ALEX SIMMONS IS EMBRACING THE CHALLENGE IN YEAR TWO WITH THE FIREWOLVES
January 17, 2025By: Paul Lamonaca, FireWolves PR
ALBANY, NY – The 2024 NLL Rookie of the Year has yet to skip a beat in his sophomore season for the Albany FireWolves.
Through six games, Alex Simmons has tallied 12 goals and 22 assists for a team high of 34 points in the regular season. Simmons currently is tied for the eighth most points in the National Lacrosse League (NLL) this season.
“The biggest success for me this season has been the maturity from last year to this year and just finding different ways to put the ball in the back of the net,” said Simmons. “I think our young group has been given an opportunity with a target on our backs and we’ve been up against the ropes. We’ve found our identity a little bit.”
While leading the team in points, Simmons gives a lot of credit to his success to his teammates who allow him great opportunities to score. Fellow right handed forward Tye Kurtz, who is also in his second year with the Firewolves, has formed a one-two punch on the right side with Simmons as the duo continues to grow together as stars in the National Lacrosse League.
“We kind of have a similar game in getting each other open and having an innate ability to finish the ball,” said Simmons. Kurtz currently leads the Firewolves with 14 goals on the season and is second on the team with 29 points right behind Simmons.
On the left side of the floor, college ties run deep with the duo of Simmons and fellow Denver Pioneer Ethan Walker who played together collegiately and in high school at the Culver Military Academy.
“It’s as great as it’s always been, whenever I get the ball up top there’s only one guy I’m really looking for other than Dyson (Williams) and that’s Ethan. It’s one of those things when you don’t have your shot you’re looking for one-another, we have that instilled trust and we just know where each other are on the floor. I trust him to make a play and he trusts me.”
Simmons has loved seeing the growth of rookie Dyson Williams as he continues to grow game-by-game in his first season in the NLL.
“The expectations and the pressure of being the first overall pick is not easy. From what I’ve seen he is understanding the game, he’s acclimating to the pace of play and he has been great for us.”
With the attention that Williams draws during games, it has allowed for Albany’s offense to open up and allow Simmons to score and distribute at the pace that he is.
With Albany sitting at 1-5 in the regular season, four of the team’s five losses were no greater than a two goal differential.
“I think that when other team’s start to go on their run in the middle of the game, we aren’t able to finish the ball in the fourth quarter. The best players always show up at the biggest times and the right times, and I think we haven’t shown up yet in those moments.”
Despite the record, Simmons believes the team is on an upward trajectory heading into the second half of the season.
“If we can get two or three more goals in those moments we can close out those games, so just finishing the game and fourth quarter production is where we need to get our work done.”
What has been Alex Simmons’ favorite highlight of the year so far? The Tucker Out Lymphoma and Box Out Cancer game to support and honor Dyson Williams’ late younger brother, Tucker, who passed away in 2014 after a battle with Burkitt’s Lymphoma.
“It was an emotional time before the game, but it shows how the lacrosse community can come together and understand that it is more than just a game. You are playing for a young kid who did not get to live out his lacrosse dream, so we have an opportunity to do that and it’s very special.”
Albany hosts the Colorado Mammoth this Saturday, January 18th at 7:00 PM at the MVP Arena.
Get tickets now for Star Wars Night! Fans can take advantage of the best ticket prices in the galaxy starting at $15.96! For more information regarding tickets, visit www.albanyfirewolves.com or call/text the FireWolves front office at 518-675-8678 to avoid fees.
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) 675-8678 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 14 franchises across the United States and Canada: Albany FireWolves, Buffalo Bandits, Calgary Roughnecks, Colorado Mammoth, Georgia Swarm, Halifax Thunderbirds, Las Vegas Desert Dogs, Ottawa Black Bears, 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.
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 Firebirds of the AFL 1 Arena Football League and the Division I Men’s College Basketball Siena Saints. For more information, please visit https://www.mvparena.com/
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