Eduardo Curros – Western Correspondent, All Lacrosse All The Time
The Vancouver Warriors continued their March to May on Friday night, hosting the Albany FireWolves at Rogers Arena. The acquisition of goaltender Christian Del Bianco by head coach Curt Malawsky at the trade deadline has vastly changed the trajectory of the Warriors franchise, both now and for the future. Meanwhile, the FireWolves are facing some growing pains after making the NLL Finals last year – at 6-9, they need every win they can get if they want to make it back to the playoffs.
However, Del Bianco was stellar, allowing just one goal in the first half of a 10-4 victory. Vancouver (9-7) is now 4-0 since he joined the team. They currently sit in fourth place, tied with Rochester (the Warriors hold the tiebreaker), and a half-game behind Halifax. Albany falls to 6-10; they finish their season with a home-and-home series against San Diego, needing to win both to have any chance to make the postseason.
Vancouver shuts down Albany in first half
Dylan McIntosh scored Vancouver’s first goal with help from Keegan Bal and Marcus Klarich at 7:34. Bal added a power-play goal at 11:31, with help from Adam Charalambides. Tye Kurtz scored Albany’s only goal of the quarter with help from Kyle Jackson and Patrick Kaschalk at 12:48. The Warriors led 2-1 after one quarter. Vancouver would keep up the pressure in the second quarter, with Bal scoring his second at 6:01, assisted by McIntosh and Kevin Crowley. Klarich scored unassisted at 8:16 to give the Warriors a 4-1 lead at halftime.
Vancouver pulls away in second half for fourth straight win
Ethan Walker made it a two-goal game with help from Dyson Williams, at 0:35 of the third quarter. Crowley, with help from Bal and Ryan Dilks, put Vancouver up 5-2 at 3:44. Albany would have the last goal of the quarter with Williams from Jackson at 10:18. The fourth quarter did not disappoint, at least for the home squad. The Vancouver offense went off, starting with Reid Bowering scoring off a pass from Del Bianco at 3:28. Charalambides scores with support from McIntosh and Bal at 5:32 to make it 7-2.
Albany’s lone goal of the quarter would come from Alex Simmons with help from Kurtz and Masson at 6:56. Bal added two more, first with help from Charalambides at 8:39, then with support from Del Bianco at 10:52. Riley Loewen scored unassisted at 10:43 for the final 10-4 margin. The Warriors play at Toronto next week, then host Philadelphia in Week 21 to finish the regular season.
Curros’s Corner
Albany: Kurtz (1g, 1a); Williams (1g, 1a); Simmons (1g); Walker (1g); Jackson (2a); Kaschalk (1a); Masson (1a)
Vancouver: Bal (4g, 3a); Charalambides (1g, 2a); McIntosh (1g, 2a); Crowley (1g, 1a); Klarich (1g, 1a); Loewen (1g)
Del Bianco stopped 37 of 41 shots for the win and added two assists on the night.
Power Play: ALB 0 for 4; VAN 1 for 3
The FireWolves’ Joe Nardella outdueled Alec Stathakis at the dot, winning 13 of 18 draws.