Black Wolves begin a busy weekend with Friday game at New York
The New England Black Wolves will have a chance this weekend to build on their momentum from a week ago. And not just once.
The Wolves (5-3), who beat the Rochester Knighthawks 18-7 in what was a slugfest in more ways than one, play twice this weekend. New England will play the New York Riptide (1-9) at Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, N.Y., beginning at 7:30 p.m. Friday before returning home to Mohegan Sun Arena for a 5 p.m. game Sunday against the Halifax Thunderbirds (7-2).
Callum Crawford finished the game against Rochester with 12 points, as the Wolves outscored the Knighthawks 11-3 in the second half to break a three-game losing streak. Joe Resetarits and Reilly O'Connor also had hat tricks and New England finished with 71 shots on goal.
The Wolves were 7-for-11 on the power play in a game in which the teams combined for 31 penalties for 84 minutes.
Crawford ranks fifth in the National Lacrosse League in goals (23) and eighth in assists (32), compiling 55 points. Resetarits has 18 goals and 15 assists for 33 points and Stephan Leblanc has seven goals and 22 assists for 29 points.
Over the course of the last three games, New England's transition game has contributed a great deal of energy, with Tony Malcom and Colton Watkinson combining for 10 goals and 12 forced turnovers. Malcom leads the way with nine forced turnovers and has picked up 63 loose balls.
New York, one of the league's expansion teams this season, is led offensively by Tyson Gibson, son of Black Wolves' assistant coach Darryl Gibson, who has 13 goals, as do teammates Connor Kelly and Dan Lomas. Alex Buque, formerly of New England, is in goal for the Riptide.
New York had a bye last week, last playing at Georgia on Feb. 15, a 14-9 loss.
On Sunday, New England returns home for Faceoff Against Cancer night. Halifax, which plays at Buffalo on Saturday night, also playing two games this weekend, is in first place in the NLL North Division. The Thunderbirds are led by Ryan Benesch (16 goals, 26 assists, 42 points) and Cody Jamieson (17 goals, 24 assists, 41 points).
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