserved for tryouts. If registration numbers dictate needing to use both rinks, players will be split up on tryout night.

Team Practice Dates

For those who make the team, these are practice dates for the summer

• Tuesday, June 16  (CANCELED)
• Tuesday, June 24
• Tuesday, July 8
• Tuesday, July 15
• Tuesday, July 22 (rescheduled June 16 date)
• Tuesday, July 29
• Tuesday, August 12
• Tuesday, August 19

I-90 Cup

Location: 

The Classic Rink

41 Riley Street

East Aurora, NY 14052

Dates:

Sunday, August 10, 2025

Schedule:

9:00 a.m. - U13 Game 1

10:00 a.m. - U15 Game 1

11:00 a.m. - U13 Game 2 (If necessary, 10-minute mini-game immediately following the game)

12:00 p.m. - U15 Game 2 (If necessary, 10-minute mini-game immediately following the game)

TBD Info

Rochester is not entering a U17 team this summer, so we are exploring another option for the U17 team to get a few games in prior to the tournament. This team will NOT be participating in the I-90 Cup.

Transportation and hotels at each tournament are not included in the registration fee.

Jr. NLL Tournament

Location - The main rink is below. Additional rinks in the area may be used for tournament games.

Toronto Rock Athletic Center

1132 Invicta Dr.

Oakville, Ontario L6H 6G1

Dates: 

August 22-24, 2025

Transportation and hotels at each tournament are not included in the registration fee.

Equipment

The following equipment is required:

• Helmet with cage
• Shoulder pads
• Arm guards
• Bicep pads
• Kidney pads
• Mouth guard
• Gloves
• Sneakers
• Stick (short pole, no wooden sticks. Goalies must use spoons)

Team fee

The team fee is TBD, and should be between $600-$700 depending on the number of kids selected for each team. A $200 non-refundable deposit is due upon acceptance of your roster spot. Included in the fee is coaching, practice floor time, tournaments, Jr. Bandits jersey, shorts, and t-shirt, 5 ticket vouchers that can be redeemed for a 2025-26 Bandits regular-season home game (pending availability), on-field recognition at a 25-26 Bandits home game, and access to an exclusive Jr. Bandits team apparel store. Jr. Bandits branded gloves are not included in the package, but will be available for purchase.

Follow us on social media for updates:

Instagram and X: @BanditsYouthLax

Facebook @Bandits Youth Lacrosse

For additional information, please contact Dan Ristine via email at dan.ristine@Bandits.com