Albany, NY – On a night where his family was in the crowd at MVP Arena and his Indigenous heritage was celebrated, Travis Longboat scored a career high 4 goals to lead the Albany FireWolves (10-2) to their tenth win of the 2023-24 National Lacrosse League (NLL) season against the Vancouver Warriors (3-9).
Watch highlights from the game here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HyudP3JQ_oI
It was another full team effort as the offense continues to click in five-on-five sets and on the power play, while goalie Doug Jamieson and the defense are shutting down opposing offenses. Longboat has been an integral part of Albany’s success all season as he has racked up a career high 47 pts (20g, 27a) so far this season. His inspiring hardworking play style has been the epitome of what makes this FireWolves team special. Alex Simmons had a team high 7 pts (1g, 7a) while the scoring was rounded out by Nathan Grenon 3pts (2g, 1a), Marshall Powless 3pts (1g, 2a), Tye Kurtz (1g, 2a), Ethan Walker 2pts (1g, 1a), and Nick Chaykowsky scored 1 goal.
The game began with a rare scoreless first quarter as both teams worked to figure each other out with plenty of scoring opportunities, but no balls going in the net.
Things would change in the second quarter as Longboat scored the first goal of the game on an assist from Powless which was a perfect start for the two Indigenous stars for the Albany. A few minutes later Chaykowsky made a great defensive play to pick up a loose ball and streak down the floor for a breakaway goal to make it 2-0. The FireWolves continued their scoring run as Longboat wrapped around the net for a gritty goal to extend the lead to 3-0. Vancouver would respond with a two-goal run of their own as the second quarter would end with a score of 3-2.
The tide would shift in the second half as the FireWolves rode the faceoff success of Joe Nardella and took advantage of power play opportunities. Powless scored in the first minute of the third quarter on the power play and Walker would follow it up with another power play goal a few minutes later to extend Albany’s lead to 5-2. The Warriors would score a goal in transition to bring it to 5-3, but Longboat would score his third of the game on another power play to bring the score to 6-3 at the end of the third quarter.
The fourth quarter saw a flurry of scoring as the FireWolves would pile on the goals, but Vancouver would stick around with goals of their own. The Warriors opened the scoring to close the gap to 6-4, Grenon would respond for the FireWolves making it 7-4, the Warriors then scored on the power play bring it to 7-4, and then Albany would take control.
Four straight goals from the FireWolves got the home crowd at MVP Arena fired up. Goals from Longboat, Kurtz, Simmons, and Grenon brought the score to 11-5 as the offense showed the chemistry of this group and what they’re truly capable of. Doug Jamieson shut the door against the Warriors with another great game in net as he racked up 41 saves. The last five minutes saw three goals in garbage time from Vancouver and FireWolves captain Colton Watkinson scoring two goals in empty net situations as the game was sealed. Nardella finished with another tremendous performance at the faceoff circle winning 23 of 25 faceoffs.
The FireWolves are now 10-2 as their storybook season continues as the 10 wins is the most in a season since the team moved to Albany in 2021 and it ties the franchise record all the way back to the original Philadelphia Wings.
Up next is a quick turnaround as the Albany FireWolves travel down the I-90 to face the Rochester Knighthawks for the second part of their doubleheader. Another win tomorrow would put them into a prime position to secure a playoff spot in the coming weeks. Faceoff is set for 7pm on Saturday, March 9 and the game can be watched on ESPN+, TSN+, and locally on MY4.
Join the Albany FireWolves for a St. Patrick’s Day weekend celebration on Saturday, March 16 for $3 beers! Get your tickets now at www.AlbanyFireWolves.com or call/text the FireWolves front office at 518-362-4900.
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 Empire of the National Arena League and the Division I Men’s College Basketball Siena Saints. For more information, please visit https://www.mvparena.com/
