FireWolves Hold On To Beat Mammoth, Win First Game at Home

Photo Credit: Albany FireWolves via Twitter/X

Caden Balint – Albany Correspondent, Stream Punk Sports / All Lacrosse All The Time

The Revenge of the FireWolves rings true! On Saturday night, January 18th, the Albany FireWolves (2-5) played host to the Colorado Mammoth (4-3) in the second game of their home-and-home series. On a special “Star Wars Night” at MVP Arena, Albany snapped their four-game losing streak with a thrilling 13-10 victory, earning redemption after last week’s defeat in Colorado.

Slow Start In Albany:

Just like in their first meeting, the Mammoth struck first, with Eli McLaughlin putting Colorado on the board. The Mammoth defense kept Albany off the score sheet for the entirety of the first quarter, and Ryan Lee added another goal late to give Colorado a 2-0 lead heading into the second.

Photo Credit: Colorado Mammoth via Twitter/X

Albany finally came alive five minutes into the second quarter when Ethan Walker scored his first of two goals. This marked a milestone for Walker, as he surpassed 200 career points in the NLL. His goal kicked off a back-and-forth battle between the two teams, with seven goals scored in total during the quarter. Despite Albany’s efforts, Colorado maintained a narrow 5-4 lead at halftime.

Albany Strikes Back:

The third quarter mirrored the second, as both teams traded goals. Colorado extended their lead to three after Will Malcom completed his hat trick. However, Albany’s Dyson Williams responded just 40 seconds later, cutting the deficit to two and sparking the FireWolves’ comeback.

The FireWolves’ defense tightened, and goaltender Doug Jamieson became a brick wall. Jamieson’s 42-save performance was instrumental in keeping Albany within striking distance as Colorado struggled to capitalize on their chances. Late in the quarter, rookie Carson Moyer scored his first career NLL goal, bringing Albany within one as the teams entered a pivotal fourth quarter.

Closing Out Victory:

Photo Credit: Albany FireWolves via Twitter/X

The final quarter belonged entirely to Albany. Buoyed by their late third-quarter goal, the FireWolves outscored the Mammoth 6-2 in the fourth. Alex Simmons took charge offensively, scoring two of his four goals and adding to an eight-point performance. Reflecting on the win, Simmons said, “I thought we played a full 60, unlike past games. That’s been difficult for us.”

John Piatelli added two goals in the quarter, while Nicholas Volkov capped the game with his first career NLL goal, delivering the dagger that secured Albany’s 13-10 victory.

Key Performers:

Albany FireWolves: Albany’s win came on the back of huge play from Alex Simmons (4g, 4a) and Ethan Walker (2g, 6a) who led the FireWolves with eight points each. Next to them it was Dyson Willams (1g, 4a) and Tye Kurtz (1g, 4a) who both added 5 points of their own. John Piatelli added two goals and an assist of his own, while Nicholas Volkov, Carson Moyer and Mike Bryne rounded out the scoring for Albany. 

Colorado Mammoth: Despite the loss, the Mammoth did all they could to play spoiler to Albany’s first home win, including seven points from Ryan Lee (3g, 4a) who was able to add a hat trick in the loss. While Lee added seven, Will Malcom (4g, 2a) led the charge offensively ending the loss with a four goal performance. Rounding out the scoring for the Mammoth was Connor Kelly, Connor Robinson and Eli McLaughlin who all added a goal and two assists each. 

Looking Ahead:

Both teams return to action this weekend in the NLL’s four-game slate. The FireWolves will look to build on this victory as they head to the SaskTel Centre to take on the Saskatchewan Rush on Saturday, January 25.

Meanwhile, the Mammoth will remain in New York, traveling to the Blue Cross Arena to face the Rochester Knighthawks. Colorado will aim to bounce back and maintain their strong start to the season.