Albany, NY – On a night that featured the FireWolves wearing throwback Albany Attack jerseys and former FireWolves captain Brett Manney having his number #13 hung up in the MVP Arena rafters, the crowd was treated to a roller coaster game between two top National Lacrosse League (NLL) teams. The Albany FireWolves (10-6) second half comeback fell short against the Toronto Rock (13-3) as the Rock would outlast the FireWolves with a final score of 10-7.
Alex Simmons led the scoring for the FireWolves with 3pts (2g, 1a). Scoring was rounded out by Sam Firth with 2 goals as well as Nick Chaykowsky, Colton Watkinson, and Anthony Joaquim each scoring 1 goal. Doug Jamieson made 45 saves on 54 shots on goal.
The game began with Toronto scoring the first goal to go up 1-0, but Albany responded with two goals by Simmons and Firth to take the lead 2-1 to end the first quarter. In the second quarter, the Rock showed why they are in first place in the NLL as they scored in a variety of ways during a five-goal run to take a 6-2 lead. They controlled the faceoff circle all game and had the advantage in loose balls in the game with 82 to Albany’s 67. The FireWolves stopped the bleeding with Jackson Nishimura hitting Simmons in transition as he dove across the crease to score and bring the score to 6-3. The Rock scored once more to extend their lead to 7-3 going into halftime.
The third quarter began with Toronto scoring again to make it 8-3, but the FireWolves began to battle back with a goal in transition as Jamieson sent a clearing pass up to Chaykowsky who buried his shot to cut the score to 8-4. The FireWolves would convert on the power play towards the end of the third quarter as Firth quick sticked the ball in to make it 8-5 and get some momentum going for Albany.
The final quarter saw the FireWolves do everything they could to complete the comeback in front of their biggest crowd of the season on Retro Night. The Rock would start the fourth quarter scoring with 1 second left on the shot clock to extend their lead to 9-5. With the Albany offense struggling to find the back of the net against Toronto goalie Nick Rose, the FireWolves defense stepped up to score two goals on breakaways as Joaquim streaked down the floor to fire a bounce shot in and Watkinson was able to score a shorthanded goal to bring the score to 9-7.
The FireWolves kept on coming as they tried to continue the comeback with several power play opportunities and great scoring chances, but they could just not get the breaks they needed. The Rock would score an empty net goal to cap off a wild game with a final score of 10-7.
Next up for the FireWolves is a trip south to face Panther City on Sunday, April 14 at 5 pm ET and another chance to secure a home playoff spot.
For more information regarding tickets, visit www.albanyfirewolves.com or call/text the FireWolves ticket hotline 518-612-4196.
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/
