Albany, NY – The Albany FireWolves defeated the Georgia Swarm 12-8 this past weekend thanks to a balanced team effort and their defense’s best performance of the season. Their 6-0 record is Albany’s best start in franchise history and they are only the 13th team in National Lacrosse League history to reach that mark. Let’s take a look at the key numbers that led to another FireWolves win.
8 Goals Against
In their most complete defensive performance of the season so far, the FireWolves held the always dangerous Swarm offense to only 8 goals, which is the lowest since they only allowed 5 goals against the Philadelphia Wings on April 22, 2022. Goalie Doug Jamieson played his best game yet this season with 36 saves on 44 shots including a save on a penalty shot attempt by Lyle Thompson. With their well-organized defensive scheme, effective communication, and aggressiveness they frustrated Georgia’s super stars all game long. Rookie defensemen Zachary Young and Nicholas Volkov are coming into their own with leaders like captain Colton Watkinson, Nick Chaykowsky, Mike Byrne, Anthony Joaquim, and other veterans to learn from.
Here’s a look at the FireWolves defense’s steady play through 6 games:
| Opponent |
Score |
GF |
GA |
| Las Vegas |
W 12-10 |
12 |
10 |
| Buffalo |
W 17-13 |
17 |
13 |
| Philadelphia |
W 15-10 |
15 |
10 |
| Saskatchewan |
W 11-10 |
11 |
10 |
| Halifax |
W 12-10 |
12 |
10 |
| Georgia |
W 12-8 |
12 |
8 |
300 Career Loose Balls For Nardella And Nishimura
Against Georgia, both Joe Nardella and Jackson Nishimura collected their 300th career loose ball, which is an incredible accomplishment for both defensemen and a testament to how much the FireWolves battle for those extra possessions. Nardella picked up 8 loose balls and Nishimura scooped up 7 in the game. Nardella usually snags more loose balls than anyone else on the team from taking faceoffs, but reaching that mark in 36 career regular season games shows that he gets it done on the back end as well. Nishimura is a vacuum for Albany when the ball goes on the floor and reaching the 300 mark in 53 games as a non-faceoff man is extremely impressive. At 5.7 loose balls a game, he will likely hit 100 for the second time in his career by the end of the season.
4 Goals From Defensive Players
4 of the FireWolves’ 12 goals came from a defensive player with Watkinson scoring 2 (1 shorthanded), Patrick Kaschalk with 1, and Nishimura with 1. Watkinson’s 2 goals were both transition opportunities in the first quarter and gave the FireWolves a ton of momentum early on. The rejuvenated FireWolves offense has been the big story this season, but the timely goals from defenders have given the team big boosts at crucial moments throughout the season. The entire defense isn’t afraid to push the pace and that will give them a huge edge as the season progresses.
The FireWolves return home to MVP Arena this Saturday, January 20 at 7 pm ET to faceoff against the San Diego Seals (3-2) as they look to stay undefeated.
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
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.
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/
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