Buy Tickets Now for the next FireWolves Home Game on Saturday, January 20!
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What does it take to start the National Lacrosse League season 5-0? The Albany FireWolves have shown that it takes balanced scoring, star players seizing the moment, and a young team playing like veterans to be able to rise above any challenge opponents have thrown at them. Let’s look at some of the key numbers that led to the FireWolves fifth win of the season against the Halifax Thunderbirds this past weekend at MVP Arena. Â
8 Different Goal Scorers Â
The win against the Thunderbirds was a true team effort and the scoring came from both the FireWolves’ offense and defense. Eight different FireWolves scored as Alex Simmons, Travis Longboat, Patrick Kaschalk, and Sam Firth each had 2 goals while Nathan Grenon, Ethan Walker, Joe Nardella, and Nick Chaykowsky notched 1 goal apiece. The usual suspects on offense showed up when they were needed most, but the transition goals from defensemen Kaschalk and Nardella were part of a 3 goal run that electrified the crowd in the span of 1 minute and 1 second. Having such great scoring depth has been crucial in every win and will allow the FireWolves to never be out of the fight going forward. Â
32 Points From Alex Simmons Leads The NLLÂ
Through five games, Alex Simmons is leading the NLL in points and is the lone rookie in the Top 10 of scoring. Halifax knew that they had to keep the rookie sensation in check if they were going to have a chance to beat the FireWolves, and they did a good job of limiting his scoring for most of the game. It wasn’t until the 4th Quarter that Simmons found the back of the net on a 5 on 3 Power Play opportunity, which he followed up with another goal two minutes later and then an assist on a Sam Firth goal to end the game with 5 points. Simmons is averaging 6.4 Points Per Game and is looking like a shoe in for Rookie of the Year. Could he be the front runner for MVP as well?Â
4 Goal Run To End The GameÂ
In the 4th Quarter, Halifax took a 10-8 lead with 2 quick goals to start the quarter. Then it was all FireWolves as they began their final push. Simmons got it started with 2 goals on an inside finish and then a long range shot as he swept across the top. Then Simmons would feed Firth who got open off a great back cut to bury what would be the game winning goal. In a last ditch effort, Halifax pulled their goalie for a 6-5 situation, but Chaykowsky picked off a pass and streaked down the floor to score on the empty net. The run was helped by goalie Doug Jamieson and the defense allowing no goals in the final fourteen and a half minutes as well as several gritty loose balls by the offense to reset the shot clock. Â
Next up for the FireWolves is a road trip to play the 4-1 Georgia Swarm this Saturday, January 13 at 7:30 pm ET. The game can be watched on ESPN+, TSN+, and locally on MY4. Â
Single game tickets for the 2023-2024 FireWolves season are available now! Join us for Margaritaville Night on January 20th at MVP Arena and experience FireWolves lacrosse. For more information regarding tickets, visit www.AlbanyFireWolves.com or call/text the FireWolves front office at 518-362-4900.
About Albany FireWolves Â
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.Â
About the National Lacrosse LeagueÂ
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.Â
About MVP Arena Â
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/Â
