The Albany FireWolves (2-9) and New York Riptide (3-9) came into Week 16 at the bottom of the NLL’s East Conference. Despite that, New York was coming off a game against Philadelphia in which seven different scorers combined to beat the Wings. Saturday night, it was eight different players scoring 13 times to beat Albany 13-10.
By comparison, the FireWolves got goals from just five different players. One of those, Ethan Walker, scored four times for six points, including opening the game with a goal off a rebound. Scott Dominey would answer that on the ensuing faceoff breakaway. Albany led for all of 30 seconds in the game.
A four-goal run took New York into the TV time-out, capped by a Mike Burke outside shot. Albany had a chance early in the second to cut the Riptide lead to 4-3, however, Cameron Dunkerley fell on a ball in the crease. Glenn Clark challenged, but the no-goal call stood. Less than a minute and a half later, Jack Kelly found Jeff Teat breaking off the bench; his 99th point of the season hit the back of the net. Point 100 would soon follow when he connected with Connor Kearnan on a cross-crease pass on the power play for Kearnan’s second (of four) on the game.
Teat led all runners with 10 points (three goals, seven assists), including six in the first half. He credited his teammates for his success, saying, “We’re going out there as a unit, playing free and having fun.” New York used four power play goals over the second and third quarters to stretch the lead to a game-high seven points, 13-6. They were four-for-seven with the man advantage.
Albany did have a few bright spots with a gorgeous dunk goal from former Riptide, Jake Fox. He’d be behind the crease again, scooping a loose ball before finding Marshall Powless on the crease for his first goal in a FireWolves uniform.
Doug Jamieson took the loss surrendering 13 goals on 49 shots. Cameron Dunkerley needed 35 saves for the win. Teat praised his goalie saying, “He plays with such confidence.” Dunkerley’s attitude in net gives a presence to the bench, said Teat. “He’s so calm, cool and collected.”
Outside of Walker’s six-point night, Kieran McArdle also had six points (all assists). Connor Kelly scored a hat trick, and, in his FireWolves debut, Powless had four points (1 goal, 3 assists).
With the win the Riptide moved to 4-9 and leapt over the Georgia Swarm (3-8) for sixth in the East, just two games behind the Philadelphia Wings and Halifax Thunderbirds, both 6-7, and currently in playoff spots.
New York will host Georgia in a crucial Week 17 Saturday matchup, while Albany are home to the Toronto Rock (10-4).
