The Albany FireWolves played their final preseason game against the New York Riptide this past Saturday, November 18 and after a strong start, ultimately fell to the Riptide at the Toronto Rock Athletic Center in Oakville, ON. Â
It was a rematch as the FireWolves beat the Riptide in their first preseason game the weekend prior, but both teams had different players in the lineup this time around. With several players still fighting for roster spots there was no shortage of fast and physical play.
Similar to last week, the FireWolves got on the board quickly with goals by Travis Longboat, Tye Kurtz, and Alex Simmons in the first quarter. Kurtz and Longboat would both score again in the second quarter while Ethan Walker and Jeff Trainor added goals to make it 7-3 at halftime. Â
It was the first preseason action for Goalie Doug Jamieson who played the first half of the game and looked sharp as he is coming off a summer winning the Mann Cup with the Six Nations Chiefs. Jamieson was also recently named a Top 5 goalie in the NLL voted on by the league coaches and GMs.
Everything seemed to be going the FireWolves way as they were up 7-3 at halftime, but the momentum swung to the Riptide in the second half. A handful of penalties by the FireWolves allowed the Riptide to get back into the game and also capitalize on transition situations. The Riptide would go on to win 7-12. Â
The FireWolves went 1-1 in their preseason games and overall, the team is coming together with a strong core of returners and several young talented players who will bring energy to the offense and defense. The bright spots continue to be the young goal scorers on offense such as Kurtz and Longboat who had multi goal games in both scrimmages. As the team continues to build chemistry, the FireWolves are poised for an exciting season.
Looking ahead to their season opener on Friday, December 1st, the FireWolves final 25 man roster will be revealed and they will have one more weekend of practices to prepare before travelling to play the Las Vegas Desert Dogs. The game will be available to watch on ESPN+. Â
The FireWolves’ home opener will be against the defending NLL champion Buffalo Bandits on Saturday, December 9 at MVP Arena. Get your tickets now and get ready for another season of FireWolves lacrosse! Â
Season tickets for the FireWolves’ 2023-24 season are on sale now!  Tickets for individual games will be available at a later date. 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/.
