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BUF at SD - Sat. 10pm ET on ESPNews Schedule

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WK
1
Fri, Dec 2
FINAL
Philadelphia
8
Halifax
18
Sat, Dec 3
FINAL
Vancouver
8
Toronto
19
Sat, Dec 3
FINAL
San Diego
15
New York
14
Sat, Dec 3
FINAL
Albany
11
Buffalo
10
Sat, Dec 3
FINAL
Rochester
16
Georgia
11
Sat, Dec 3
FINAL
Colorado
6
Saskatchewan
18
WK
2
Fri, Dec 9
FINAL
Las Vegas
11
Panther City
13
Fri, Dec 9
FINAL/OT
Saskatchewan
12
San Diego
13
Sat, Dec 10
FINAL
Toronto
7
Rochester
11
Sat, Dec 10
FINAL
Vancouver
9
Calgary
11
WK
3
Fri, Dec 16
FINAL
Calgary
14
Vancouver
5
Fri, Dec 16
FINAL
Panther City
9
Las Vegas
3
Sat, Dec 17
FINAL
Buffalo
11
Toronto
8
Sat, Dec 17
FINAL
Rochester
14
Albany
13
Sat, Dec 17
FINAL
Philadelphia
13
Georgia
12
Sat, Dec 17
FINAL
Halifax
20
New York
11
Sat, Dec 17
FINAL
Colorado
12
Panther City
9
WK
5
Fri, Dec 30
FINAL
Halifax
13
Buffalo
18
Fri, Dec 30
FINAL
San Diego
17
Calgary
14
Sat, Dec 31
FINAL
Panther City
9
Saskatchewan
11
WK
6
Fri, Jan 6
FINAL
Philadelphia
14
Las Vegas
9
Sat, Jan 7
FINAL
Panther City
9
Rochester
17
Sat, Jan 7
FINAL
Halifax
14
Albany
11
Sat, Jan 7
FINAL
Buffalo
18
Georgia
9
Sat, Jan 7
FINAL
Toronto
15
New York
7
Sat, Jan 7
FINAL
Calgary
8
Colorado
9
Sat, Jan 7
FINAL
Vancouver
11
San Diego
16
WK
7
Fri, Jan 13
FINAL/OT
Albany
11
Halifax
10
Fri, Jan 13
FINAL/OT
Saskatchewan
10
Colorado
11
Sat, Jan 14
FINAL
Halifax
8
Toronto
17
Sat, Jan 14
FINAL
Panther City
12
Philadelphia
10
Sat, Jan 14
FINAL
Georgia
9
Buffalo
11
Sat, Jan 14
FINAL
San Diego
10
Calgary
14
Sat, Jan 14
FINAL
Las Vegas
16
Vancouver
19
Sun, Jan 15
FINAL
Rochester
11
New York
8
WK
8
Fri, Jan 20
FINAL
Buffalo
12
Rochester
15
Fri, Jan 20
FINAL
Vancouver
14
Las Vegas
15
Sat, Jan 21
FINAL
Toronto
14
Philadelphia
5
Sat, Jan 21
FINAL
New York
16
Albany
10
WK
9
Fri, Jan 27
FINAL
Rochester
7
Halifax
17
Fri, Jan 27
FINAL
Buffalo
13
Philadelphia
9
Sat, Jan 28
FINAL
Buffalo
16
New York
10
Sat, Jan 28
FINAL
Las Vegas
10
Saskatchewan
15
Sat, Jan 28
FINAL/OT
Toronto
11
Calgary
10
Sat, Jan 28
FINAL
San Diego
13
Colorado
9
Sat, Jan 28
FINAL
Panther City
20
Vancouver
7
WK
10
Fri, Feb 3
FINAL
Georgia
10
Colorado
13
Sat, Feb 4
FINAL/OT
Calgary
12
Halifax
11
Sat, Feb 4
FINAL
New York
14
Toronto
22
Sat, Feb 4
FINAL
Albany
5
Philadelphia
13
Sat, Feb 4
FINAL
Rochester
10
Buffalo
13
Sat, Feb 4
FINAL
Panther City
10
San Diego
12
Sat, Feb 4
FINAL
Saskatchewan
14
Vancouver
8
Sat, Feb 4
FINAL
Colorado
8
Las Vegas
13
WK
11
Fri, Feb 10
FINAL
Toronto
11
Georgia
10
Fri, Feb 10
FINAL
Saskatchewan
6
Calgary
13
Sat, Feb 11
FINAL
Halifax
14
Rochester
16
Sat, Feb 11
FINAL
Albany
12
New York
14
Sat, Feb 11
FINAL
Vancouver
13
Panther City
14
Sat, Feb 11
FINAL
Colorado
9
Calgary
13
WK
12
Fri, Feb 17
FINAL
Calgary
14
Vancouver
9
Fri, Feb 17
FINAL
Saskatchewan
16
San Diego
11
Sat, Feb 18
FINAL
Georgia
7
Toronto
16
Sat, Feb 18
FINAL
Las Vegas
12
Albany
10
Sat, Feb 18
FINAL/OT
Philadelphia
12
Buffalo
13
Sat, Feb 18
FINAL
Colorado
7
Panther City
13
Sun, Feb 19
FINAL
New York
12
Halifax
13
WK
13
Fri, Feb 24
FINAL
Panther City
12
Colorado
14
Fri, Feb 24
FINAL
Calgary
9
Las Vegas
11
Sat, Feb 25
FINAL/OT
New York
10
Rochester
11
Sat, Feb 25
FINAL
Albany
4
Georgia
20
Sat, Feb 25
FINAL
Vancouver
16
Saskatchewan
12
WK
14
Fri, Mar 3
FINAL
Buffalo
10
Halifax
9
Sat, Mar 4
FINAL
New York
12
Philadelphia
19
Sat, Mar 4
FINAL
Las Vegas
12
San Diego
15
Sat, Mar 4
FINAL
Rochester
8
Toronto
9
Sat, Mar 4
FINAL/OT
Georgia
9
Albany
8
Sat, Mar 4
FINAL
Saskatchewan
10
Panther City
16
Mon, Mar 6
FINAL
Toronto
10
Philadelphia
11
WK
15
Fri, Mar 10
FINAL/OT
Halifax
9
Buffalo
10
Fri, Mar 10
FINAL
Calgary
16
Colorado
10
Sat, Mar 11
FINAL
Albany
6
Toronto
12
Sat, Mar 11
FINAL
Philadelphia
10
New York
13
Sat, Mar 11
FINAL
San Diego
12
Saskatchewan
11
Sat, Mar 11
FINAL
Vancouver
14
Las Vegas
5
Sun, Mar 12
FINAL
Rochester
19
Georgia
18
WK
16
Fri, Mar 17
FINAL
Saskatchewan
6
Calgary
11
Fri, Mar 17
FINAL
San Diego
16
Vancouver
9
Sat, Mar 18
FINAL
Georgia
13
Philadelphia
12
Sat, Mar 18
FINAL
Toronto
12
Halifax
14
Sat, Mar 18
FINAL
Albany
10
New York
13
Sat, Mar 18
FINAL
Colorado
13
Buffalo
8
Sat, Mar 18
FINAL
Las Vegas
8
Panther City
11
Sun, Mar 19
FINAL/OT
Philadelphia
9
Rochester
8
WK
17
Fri, Mar 24
FINAL
San Diego
17
Panther City
9
Sat, Mar 25
FINAL
Toronto
11
Albany
9
Sat, Mar 25
FINAL
Halifax
14
Philadelphia
10
Sat, Mar 25
FINAL
Georgia
13
New York
8
Sat, Mar 25
FINAL
Calgary
14
Saskatchewan
6
Sat, Mar 25
FINAL/OT
Buffalo
7
San Diego
6
Sat, Mar 25
FINAL
Colorado
12
Vancouver
14
Sat, Mar 25
FINAL
Rochester
7
Las Vegas
12
WK
18
Fri, Mar 31
19:00:00
New York
Georgia
Fri, Mar 31
21:00:00
Las Vegas
Colorado
Fri, Mar 31
22:00:00
Calgary
San Diego
Sat, Apr 1
19:00:00
Buffalo
Toronto
Sat, Apr 1
20:00:00
Albany
Panther City
Sat, Apr 1
21:30:00
Vancouver
Saskatchewan
Sun, Apr 2
13:00:00
Georgia
Halifax
Sun, Apr 2
18:00:00
Rochester
Philadelphia
WK
19
Sat, Apr 8
19:00:00
Albany
Rochester
Sat, Apr 8
19:00:00
Saskatchewan
Georgia
Sat, Apr 8
21:00:00
Panther City
Calgary
Sat, Apr 8
21:00:00
Vancouver
Colorado
Sat, Apr 8
22:30:00
San Diego
Las Vegas
WK
20
Fri, Apr 14
21:00:00
Las Vegas
Calgary
Fri, Apr 14
21:00:00
San Diego
Colorado
Sat, Apr 15
19:00:00
Philadelphia
Toronto
Sat, Apr 15
19:00:00
Georgia
Albany
Sat, Apr 15
19:30:00
New York
Buffalo
Sat, Apr 15
21:30:00
Halifax
Saskatchewan
Sat, Apr 15
22:00:00
Panther City
Vancouver
WK
21
Fri, Apr 21
20:30:00
Calgary
Panther City
Sat, Apr 22
18:00:00
New York
Halifax
Sat, Apr 22
19:00:00
Georgia
Rochester
Sat, Apr 22
20:00:00
Toronto
Buffalo
Sat, Apr 22
21:30:00
Colorado
Saskatchewan
Sat, Apr 22
22:00:00
Las Vegas
San Diego
Sun, Apr 23
15:00:00
Philadelphia
Albany
WK
22
Sat, Apr 29
19:00:00
Philadelphia
Rochester
Sat, Apr 29
19:00:00
Buffalo
Albany
Sat, Apr 29
19:00:00
Halifax
Georgia
Sat, Apr 29
22:00:00
Colorado
San Diego
Sat, Apr 29
22:00:00
New York
Vancouver
Sat, Apr 29
22:30:00
Saskatchewan
Las Vegas
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Stories/Op-Ed

The Albany FireWolves Are Hoping to Beat The Best To Be The Best

The Albany FireWolves are finishing up a brutally demanding 5-game stretch that might end up defining their season. Their upset win two weekends ago against the Western Conference’s best team, the San Diego Seals, proves they are up to the challenge.

It is a schedule that you would only wish upon your most bitter rivals. When the 5-game, 21-day stretch of games between February 18th to March 11th comes to an end, the FireWolves will have faced the Buffalo Bandits twice (once at home and once on the road), the Toronto Rock, the San Diego Seals on the road (nearly 3,000 miles from home) and the Halifax Thunderbirds on the road. As of today, those teams have combined for a 31-8 (.795 win percentage) record heading into Week 15.

This past Saturday night, the FireWolves played their 4th game in that stretch, this, the second of their matches against the Eastern Conference’s top dogs, the Buffalo Bandits, trying to avenge their heartbreaking loss to them in February.

The Bandits, who needed a 7-0 scoring surge in the 4th quarter to win the last back-and-forth battle between these two, played the role of spoiler once more in the contentious, gritty affair. Much like their game versus the Seals, the defense hunkered down against the Bandits but were outplayed in the contest’s final moments.

While a defensive and goaltending clinic was needed to shut down the Seals in the 2nd half of the game a few weeks ago and was used to slow down the offensively bullish Bandits, it’s been the offense that has stepped up for this team. The team scored 13 goals on four occasions in February and went 2-2 in the games they scored that many goals.

In particular, the play of Joe Resetarits and Ryan Benesch has kept the FireWolves in many closely contested battles during those games. In February, these two combined for 13.8 points per game – Resetarits had 48 points in the past month alone in six games.

For perspective, as of March 7th, 2022, only 13 players have had more than 48 points, and that’s throughout this entire NLL season. Again, Resetarits did that in one month.

And since his slow start with the FireWolves, Benesch seems to be finding his groove. In his first three games with his new team after being traded from Panther City Lacrosse Club back in early January, Benesch had a combined 8 points (2.66 points per game). Not only did he have an equal total of 8 points last week alone versus San Diego, but he’s averaged 5.83 points per game or more than double that 3-game average following his move.

Yet, as Benesch will tell you, the success he or Resetarits has had wouldn’t even be a possibility if it were for the continuous effort their teammates have put together every night they’ve gone on the floor.

“That’s a product of what everyone else is doing,” Benesch said. “That’s the product of our coaching staff’s gameplan. That’s the product of how all of our teammates are playing like by getting loose balls, setting picks, and all those little things that have allowed Joe and I to be that successful over the last month.”

Further to that point, as the FireWolves try and navigate their way through this treacherous patch of games they’re in the middle of, Benesch added that it requires a complete group effort to be resilient through these tough stretches.

“We’re an offense built on handwork and unselfishness,” Benesch said. “We pride ourselves on being able to play any role that is asked of us. Our coaching staff puts together a great gameplan, and when we follow those gameplans, we’re pretty successful. It seems like now everyone is buying into the system and playing for each other.”

The levels of offensive production that we’ve seen from the FireWolves this past month should be a frightening thought for opposing teams. Anyone on the team will tell you this team is built from the back-end, starting with Doug Jamieson in between the pipes.

As Head Coach, Glenn Clark said, if this team can score at the rate they have been while also putting in the impressive efforts on defensive we grew accustomed to last season, you will see a more relaxed and potentially more potent team.

“I’m impressed and happy,” Clark said. “When you can score yourself out of some mistakes on the defensive end, that’s huge. When you get those guys clicked in – Joe [Resetarits] has been Mr. Consistent, Ryan [Benesch] has been a very nice addition, and now you have Jacob [Ruest], Kew, and other pieces starting to produce – you can start to breathe a little easier knowing you’re going to get more offensive production.”

With Halifax coming up this week, the FireWolves can’t afford to have any mental or technical lapses – they’ll be the first to admit to you that there have been a few of those for them this year.

But, by grabbing a win against the Seals in February on the road while playing the most complete game they’ve played all year, Resetarits feels that this team is getting ready to sink into a rhythm, so they can get to where they want to be: in a championship game.

“It’s important to hit your stride at this point of the season,” Resetarits said. “It’s a learning process at the beginning of the season, and good teams know that and work towards being better – I think we’re in the process of that. Now, do I think we’re where we want to be? Absolutely not because it’s going to take a lot more to win a championship, but I believe we’re going in the right direction.”

Following their game in Halifax this Friday, the FireWolves schedule gets a little easier – and I mean that lightly as there are no “easy” games in the NLL. Beginning March 19th, the FireWolves face the Georgia Swarm, the New York Riptide, the Vancouver Warriors, and then the Philadelphia Wings and Riptide (again), both at home at MVP in Albany. Their remaining opponents winning percentage changes to a dramatic .375 (15-25).

The FireWolves want to lead the pack in the NLL, but that hasn’t come to fruition yet. By season’s end, this team hopes to be in a post-season position in peak form so they can face the NLL’s elite again and beat those top teams to become the NLL’s top dog.

NLL