The National Lacrosse League is back in business after cancelling the end of the 2020 season and the entire 2021 campaign due to the pandemic. In the meantime, there have been a few changes to the collection of teams that comprise the circuit, with the most notable being the New England Black Wolves moving to Albany to become the FireWolves. This franchise has been with the league since its first season in 1987, playing as the Philadelphia Wings until moving to New England in 2014.
The club plays out of MVP Arena (formerly Times Union Center) in downtown Albany. I visited here in 2013 for the AHL (which has since moved on) and found that things have changed significantly since then.
Of course, the name is the most obvious change. MVP Healthcare is the owner of the naming rights, which were announced in November of last year and took effect on New Year's Day. So it is understandable that some of the old signage remains.
I picked up a ticket at the box office, with the cheapest going for $18. Just inside here is a large display honouring Ben M. Becker, an Albany native who was involved in many aspects of civic life and is most famous for being the Olympic basketball coach when Cassius Clay won the gold medal in 1960 in Rome. Take the time to look over his impressive list of accomplishments.
Inside the main entrance is a large, carpeted atrium with stairs and escalators on either side that lead to the concourse, where your ticket is scanned.
Once inside, I toured the single concourse, which serves both the upper and lower levels and would probably be crowded if there was anywhere near the 17,500 people that the place can hold. I did appreciate the carnivalesque signs at one end, though I found concession prices quite high.
At the far end is a small that was doing relatively big business on this night.
Just a few steps away is the Capital District Hall of Fame that includes a jersey from the Albany Patroons, a team that was once coached by Phil Jackson and who currently play in The Basketball League.
Inside, you can see how the upper level end zone seats are blocked off, but those along the sides are open. Attendance was 4,651, just 200 less than their first home game, which made national news for a goalie fight. It is still very early, but this would put them 11th in the 14-team league.
The view from that end of the arena, where my seat was located. Lacrosse nets are much smaller than those in hockey and I would have trouble seeing goals at the far end.
So I made my way upstairs and sat near the top. Despite being this far away, it was a good spot to watch the action, and there were few others who bothered to sit up here, so it was a bit safer than being down low.
The team came out to some sparklers. I found it grammatically inconsistent that they are the FireWolves but they play at the Wolf's Den. A minor quibble, to be sure.
The NLL is struggling to find other markets that can match the success of places like Buffalo and Rochester. This is the second time the NLL has tried Albany after a three-year experiment in the early part of the century (that franchise is now in Vancouver). I hope that sports fans in the region can support this club and keep them here for years to come because lacrosse is one of the most enjoyable sports to watch.
The Game
The Saskatchewan Rush (1-3) were in town to face the winless FireWolves, who were shellacked by Rochester 16-7 in their last game. But the home team got off to a flying start, scoring just 12 seconds in when Jackson Nishimura put home a rebound, and they doubled their lead just 27 seconds after that on a great shot from Joe Resetarits. It looked like a high-scoring affair was in order, but after that, the goals were few and far between, at least for lacrosse. Albany made it 3-0 before a late power play goal got the Rush on the board. The second period saw Saskatchewan score a pair while Albany notched one, and both teams scored twice in the third period to make it 6-5 FireWolves entering the final frame. It took nearly five minutes but Albany finally got some insurance when Ryan Benesch potted his second of the evening, and two minutes later, Resetarits scored his second. An empty-netter sealed the game and then an illegal substitution by Saskatchewan with a minute to go led to a penalty shot that Tanner Thompson tallied to make the final 10-5.
Face-offs are crucial in lacrosse and Albany's Joe Nardella won 14 of 16 to give his team first possession, which was key in scoring those two early goals. Albany keeper Doug Jamieson was steady in net, saving 31 of 36 shots. The average NLL game sees about 21 goals, so this one was a bit more defensive minded and I enjoyed the change.
Notes
This was the first win in FireWolves history and marked the second straight NLL game that I attended where I saw the team win its first game, after watching the Riptide beat Georgia two years ago. That remains New York's only win in franchise history, so hoping the FireWolves can get their second in a more timely manner. Of course, not having a season cancelled should help.
Of the 14 home venues in the league, I have seen events at 13 of them, with Fort Worth's Dickies Arena, home of the expansion Panther City Lacrosse Club, the lone exception. Of course, only four of those include NLL games, which is why I don't include this circuit on my list of venues to visit; I have already seen them for hockey and it isn't worth the expense to travel to these arenas again. However, a new franchise is expected to start in Las Vegas next season, and I plan to visit them as they will be using Michelob Ultra Arena in Mandalay Bay rather than T-Mobile Arena and as you know, I'm all about seeing new venues.
Best,
Sean
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