Albany ousted from playoffs
FireWolves held to fewest goals of season, finish with 9-10 mark
The Albany FireWolves picked a bad time to score their fewest goals of the season.
Buffalo Bandits goalkeeper Matt Vinc made 45 saves in a 10-5 victory over the FireWolves on Saturday night in a National Lacrosse League playoff quarterfinal before 12,535 fans at KeyBank Center.
“(Vinc) made some good saves and I thought we had some good chances,” Albany coach Glenn Clark said. “We put some in good position. We just didn’t execute, didn’t finish. Credit to him. Their defense made it tough to get space. I think we had looks and, unfortunately, they just didn’t drop. It was a grinder of a game. A couple of those go in ... and you’re in a different position.”
Albany’s previous low in goals came on March 26 in a 15-6 loss at the New York Riptide.
The FireWolves finish with a 9-10 record in their first season in Albany after relocating from Connecticut.
The FireWolves had won three straight games since that defeat to qualify for the NLL playoffs. But their momentum was stopped cold by the Bandits (15-4), who completed a threegame sweep of Albany this season.
University at Albany grad Connor Fields, Josh Byrne and Dhane Smith had two goals each for Buffalo, which moves on to a best-of-three semifinal series against the Toronto Rock.
“Look, they’re the No. 1 team in the league for a reason,” Clark said. “They’re very good and they’re very deep and their offense gives you fits. We held them to seven goals until a couple minutes left in the game. That’s good defense and a good game plan.”
Doug Jamieson helped keep the FireWolves in the game with 49 saves. Reilly O’Connor led Albany with two goals and two assists. Joe Resetarits, Ryan Benesch and Andrew Kew, who were the top three FireWolves players in points during the regular season, were held to a combined one goal and one assist on Saturday.
Clark said he was “absolutely proud” of how his team finished the season after they were 6-9.
“Coming into Buffalo and playing arguably the top team in the league is not going to be easy at any time,” Clark said. “They put themselves in the fight, and it wasn’t enough tonight, but they played well. They played hard.”
Stifled in the first half, Buffalo’s league-leading offense scored twice in the opening 1:32 of the second half. Smith scored just 14 seconds into the half and Byrne tallied to put the Bandits ahead 4-2 with 13:28 to play in the third period.
O’Connor scored on a quick-stick shot off a pass from Charlie Kitchen to cut Buffalo’s lead to 5-4 with 9:05 to play in the third period.
The Bandits responded with a pair of wide-open goals to increase their lead to 7-4 with 13:52 remaining. Fields scored from just outside the crease on the power play and then Chris Cloutier beat Jamieson.
Vinc stopped Benesch on a penalty shot with 11:02 left.
Albany’s Colton Watkinson brought the FireWolves within 7-5 on a sidearm shot with 4:41 left in regulation.
But Fields scored on an low outside shot from the right side to put Buffalo up 8-5 with 2:29 to play. Then Buffalo’s Frank Brown and Steve Priolo scored with Jamieson pulled for an extra attacker for the final margin.
The teams were tied 2-2 at halftime as both goalies were outstanding. Jamieson made 27 saves and Vinc stopped 25 shots in the opening
30 minutes.
O’Connor and Resetarits accounted for Albany’s first-half scoring.