SIMMONS’ 10 POINTS LEAD FIREWOLVES TO SEMIFINALS GAME 1 WIN 14-12 OVER SAN DIEGO: GAME RECAP PRESENTED BY BROTHERS GUTTERS – CAPITAL DISTRICT

San Diego, CA – The Albany FireWolves outlasted the San Diego Seals to win Game 1 of the 2024 National Lacrosse League (NLL) Semifinals 14-12 thanks to Alex Simmons’ 10 points and an incredible team effort Friday night at Pechanga Arena. 

Game 2 is this Sunday, May 5 at 3 pm ET back in Albany at MVP Arena. Get semifinal tickets now and be a part of the FireWolves’ historic playoff run presented by Concord Pools & Spas as they continue their hunt for the NLL Cup.

Get tickets here https://albanyfirewolves.com/tickets/ticket-center/ 

FireWolves rookie sensation Alex Simmons tied a playoff record with 10 points (5g, 5a) as he scored momentum shifting goals and distributed the ball well to be involved in 10 of Albany’s 14 goals.  

Scoring was rounded out by Ethan Walker (7 pts – 2g, 5a), Tye Kurtz (5 pts – 1g, 4a), Marshall Powless (4 pts – 1g, 3a), Nathan Grenon with 2 goals, and Sam Firth, Mike Byrne, and Colton Watkinson each scoring a goal apiece. Goalie Doug Jamieson made 27 saves and defender John Wagner put up another impressive playoff stat line dishing out 2 assists, scooping up 11 loose balls, blocking 2 shots, and causing 1 turnover.  

See the final stats here: Albany vs San Diego Game 1 

Watch the highlights:

The game began with back-and-forth scoring as San Diego scored first, but Simmons would respond with his first of the game to tie it 1-1. The Seals would score a quick goal soon after to bring the score to 2-1, but the FireWolves would catch fire with a five-goal run that began in the first quarter and extended into the second quarter with goals by Walker, Firth, Kurtz, and another from Simmons to create a gap and go up 6-2. The Seals would stop the bleeding with two goals to end the first half at 6-4.  

In the third quarter, San Diego scored first but Simmons and Grenon answered right back to maintain their lead at 8-5. The physicality of the game and high tensions of playoff lacrosse leaked into the game with penalties that led to the Seals scoring a power play goal before the FireWolves would also score on the extra man opportunity to bring the score to 9-6 in favor of Albany. The FireWolves continued to apply the pressure and the offense was rewarded for their hardworking style with Simmons’ fifth goal of the game and Grenon uncorked his second to extend the lead to 11-6.  

The fourth quarter got very exciting as Albany scored back breaking goals, yet San Diego would not go down quietly in this semifinal match-up. Byrne and Powless would add tallies to make it 13-8, but the Seals’ four goal run made it very close for a moment with a score of 13-12. Albany captain Colton Watkinson iced the game with an empty netter to secure a final score of 14-12 in another historic win for this young Albany FireWolves team. The FireWolves were ready for everything the Seals threw at them as they secured the team’s first ever semifinal win.  

It will be a quick turnaround for both teams as they travel east from San Diego to New York State’s capital city for Game 2 on Sunday, May 5 at 3 pm. The FireWolves have a chance to sweep the Seals in two games on Sunday and could secure their spot in the NLL Championship. 

Tickets are now available for Game 2 of the NLL Semifinals at MVP Arena this Sunday, May 5 at 3 pm as the Albany FireWolves face the San Diego Seals.

Get your playoff tickets starting at $23 here https://albanyfirewolves.com/tickets/ticket-center/ 

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/ 

About Brothers Gutters – Capital District  

Our mantra, “Reinventing Contractor Service™” is the phrase we live by in all areas of our business, every day. The story of The Brothers that just do Gutters began with hard work and a dream to be a community-loved contractor. We wanted to reinvent how clients experience contractor services and provide a level of customer service and reliability that was lacking in our industry. For more information, please visit https://www.brothersgutters.com/capital-district-ny/