Rochester, NY – The Albany FireWolves (10-2) travel to Blue Cross Arena play the Rochester Knighthawks (4-6) tonight at 7 pm in their first game of a home and home series with Rochester. The FireWolves are coming off a dominating 13-8 win yesterday against the Vancouver Warriors at home and will need to bounce back quickly to secure a two-win weekend, which is never easy in the National Lacrosse League (NLL).
The FireWolves and Knighthawks traded wins last season in their two meetings, but the FireWolves are a very different team this year with their current version riding a four-game winning streak and reaching 10 wins for the first time since moving to the Capital Region. The game will be available to watch on ESPN+, TSN+, and locally on MY4.
Climbing The Charts
With their tenth win of the season last night, the FireWolves have exceeded all expectations and become the biggest story in the NLL with their high-flying newcomers as well as resilience to win big game after big game. With a win tonight in Rochester to reach eleven on the season, the FireWolves would break a franchise record going all the way back to the Philadelphia Wings who began playing in 1987. Rookie Alex Simmons now has 68 pts (26g, 42a) and is on track to reach 100 points this season while goalie Doug Jamieson is on track for the best season of his career. Albany will look to continue this miraculous season and continue to climb the charts and record books of the NLL.
Young Legs
Two games in two games can be a tough challenge for teams as their players try to recover from the first game and potentially run out of gas late in the second game. But with the FireWolves having the youngest team in the league they should be able to bounce back quicker than anyone with an average age of 25 and no player being over 30. They will also benefit from their depth of scoring on offense as they have players who are ready to step up. Travis Longboat had 4 goals in their win against Vancouver, but if he is at all tired Simmons, Tye Kurtz, Ethan Walker, Marshall Powless, Sam Firth, and Nathan Grenon are right there to provide scoring.
Scouting The Knighthawks
The Knighthawks are having an up and down season, but they feature an extremely skilled squad that is coming off a 19-15 win last weekend against Panther City. Rochester also boasts a young and skilled offensive group led by Connor Fields, Ryan Smith, and rookie Thomas McConvey that give them an opportunity to win every night. In net, Riley Hutchcraft has stepped up for his first year being a starter and has done well. The Knighthawks were a playoff team last year and will be happy to try and play spoiler to the FireWolves’ great weekend.
FireWolves Players To Watch
Travis Longboat has been a consistent scorer for the FireWolves all season, but he exploded for a career high 4 goals last night. Look for him to ride that momentum into tonight’s game.
Joe Nardella was tremendous once again at the faceoff circle for Albany and will have his hands full against the Knighthawks’ Joe Post.
Nathan Grenon scored two key goals against Vancouver and his energetic style of play will be much needed to keep the FireWolves playing with the same energy.
Knighthawks Players To Watch
Connor Fields scored 14 pts (3g, 11a) last weekend and is such a dynamic playmaker on offense. Limiting his production will be crucial for Albany’s defense.
Matt Gilray is a loose ball machine with 104 in 11 games, but also has 6 goals on the season with his great transition play. The FireWolves will need to know where he is every time he runs up in transition.
Riley Hutchcraft has done an admirable job in relieving Rylan Hartley who suffered an injury early on this season. Getting to him early with several goals will be huge to get him second guessing.
Join the Albany FireWolves at MVP Arena for a St. Patrick’s Day weekend celebration on Saturday, March 16 for $3 beers! Get your tickets now at 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/
