ALBANY, NY – The Albany FireWolves, Buffalo Bandits, and Las Vegas Desert Dogs today announced the first-ever Tucker Out Lymphoma Cup, a multi-game series honoring the life of Tucker Williams. Tucker, the son of Desert Dogs head coach and general manager Shawn Williams and the younger brother of FireWolves forward Dyson Williams, lost his battle with Burkitt’s Lymphoma on Dec. 17, 2014, at just 8 years old.
This series builds on the legacy of Tucker Out Lymphoma Night, which was started in 2014 by the Bandits. The first event took place in April of that year, as the Bandits rallied around Tucker and the Williams family during his courageous fight. A decade later, this meaningful initiative is expanding to a multi-team competition that will bring together the lacrosse community to honor Tucker’s memory and raise awareness for lymphoma research and pediatric oncology.
“This Cup is a huge honor for our family,” Shawn Williams said. “From the very first Tucker Out Lymphoma Night in Buffalo to this new Cup, the lacrosse community has been there for us. Tucker’s legacy continues to inspire, and we are so grateful for the support in raising awareness and making a difference.”
“It’ll be an honor to compete in a Tucker Out game and for the Cup as we try and carry on Tucker’s legacy,” Dyson Williams said.
The Tucker Out Lymphoma Cup brings together three teams with deep ties to Tucker’s story: the Buffalo Bandits, where the initiative began; the Albany FireWolves, where Tucker’s older brother Dyson is playing in his rookie season; and the Las Vegas Desert Dogs, where Shawn Williams serves as head coach and general manager.
“We started Tucker Out Lymphoma Night to rally around Tucker and the Williams family during a challenging time,” Bandits senior director of lacrosse operations Scott Loffler said. “Seeing this initiative evolve into a multi-team Cup is a testament to Tucker’s impact and the strength of the lacrosse community.”
“I couldn’t think of a better way to bring awareness to Tucker’s courage and the fight against cancer than through the Tucker Cup,” FireWolves CEO and Owner Oliver Marti said. “The strength and character of Dyson and the entire Williams Family is inspiring, and the Albany FireWolves are honored to be hosting our first Tucker Out Lymphoma night this season.”
TUCKER OUT LYMPHOMA CUP SCHEDULE
The competition will span five games across the 2024-25 NLL season, showcasing matchups that feature the FireWolves, Bandits and Desert Dogs.
| Date |
Home Team |
Visiting Team |
| Jan. 4 |
Albany |
Las Vegas |
| Feb. 1 |
Las Vegas |
Georgia |
| Feb. 1 |
Buffalo |
Albany |
| March 21 |
Buffalo |
Las Vegas |
| March 22 |
Albany |
Buffalo |
–more–
STANDINGS FORMAT AND TIEBREAKERS
The Tucker Out Lymphoma Cup will feature a unique standings system:
- 2 points for a win
- 1 point for an overtiome loss
- 0 points for a regulation loss
In the event of teams finishing the series with the same number of points, NLL standings tiebreakers will apply.
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The FireWolves will play their first game of the Tucker Out Lymphoma Cup on Saturday, January 4 at 7 pm at MVP Arena against the Las Vegas Desert Dogs. This will be the FireWolves first Tucker Out Lymphoma Night which will honor the life of Tucker Williams who passed away from Burkitt’s Lymphoma in 2014. Las Vegas head coach Shawn Williams is the father of Tucker and FireWolves player Dyson Williams is Tucker’s brother.
Get your tickets for Tucker Out Lymphoma Night now! For more information regarding tickets, visit www.albanyfirewolves.com or call/text the FireWolves front office at 518-675-8678.
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 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 Empire 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/
