The Philadelphia Wings lost another game Saturday against the Albany FireWolves. The music was pumping, but the players struggled to find their beat during the Emo band night. The scoreboard read 12-10 when the clock hit 00:00 at the end of the game. The score was not a true reflection of Albany’s solid domination over Philadelphia.
The end of the first saw both teams score three each. It was very clear that Albany was in control. Alex Simmons started the scoring for Albany but Philly answered back with goals from Mike McCannell, newcomer Chris Corbeil and Sam LeClair before Simmons added goal 2 of the night. Sam Firth rounded out the scoring as the quarter came to a close.
Quarter 2 was the difference maker in the game. Albany outscored Philadelphia 3-1. Those 2 goals greatly impacted the game at the end. Kyle Jackson and Travis Longboat scored before Mitch de Snoo scored his first in a Philly jersey as well as his first of the game. Ethan Walker closed out the Albany scoring for the quarter. Both teams had a lot to talk about at halftime.
In the third, Jackson scored his second of the night before LeClair scored his second. Phil Caputo dumped one in but that goal was answered by the third goal by Simmons. The tension seemed to be mounting in Philadelphia as quarter 4 began,
Quarter 4 had 8 different players score in what turned into a mad animalistic finish at the end. Blaze Riorden, Mitch Jones and Joe Resetarits each found the back of the net for Philadelphia for the first time this game. Adding to their goal totals were Simmons, Jackson and de Snoo for their respective teams. Joe Nardella and Nick Chaykowsky each added a goal.
Wings’ coach Ian Rubel reflected on his team’s play stating, “We need to be better offensively from day one. Coming into this season, I wanted us to be a better five on five offensive team than we were last year. And we started off that way and we’ve slowly started to slide back into where we were before. So that scenario again, we need to clean up for sure.”
De Snoo and Corbeil would have loved a win. However, they both had positive impacts for Philadelphia. They collectively reflected on playing in this town: “You’re just get those nerves, a little bit of anxiety. But once you get that first shift under your belt, it feels a little more natural. And it was great to go out and battle with those guys. Obviously we wanted a different result, but if anything, this group moving forward.”
De Snoo’s positive comments indicate that the additional players could be exactly what Philly needs to turn this season around.
The Wings won’t have to wait long to see the next impact those guys make. The Wings suit up again next weekend in a 1:00 p.m. game against Colorado on Saturday afternoon. They’re hoping to break their losing streak with help from these new additions.
