After two straight weeks of travel, the Oshawa FireWolves are back at the Tribute Communities Center for a much-needed backyard outing. Following their harsh road loss to the Swarm last weekend, the FireWolves are set to host the 1-1 Vancouver Warriors for NLL Friday Night on TSN.
Though it’s still too early in the season to take the current League rankings as gospel, the FireWolves once again find themselves guarding the twelfth spot following their back-to-back losses in Halifax and Georgia. During their last two outings, Oshawa found themselves spending crucial plays in the penalty box or unable to convert on power plays. Additionally, the FireWolves have been unable to find the back of the net consistently since Week 1’s win against Toronto. In their last two games, of their 106 shots on goal, forwards Alex Simmons and Dyson Williams were responsible for 48 shots, with Simmons only scoring on three of those looks.
The FireWolves last duked it out with the Warriors in Week 19 of the 2024 season, resulting in a 10-4 home win for Vancouver, and the fourth of what would be six straight wins following the acquisition and activation of goaltender Christian Del Bianco. Since then, Oshawa has yet to square off against the Warriors’ new powerhouse offensive line.
During last weekend’s bout with the visiting Las Vegas Desert Dogs, the Warriors notched a 15-9 Teddy Bear Toss victory, bringing them back up to .500 after their Week 1 loss to Colorado. Against the Desert Dogs, forwards Keegan Bal and Adam Charalambides each picked up eight points, and the Roughnecks turned Warriors, Curtis Dickson, Jessie King and Shane Simpson, tallied a combined ten points in their second home outing. Del Bianco’s 44 saves and single assist to Simpson in the third quarter also helped put the game to rest, shutting out the Desert Dogs for the final nine minutes of the contest.
To rejoin the middle of the pack rankings, Oshawa will need to find the back of the net quickly and effectively against Del Bianco and the Warriors’ defensive line, and reignite the fire they began the season with.
Friday Night on TSN begins in Oshawa at 7:30PM ET. Stream all the action on ESPN+, NLL+ and TSN+.
It’s looking like an East Coast Shootout in the Flower City, as the visiting Philadelphia Wings get set for an uphill offensive battle against the high-octane Rochester Knighthawks, who are excitedly preparing for their first home game under new ownership. In order to set the tone at Blue Cross Arena early, the Knighthawks trekked out to San Diego to secure a 15-7 win against the Seals– their first ever road win at Pechanga Arena.
Their West Coast venture was a monumental team win with four players each scoring six or more points, including Ryan Lanchbury (2G, 7A), Thomas McConvey (4G, 5A), Ryan Smith (3G, 4A), and the 2024 MVP, Connor Fields (4G, 2A). On the defensive end, goaltender Ryan Hartley stopped a career-high 59 saves, shattering the previous franchise record and earning his #5 slot on the SportsCenter Top 10.
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Though the Knighthawks intend to continue racking up stats over the coming weeks, Philadelphia has already shaken the Saturday scaries off, having faced Rochester in the early weeks of training camp. Despite conceding their first exhibition match of the year to the Knighthawks in an 8-12 loss, as well as the following two, the Wings have instead embraced their role as the underdog, allowing that signature Philadelphia grit to shine through.
The Wings are currently 1-0 after taking down the Mammoth 8-7 in their home and season opener, proving to themselves and to fans that the little things matter. Ahead of game one of his sophomore season, forward Brennan O’Neill emphasized the Wings’ need to prioritize cutting off transition and winning the loose ball battles this season. In their first bout against the Mammoth, Philadelphia picked up a collective 58 loose balls, of which O’Neill was responsible for three.
With the dramatic last-minute return of transition defender Evan Messenger ahead of Week 3 and a 53-stop performance by Wings goaltender Nick Damude, Philadelphia looks to build upon their early success across state lines.
Seneca Nation opens the doors to Blue Cross Arena this Saturday, 7:00PM ET on ESPN+, NLL+ and TSN+.
The Georgia Swarm are back on the buzz and looking to keep their stingers sharp on the Saskatchewan green. After an opening weekend loss to the Buffalo Bandits, the Swarm opened the doors to Gas South Arena for their first home win of the season.
Their 9-5 victory over the Oshawa Firewolves was made possible by Brett Dobson’s 51 saves on the night, as well as steam-powered defensive performances by captain Jordan MacIntosh and rookie holdout Michael Grace. The two tallied three caused turnovers each, and Grace scored his first career goal in his first appearance at his home arena. Alongside Grace, the freshmen and sophomore Swarm (Benedict, Byrne, Moon) have begun to adapt quickly to head coach Ed Comeau’s Thompson-and-Jackson-centered offensive system.
While a win is a win, and especially so at home, the Swarm’s early schedule could stand out as a reminder of the dangers of complacency. After facing the reigning champs in Week 1 and the 2023 runner-ups in Week 3, Georgia is forced to turn right around to line up against the 2024 runner-ups, the Saskatchewan Rush, in Week 4. The two last saw each other in the first round of the 2024 playoffs, a 13-9 home win for the Rush, but the Swarm are not looking for a repeat.
The Rush are currently at their most dangerous, set to host the Swarm at the SaskTel Centre after their first road loss of the season in the Canadian capital, falling 8-11 to new head coach Dan MacRae and his Ottawa Black Bears. Despite the return of faceoff specialist Jake Naso, a scoreless final quarter and a four-goal effort by Ottawa captain Jeff Teat sent the Rush home somber after building a three-goal lead in the third.
Now 1-1 and headed back to Saskatoon, the Rush are expected to look chippier than ever. During the 2024 season, the 13-5 Saskatchewan Rush never lost two consecutive games in a row, ferociously turning the previous week’s disappointment into fuel for the next week’s win. The Swarm will need another 50-plus save game from Dobson and to take advantage of quick transition opportunities early on to take down the Saskatchewanian stampede.
Catch all the action on the Rush green from the comfort of your home on ESPN+, NLL+ and TSN+. The Swarm flies into Saskatchewan this Saturday at 8:00PM ET.
It’s a big night in Las Vegas this weekend– but then again, when are there small nights in Sin City? Closing out our action-packed Week 4, Lee’s Family Forum is opening the gates to welcome fans, friends and furry company for the Desert Dogs’ home opener. To celebrate another year in the Entertainment Capital of the World, as well as the fruitful efforts to sanction lacrosse as a sport across the state of Nevada, the Desert Dogs are hosting the 1-1 Ottawa Black Bears for their first theme night of the year, Viva Las Vegas, presented by Rio Vegas.
The visiting Black Bears are eager to roll the dice on what could be the beginning of an early-season hot streak. After a tight opening weekend loss to the San Diego Seals, Ottawa took the bye week to prepare for their Week 3 riot against the Saskatchewan Rush. Their defensive efforts kept the Rush scoreless for the entire fourth quarter, and the four-goal stretch from captain Jeff Teat put the win to bed, with the Black Bears returning to the Canadian Capital victorious and back at .500.
Las Vegas showcased its revamped roster in Week 3 against the Vancouver Warriors, even without the electrifying presence of “human highlight reel” Chase Fraser. New addition Chris Cloutier made his mark early, posting three points (1G, 2A) in his West Coast debut.
Also supporting his offensive efforts last weekend were sophomore forward Adam Poitras, who also helped himself two goals and an assist, and the Desert Dogs’ first Player of the Week of the 2025 season, Jonathan Donville, who dished out four assists and put back a goal of his own against the Warriors.
While Las Vegas is showing early signs of its desire to score goals and win games, its first outing resulted in an unfortunate 15-9 road loss. A combined 29 saves by Vegas goaltenders Landon Kells and Alex Buque, as well as an inability to convert on power plays or stay out of the penalty box, kept the Desert Dogs from putting their full potential to work. Their defense will need to communicate better with the offense in transition and find a way to put points on the board early to snatch their win of the season.
The lights go up at Lee’s Family Forum this Saturday at 10:00PM ET on ESPN+, NLL+ and TSN+. Be sure to local listings for more local TV coverage.
