NLL: Riptide fall to Albany in final game at Nassau Coliseum

What started as a night full of hope – for a New York Riptide playoff berth – quickly turned into a poignant farewell to lacrosse on Long Island. The Albany FireWolves scored early and often Saturday night, clinching a playoff spot of their own whilst sinking the Riptide 16-10 in what was likely the Riptide’s final game at Nassau Coliseum.

New York will relocate to Ottawa for the 2025 season and become the Ottawa Black Bears. A New York win Saturday night – paired with wins by Toronto and Panther City – would land the Riptide their first playoff berth. However, rather than celebrating the historic mark, as the seconds ticked down and the final horn sounded, players saluted their fans for the final time as if in a fog. They were joined by team staff at center floor for a picture and no one was really sure what to do next; neither players, staff nor fans felt the need or desire to leave.

The game was the latest meeting between good friends and former teammates, roommates and coach-mates, head coaches Glenn Clark (Albany) and Dan Ladouceur (New York). It was Clark’s shooting stars who stole the show Saturday despite coming in on a five-game losing streak. Tye Kurtz (3 goals, 7 assists), Alex Simmons (4 goals, 5 assists) and Ethan Walker (4 goals, 6 assists) combined for 11 of Albany’s goals and 29 combined points. The latter pair had four points apiece in the first quarter alone – 15 minutes in which the Firewolves jumped out to a 5-0 lead, aided by a pair of power play goals on an early boarding major.

One of those points was career assist 100 for Walker who said, “The last few games we were holding our sticks a little too tight.” He said the mentality changed Saturday. “We’re just getting back to having fun.” His 10 points is a career high as are his final totals for goals (32) and points (85).

Simmons finishes the season with 96 points – second all-time in league history for a rookie behind only New York’s Jeff Teat’s 108 in 2022. The Albany freshman ends with 38 goals – the most since Mark Matthews scored 38 in 2013, and third-most in NLL history behind Ryan Painter (45 in 2002) and Paul Gait (47, 1991).

New York did show signs of life with a four-goal run in the third quarter. Teat led the charge with seven points including a hat trick giving him a new career-high in goals (58, tops in the NLL). Already with a power play goal, he spun off his man, cutting past a screen and depositing a perfectly placed bounce shot above Doug Jamieson’s left shoulder. Teat finishes the season third in points with 130. The spurt drew New York within three, a gap it could not close.

Connor Kearnan also netted a hat trick (3 goals, 3 assists) while Reilly O’Connor scored twice (2 goals, 2 assists).

With the win, Albany set a new record for wins (11) and will host its first home playoff game since 2021. Speaking for his teammates Simmons is eager to get there saying, “We believe in each other… It’s a great locker room and we’re excited for what’s ahead.”

What’s ahead is the Halifax Thunderbirds (who defeated Colorado 14-10 to help Albany clinch third-overall) at MVP Arena on Sunday, April 28 at 3pm.