ALBANY, NY – It will be a special night as the Albany FireWolves (2-7) welcome the Ottawa Black Bears (4-4) for a midseason battle tonight at 7 pm at MVP Arena for Indigenous Celebration Night.
Get tickets for as low as $15.96 here: https://albanyfirewolves.com/tickets/ticket-center/
The night will honor the roots of the game of lacrosse. The FireWolves have three indigenous players on their roster (Doug Jamieson, Travis Longboat, and Blake McDonald) and Ottawa has two on their roster (Larson Sundown and Ron John). The FireWolves will also honor Oren Lyons, the Haudenosaunee Faithkeeper and lacrosse legend, as the Hero of the Game in the third quarter.
The game will be available to watch on ESPN+, TSN+, NLL+, and locally on MY4.
Second Half Push
The FireWolves have faced many challenges in the first half of the season, but coming off a bye week they are rested and ready to right the ship with nine more games to get back into the postseason conversation. The youngest team in the National Lacrosse League has had to grow up quickly and with the leadership of their veteran players like Colton Watkinson, Nick Chaykowsky, and Doug Jamieson they are poised to get back in the win column. To start the second half of the season on the right foot, they will need to play with speed and with a high lacrosse IQ to outmatch a veteran Ottawa team.
Bring The Fire
One of the biggest bright spots for the FireWolves has been the performance of their offense with four players scoring 30 or more points so far this season. Against Ottawa, Albany’s stars will need to bring the firepower to outmatch the Black Bears in what should be a high scoring game. Alex Simmons is sixth in the NLL with 56 points (20g, 36a) and has a five-game streak of scoring 7 points or more. Tye Kurtz and Ethan Walker have been consistent producers for the FireWolves who have come up with big goals when needed. The return of Travis Longboat will give the offense a boost with his crafty shooting and smart playmaking.
Scouting The Black Bears
Formerly the New York Riptide, the Black Bears are playing their first season in Ottawa after relocating in the offseason. They are at 4-4 with several good ones along with tough losses. Their roster is similar to the Riptide team that the FireWolves defeated twice last season, but they have made some key additions like goalie Zach Higgins whose 81% save percentage is tied for best in the league. Their offense is led by Jeff Teat who has had a slow start to the season but is still one of the most dangerous players in lacrosse with the ball in his stick. If Albany can dominate time of possession and limit Ottawa’s offense, they will be in good shape to get a much-needed win.
FireWolves Players To Watch
Travis Longboat returned to the FireWolves lineup against Buffalo and scored 1 goal. He scored 4 goals on Indigenous Celebration Night last season so he will look to have another big game on the night that honors his heritage.
Joe Nardella is the best faceoff man in the NLL with a 66% win percentage and will be the driving force for Albany to dominate possessions.
Doug Jamieson will look to bounce back against the Black Bears and return to his goalie of the year caliber play in net.
Black Bears Players To Watch
Jeff Teat is an exceptional player thanks to his field awareness and great scoring ability. He will be the focus of the FireWolves defense.
Taggart Clark is the son of FireWolves head coach Glenn Clark and will have extra motivation to score a few big goals against his father’s team.
Zach Higgins has had a tremendous start in net for Ottawa, but if Albany’s shooters can get a high volume of quality shots on him early, they will be able to pile on the goals.
Albany will begin their reset for the second half of the season when they host the Ottawa Black Bears tonight Saturday, February 15, 7:00 PM at the MVP Arena on Indigenous Celebration Night.
Get tickets now for Indigenous Celebration Night on February 15! Fans can take advantage of the best ticket prices around starting at $15.96! For more information regarding tickets, visit www.albanyfirewolves.com or call/text the FireWolves front office at 518-675-8678 to avoid fees.
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) 675-8678 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 Firebirds 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/
