Akwesasne native Mike Thompson is having another great season in net for the Buffalo Bandits of the National Lacrosse League.

PHOTO CREDIT - In Lax We Trust

Akwesasne - Apr. 25, 2011 - The National Lacrosse League's Buffalo Bandits have finished the regular season as the top team in the East Division thanks in part to the play of two Akwesasne athletes.

Goaltender Mike Thompson and tough guy Brandon Francis have had great showings for the Bandits this season as the team finished with a 10-6 record and secured their ninth consecutive playoff berth.

Thompson has been one of the hottest goalies in the NLL this season, posting a 9.67 goals against average and a .785 save percentage in 16 games.

Meanwhile, Francis has had an exceptional season in the faceoff circle with 114 faceoff wins in 184 attempts - a 62 per cent success rate.

Despite the great regular season, Francis won't be around to help the Bandits when they take on Boston in the NLL East Division Semi-Final on Saturday.

The enforcer has been handed a four-game suspension for his involvement in a scrum in a recent game against Boston. The suspension means Francis will miss the remainder of the season.

Thompson and Francis are both in their fourth season with Buffalo, where they won the 2008 NLL Championship.

The Bandits play out of the HSBC Arena - the home of the NHL's Sabres - and they regularly draw over 18,000 fans for home games.