ALBANY, NY – It will be an emotional and inspiring night at MVP Arena this Saturday, January 4 at 7 pm as the Albany FireWolves play the Las Vegas Desert Dogs in the FireWolves inaugural Tucker Out Lymphoma & Box Out Cancer Night presented by MVP Health Care.
This game will mean more than just the end result, but this is an exciting matchup of two teams that are looking to get back on track early in the season. The FireWolves and Desert Dogs split last seasons’ matchups with each winning on the road. The game will be available to watch on ESPN+, TSN+, NLL+, and locally on MY4.
For Tucker
This special night will honor the life of Tucker Williams, younger brother of FireWolves player Dyson Williams and son of Desert Dogs head coach Shawn Williams, who passed away from Burkitt’s Lymphoma in 2014 and will also bring awareness to all those affected by cancer as the fight against the disease continues. The FireWolves and Desert Dogs will both wear specialty uniforms designed by Dyson Williams. These jerseys will be available for auction and proceeds will go to the Sick Kids Hospital of Toronto, the Melodies Center at Albany Medical Center, and the Braver Than Brave Foundation.
Bid on the jerseys at this link: https://web.dashapp.io/team/albanyfirewolves
Adding Firepower
The FireWolves have faced a lot of adversity early on this season with injuries and struggles to finish games. Head Coach Glenn Clark went out and added Callum Crawford to the team this past week who is 8th all-time in NLL points with 1,292. The veteran forward changes the FireWolves offense completely and will provide them with the extra scoring they need to finish out games. Albany’s offense has been the youngest in the NLL for the past two seasons, but by adding Crawford they hope to find the right mix of talent and experience.
Scouting The Desert Dogs
Las Vegas will look to get their first win of the season against Albany as they have struggled early on this season to find their identity. They boast good goal scoring and defensive depth but are still putting together the pieces to find their winning formula. They have had several close games against Rochester, Colorado, and Philadelphia where they showed their potential and the FireWolves will need to be prepared for a determined team.
FireWolves Players To Watch
Callum Crawford is one of the best goal scorers in NLL history and has shown that he still has a lot of goals left in him playing in his 19th pro season.
Dyson Williams has been solid through his first four games scoring 11 points, but playing in this game honoring his brother Tucker will be a moment he never forgets. #51 will look to have a big night.
Ethan Walker has been one of the FireWolves most productive scorers so far this season and the de facto leader of the group. His calculated play style should complement the experience of Crawford.
Opposing Players To Watch
Jack Hannah is one of the most dynamic players in the NLL with his athleticism and elite shooting. He has 19 points in four games.
Adam Poitras is a talented rookie who has been providing great depth scoring for Las Vegas.
Landon Kells has played most of the minutes in net for the Desert Dogs and shut down the FireWolves offense in their second meeting last season.
Get tickets for Tucker Out Lymphoma and Box Out Cancer Night presented by MVP Health Care now with prices 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 MVP Health Care
MVP Health Care is a nationally recognized, not-for-profit health insurer caring for members in New York and Vermont. Committed to the complete well-being of our members and the communities we serve, MVP makes health insurance more convenient, more supportive, and more personal. For more information visit www.mvphealthcare.com or on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
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/
