FIREWOLVES DROP GAME 1 OF NLL FINALS TO BANDITS: GAME RECAP PRESENTED BY BROTHERS GUTTERS – CAPITAL DISTRICT

ALBANY, NY – Game 1 of the National Lacrosse League (NLL) Finals presented by AXIA Time lived up to the expectations as these New York state rivals threw punch after punch through three quarters, but the Buffalo Bandits would pull away in the fourth with a 12-8 win over the Albany FireWolves in front of a raucous crowd at MVP Arena.  

The Bandits take a 1-0 lead in the best-of-three series as the teams will meet again tomorrow night at KeyBank Center in Buffalo, NY as the FireWolves look to tie up the series.  

Ethan Walker led the scoring for the FireWolves with 7 pts (2g, 5a) as he energized the FireWolves faithful with two huge goals early on. Rookie of the Year Alex Simmons added 6 points (2g, 4a), Tye Kurtz finished with 4 pts (2g, 2a), and Travis Longboat and Sam Firth finished with 1 goal apiece. Goalie Doug Jamieson put in another great performance with 44 saves on 55 shots on goal.  

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The first quarter started out at a breakneck pace as the energy of game 1 of the finals could be felt from the first whistle.  

The FireWolves began their first ever finals appearance with a Kurtz goal 35 seconds in that got the crowd on their feet as Albany took a 1-0 lead. The defending NLL champion Bandits were not fazed as they leaned on their championship experience all game. Buffalo responded with two goals a few minutes apart to take a 2-1 lead. Walker and then Kurtz would answer back with goals to retake the lead for the FireWolves 3-2. Buffalo was awarded several power plays back-to-back which they capitalized on with two goals to go up 4-3. The FireWolves kept on coming and Walker fired home his second of the night to end the quarter at a 4-4 tie.  

The scoring slowed down in the second quarter as both teams started to settle in. The Bandits would get on the board to go up 5-4, but the FireWolves defense and Jamieson would shut them down for most of the quarter. Longboat and Simmons would find the back of the net to get the lead back for the FireWolves at 6-5 going into halftime.  

The third quarter was a defensive battle as Buffalo came out trying everything they could to get past the stingy FireWolves back end. The Bandits scored twice in the third to get the lead back 7-6.  

The final quarter began with a quick goal by Buffalo to extend their lead to 8-6, but silky finish by Simmons would cut it back to a one goal game as he made it 8-7. After back and forth play and defensive stands, the Bandits found their stride and pulled away with four straight goals to go up 12-7. Firth would add one more goal for Albany, but they would ultimately fall to Buffalo 12-8.  

Next up for the FireWolves is a quick trip to Buffalo as they keep their championship hopes alive in Game 2 at the KeyBank Center on Saturday, May 18 at 7:30 pm. Game will be available to watch on TSN, TSN+, and ESPN+.  

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 Firebirds of the Arena Football League and the Division I Men’s College Basketball Siena Saints. For more information, please visit https://www.mvparena.com/ 

About Brothers Gutters – Capital District  

Our mantra, “Reinventing Contractor Service™” is the phrase we live by in all areas of our business, every day. The story of The Brothers that just do Gutters began with hard work and a dream to be a community-loved contractor. We wanted to reinvent how clients experience contractor services and provide a level of customer service and reliability that was lacking in our industry. For more information, please visit https://www.brothersgutters.com/capital-district-ny/