ALBANY, NY – It will be a “Happy Howlidays” celebration tonight at MVP Arena as the Albany FireWolves (1-1) will face the Calgary Roughnecks (1-0) at 7 PM with a Teddy Bear Toss and Holiday themed promotions to look forward to all game long. The Teddy Bears will be donated to the St. Catherine’s Center for Children. The FireWolves third game of the 2024-2025 National Lacrosse League (NLL) season will be available to watch on ESPN+, TSN+, NLL+, and locally on MY4.
FireWolves tickets are lower than ever before starting at $15.96 for Single Game Tickets! Visit www.albanyfirewolves.com for more information.
Back On Track
The FireWolves got into the win column last weekend on the road with a 15-4 win against the Toronto Rock. It was a much-needed bounce back win that saw eight different FireWolves score, and Doug Jamieson show why he is the best goaltender in the league with only 4 goals allowed. Albany is the youngest team in the league for the second season in a row, so getting through the first game jitters allowed them to get back on track to their great potential. Alex Simmons continues to impress in his sophomore season and the FireWolves offense is getting balanced contribution from players like Sam Firth who scored 5 goals against the Rock. The FireWolves will look to keep the momentum going in a big early season matchup.
Controlling The Pace
Albany controlled the tempo of the game against Toronto and that was thanks to the dominant performance of Joe Nardella at the faceoff circle and special team opportunities. Nardella won 19 of 22 faceoffs taken while also picking up 19 loose balls. Those faceoff wins translate to the ball being in the FireWolves possession longer and more opportunities to score. Calgary’s Justin Inacio had a 73.7% faceoff win percentage in their first game so Nardella’s success will be key to a FireWolves win against Calgary. Albany’s special teams have also been dialed in with the power play scoring 6 times and the team scoring 3 shorthanded goals through 2 games. Those off man opportunities are crucial for momentum shifting plays during the course of the game.
Scouting The Roughnecks
Calgary comes into this game off an exciting 18-17 win over Halifax that saw them make the comeback from being down 11-4. They accomplished that largely through the scoring prowess of NLL veterans Curtis Dickson and Dane Dobbie who had an identical stat line of 9 points (5 goals, 4 assists). Jesse King was the distributor for the Roughnecks with 8 assists. Justin Inacio won 28 faceoffs to help fuel the comeback. This is a scrappy and talented team that will lean on their offense to find success. The Roughnecks got the better of the FireWolves in their last matchup during the 2023-2024 season with a 10-9 overtime win.
FireWolves Players To Watch
Colton Watkinson is playing some of the best lacrosse of his career two games into this season with 2 points, 12 loose balls, and inspired play as the captain of the FireWolves.
Sam Firth has a knack for big games as he scored 5 goals in last weekend’s win against Toronto. With the hot hand Firth will look to keep piling in the goals versus Calgary.
Zac Masson is a 28-year-old rookie having joined Albany after a stint playing professional hockey. He has shaken off the rust scoring 2 goals last game and playing great defensively.
Roughnecks Players To Watch
Curtis Dickson can score in every way imaginable whether it is a crease dive, between the legs shot, or a step down from up top. The FireWolves defense will look to smother Dickson’s high percentage scoring opportunities.
Cam MacLeod faced 45 shots and let in 17 goals last weekend against Halifax, but steadied his play as the game went on. The FireWolves offense will need to keep the pressure on all game.
Justin Inacio was crucial to the Roughnecks success in their win as he controlled the faceoff circle, but he did it against players who do not typically faceoff. Nardella is one of the best faceoff men in the world which should make for a must watch matchup at the X.
Don’t miss out on the Happy Howlidays ticket pack of 2 Tickets and 1 FireWolves Ornament for $40! Join the FireWolves this Saturday, December 14 at 7 pm at MVP Arena for a Happy Howlidays celebration and a Teddy Bear Toss!
Season tickets for the FireWolves 2024-25 season are available now! For more information regarding tickets, visit www.albanyfirewolves.com or call/text the FireWolves front office at 518-675-8678.
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 14 franchises across the United States and Canada: Albany FireWolves, Buffalo Bandits, Calgary Roughnecks, Colorado Mammoth, Georgia Swarm, Halifax Thunderbirds, Las Vegas Desert Dogs, Ottawa Black Bears, 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 AFL 1 Arena Football League and the Division I Men’s College Basketball Siena Saints. For more information, please visit https://www.mvparena.com/
