Albany, NY – The Albany FireWolves (10-4) started slow in the first half and could not complete the comeback against the Rochester Knighthawks (6-6) as they fell 11-10 at MVP Arena. Albany still sits in a National Lacrosse League (NLL) playoff position as they have four more regular season games remaining.
Albany went down 8-2 in the second quarter as the Knighthawks came out firing, but the FireWolves were resilient as they came close to tying it in the final minutes and sending the game to overtime. Rochester had Albany’s number as they beat them last weekend at Blue Cross Arena and were able to pull out another win to complete the season sweep.
Ethan Walker and Alex Simmons lead the way for the FireWolves with both scoring 2 goals and adding 4 assists for 6 pts. Scoring was rounded out by Tye Kurtz (3pts – 2g, 1a), Patrick Kaschalk (2pts – 1g, 1a), Sam Firth (2pts – 1g, 1a), Travis Longboat 1 goal, and Marshall Powless with 1 goal. Doug Jamieson was solid in net with 49 saves on 60 shots on net as he only allowed three goals in the second half as Albany made their comeback. Defenseman John Wagner scooped up 8 loose balls in his FireWolves debut.
The game started very similar to the FireWolves and Knighthawks matchup the previous weekend with Rochester scoring the first goal of the game and taking an early lead as their dynamic offense struck early on. The Knighthawks scored 21 seconds into the game, but Kurtz would answer soon after with a step-down shot to tie it 1-1. The two teams would trade goals again as Rochester scored in transition and Simmons would fire a rocket to tie it up again 2-2. The Knighthawks would then take control for the remainder of the first quarter and into the second quarter as they capitalized on power play opportunities and clicked on offense.
Rochester’s six goal run dug a big hole for the FireWolves to get out of, but they were able to start inching their way back. Kurtz would score another, and Walker would curl around his defender to bury a low shot on the power play, which would bring the score to 8-4 to end the first half.
The third quarter saw the Knighthawks score the first goal of the half to make it 9-4, but the FireWolves quickly responded as they started to push transition and finish their offensive opportunities. A four-goal run by Albany saw Kaschalk score on a breakaway, Longboat finish a rebound, Walker finished another low shot on a delayed penalty, and Firth would quick stick a shorthanded goal to bring the FireWolves within one at a score of 9-8. The Knighthawks would finally stem the tide by scoring a power play goal to end the third quarter at a score of 10-8.
The final quarter went down to the wire in this clash of New York State rivals. Rochester would finish another power play with a goal to go up 11-8 to begin the fourth quarter. Then both teams battled for the next ten minutes with fast and physical play, but it was the FireWolves who made a last-minute push. Simmons would score his second of the game to bring it to 11-9 and thanks to the work of Joe Nardella at the faceoff circle they won the next possession. Powless would sting a corner a few moments later to bring the MVP crowd to their feet as Albany was one goal away from tying it up. In the final minutes, the FireWolves would get several chances to even it up with their last chance coming with 17 seconds left, but they could not complete the comeback as the clock wound down to zero. Albany fell 11-10 as Rochester completed the season sweep against the FireWolves.
Ryan Lanchbury and Connor Fields were the catalysts for Rochester as they each would finish with 3 goals and 2 assists in the game. Riley Hutchcraft made 40 saves on 50 shots.
Albany now sits at 10-4 with a record that still puts them in the top three in the NLL and in a prime position to host a home playoff game. With four regular season games remaining, the FireWolves will look to bounce back quickly and continue their remarkable season. They will travel to Calgary to play the Roughnecks on Friday, March 22 at 9 pm ET.
The FireWolves return to MVP Arena on Saturday, April 6 as they face the Toronto Rock on Retro Night! For more information regarding tickets, visit www.albanyfirewolves.com or call/text the FireWolves ticket hotline 518-612-4196.
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 Firebirds of the Arena Football League and the Division I Men’s College Basketball Siena Saints. For more information, please visit https://www.mvparena.com/
