ALBANY, NY – The Albany FireWolves are back in action as they began training camp this weekend in preparation for the 2023-2024 National Lacrosse League season. The FireWolves have several weeks to prepare before their first regular season game on December 1 against the Las Vegas Desert Dogs.
The start of training camp brings with it a clean slate and with several exciting draft picks, trades, and free agent signings the FireWolves will take the floor with a revamped roster.
Training Camp Roster:
Forwards – Cam Badour, Tanner Buck, Sam Firth, Amos Gilbert, Charlie Kitchen, Tye Kurtz, Travis Longboat, John Piatelli, Marshall Powless, Steve Ramirez, Alex Simmons, Tanner Thomson, Ethan Walker
Defense/Transition – Jonah Boehm, Mike Bryne, Nick Chaykowsky, Matt Eccles, Matt Duncan, Jacob Gasperetti, Patrick Kaschalk, Jordi Jones-Smith, Joe Nardella, Jackson Nishimura, Colton Padgett, Ronwahrhare McComber, Kraig McGowan, Jackson Reid, Leo Stouros, Keaton Thomson, Jeff Trainor, Nicholas Volkov, Colton Watkinson, Zachary Young
Goalies – Justin Geddie, Doug Jamieson, Andrew Kidd, Cameron Pilon
This weekend featured two days of intense drills and scrimmages that gave the returners a chance to get dialed in and new players their first opportunity to make a case for a spot on the final roster.
“I thought the energy was great,” said head coach Glenn Clark. “We talked about wanting to be more dangerous offensively and I think it showed. You’re not going to know until you go against external competition, but for the stage we’re at and we saw up to this point, I thought it was pretty good offensively. The goaltending was good and there were a lot of positives.”
On the offensive side, Ethan Walker, John Piatelli, and Marshall Powless were a few returners who impressed while newcomers Alex Simmons, Tye Kurtz, and Cam Badour also showed well both days. Simmons displayed his sharp shooting with several goals from range during the scrimmages.
With the retirement of Captain Brett Manney, look for a new leadership group to rise up this season. The team is young, but there is a strong core of players like Colton Watkinson, Nick Chaykowsky, Mike Bryne, Jackson Nishimura, Charlie Kitchen, and Joe Nardella that have been in Albany for the past two seasons. They are keeping the team’s hard working culture very much intact.
Doug Jamieson returns in net as the backbone of the defense and with a strong group in front of him the FireWolves back end should be one of the most formidable in the NLL. Joe Nardella will be back in the faceoff circle after missing last season due to injury. He will have a big impact as he gives the offense more possessions.
With the grind of the 18 game NLL season approaching, finding team chemistry will be essential early on for the FireWolves with lots of new faces dotting the roster. Through the first weekend of training camp, they are off to an impressive start.
FireWolves fans were in attendance at the McDonough Sports Complex for the first practice session on Saturday as they eagerly await the home opener at MVP Arena on Dec. 9th against the Buffalo Bandits. It made for a great atmosphere at the team’s first action of the season.
“You get to feel the energy, feel the excitement,” said Clark. “You see some familiar faces that have been around supporting us for the last couple years so it was great.”
Up next for the FireWolves are two weekends of scrimmages against NLL opponents at the Toronto Rock Athletic Center in Oakville, ON. Coach Clark and his staff will begin making the tough roster decisions as they inch closer to the season opener.
“Now it’s about sharpening the knife a little bit,” said Clark. “There’s lots of decisions still to make, but we obviously want to be ready to go for that December 1st weekend.”
The team will return to Albany on Thanksgiving weekend for their final preparations before traveling west for the season opener against the Las Vegas Desert Dogs on December 1.
Season tickets for the FireWolves’ 2023-24 season are on sale now! Tickets for individual FireWolves games will be available at a later date. For more information regarding tickets, visit www.AlbanyFireWolves.com or call/text the FireWolves front office at 518-362-4900.
About Albany FireWolves
The Albany FireWolves is the Capital Region’s very own Professional Box Lacrosse team, playing in the National Lacrosse League out of the MVP Arena in downtown Albany, NY. For more information, contact the Albany FireWolves Front Office at (518) 362-4900 or visit AlbanyFireWolves.com. Follow the team on Facebook at facebook.com/AlbFireWolves, Twitter @AlbFireWolves, and Instagram @AlbFireWolves.
About the National Lacrosse League
The National Lacrosse League (NLL) is North America’s premier professional lacrosse league. Founded in 1986, the NLL ranks third in average attendance for pro indoor sports worldwide, behind only the NHL and NBA. The League is comprised of 15 franchises across the United States and Canada: Albany FireWolves, Buffalo Bandits, Calgary Roughnecks, Colorado Mammoth, Georgia Swarm, Halifax Thunderbirds, Las Vegas Desert Dogs, New York Riptide, Panther City Lacrosse Club (TX), Philadelphia Wings, Rochester Knighthawks, San Diego Seals, Saskatchewan Rush, Toronto Rock, and Vancouver Warriors.
For more information, visit NLL.com and find @NLL on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. For more information visit NLL.com.
About ASM Global
ASM Global is the world’s leading venue management and services company. The company was formed by the combination of AEG Facilities and SMG, global leaders in venue and event strategy and management. The company’s elite venue network spans five continents, with a portfolio of more than 325 of the world’s most prestigious arenas, stadiums, convention, and exhibition centers, and performing arts venues. From Aberdeen to Anchorage, and Sydney to Stockholm, its venues connect people through the unique power of live experiences. ASM Global’s diverse portfolio of clients benefit from the company’s depth of resources and unparalleled experience, expertise and creative problem solving. Each day, the company’s 61,000 passionate employees around the world deliver locally tailored solutions and cutting-edge technologies to deliver maximum results for venue owners and amazing experiences for guests. By consistently looking for new ways to envision, innovate and empower the spaces and places that bring people together, ASM Global elevates the human spirit while delivering the highest value for all stakeholders. For more information, please visit www.asmglobal.com.
About MVP Arena
MVP Arena is a full-service entertainment and sports facility featuring a wide variety of family shows, sporting events, trade shows and concerts. Owned by Albany County and managed by ASM Global, MVP Arena opened in 1990 and is home to the Albany FireWolves of the National Lacrosse League, the Albany Empire of the National Arena League and the Division I Men’s College Basketball Siena Saints. For more information, please visit https://www.mvparena.com/.
