SAN DIEGO, CA – The Albany FireWolves (7-10) will travel to face the San Diego Seals (8-9) at Pechanga Arena tonight Friday, April 18 at 10:30 pm ET in their last regular season game that they must win to have a chance to clinch a spot in the National Lacrosse League (NLL) playoffs.
The FireWolves defeated the Seals 12-10 at MVP Arena this past weekend on Saturday, April 12 to bring their record to (7-10) and keep their playoff chances alive. The Seals, with a record of (8-9), will be eliminated from playoff contention with a loss to the FireWolves or will clinch a playoff spot with a win.
The Albany FireWolves can clinch a playoff berth with a win AND one of the following:
The game will be available to watch on ESPN+, TSN+, NLL+, and locally on MY4.
Just Win
Despite all the scenarios and implications of this game, the FireWolves and head coach Glenn Clark are only concerned about one thing: just win. Focusing on one game at a time has been the mantra for Albany all season and they have been able to come through their rollercoaster of games with the opportunity to make the postseason. The FireWolves have playoff and championship experience from their run to the 2024 NLL Finals and defenseman Ethan O’Connor has won two NLL Cups in his career. It all seems to be coming together for the FireWolves with their offensive stars like Tye Kurtz, Alex Simmons, and company clicking at the right time as well as their defense, led by Doug Jamieson in net, averaging only 10 goals allowed the past five games. Now it’s time to put aside what happened earlier this season and focus on winning one more game.
Run It Back
How will Albany beat San Diego again? The FireWolves will need to run back a lot of the same things they did last weekend while also making little adjustments now that they have seen what the Seals are all about. The FireWolves found success with how quickly they swung the ball around their offense and how hard they attacked the net with Simmons and Kyle Jackson both scoring on crease dives. The key will be to keep that fast paced tempo throughout the game and to convert on the open opportunities that will result from their speed. The defense will need to be ready to react to any new systems the Seals offense runs and give Jamieson the shots he wants in net. Cleaning up their faceoffs will also be key with Joe Nardella doing a great job at getting the clamp, but the ball team struggling to pick up the ball once Nardella got it out. Albany has players like Will Johansen, Nick Chaykowsky, and Tye Kurtz who can fight to get loose balls off the faceoffs in a big game like this. This game will be a playoff atmosphere for both teams, and there’s no doubt that it will be a battle down to the final minutes.
Scouting The Seals
The biggest question for San Diego is the status of their starting goaltender Chris Origlieri who left the game after the third quarter with an injury. Backup goaltender Mike Poulin is a veteran in the NLL with 17 seasons under his belt, but Albany was able to score twice on him in the 4th quarter last weekend. The Seals offense showed how dangerous they can be as they went on two runs of three goals that gave them leads during the game. They have great shooters and players that are not afraid to push the ball in transition. The FireWolves defense was able to limit their production and will need to keep the pressure on all game to do it again. With San Diego facing elimination with a loss, they will be fighting for every inch to keep their season alive.
FireWolves Players To Watch
Tye Kurtz scored 6 goals last Saturday against the Seals in an incredible performance.
Ethan O’Connor showed why the FireWolves picked him up a month ago with several smart plays and a blocked shot at the end of the game last weekend that helped seal the win for Albany.
Doug Jamieson has been rock solid in the second half of the season and will give Albany a chance to win with his steady presence in net.
Opposing Players To Watch
Pat Kavanagh is a star in the outdoor game but played his first NLL game last weekend. He scored his first career goal and is a talented player the FireWolves must keep tabs on.
Ben McIntosh led all Seals in scoring with 4 points (2g, 2a) last weekend.
Chris Origlieri’s status is still questionable, but if he plays the FireWolves will need to apply the same pressure they did a week ago to beat him.
The Albany FireWolves can clinch a spot in the 2025 NLL playoffs with a win this Friday, April 18 against the San Diego Seals in addition to needing several teams to lose in the final weekend of the NLL regular season. Fans can watch the Albany FireWolves face the San Diego Seals this Friday, April 18 at 10:30 pm ET on ESPN+, TSN+, NLL+, and locally on MY4.
Stay tuned to the Albany FireWolves social media pages for game updates and potential home playoff dates.
Season ticket deposits for the 2025-2026 season have begun! For more information, visit www.albanyfirewolves.com or call/text the FireWolves front office at 518-675-8678 to avoid fees and save 30-70% on tickets.
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/
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