The Oshawa FireWolves are heading into the new year with a clear and pressing resolution: find a way to put the ball in the net. The team's offensive struggles were on full display once again Friday night in an 8-6 home loss to the Vancouver Warriors at Tribute Communities Centre.
Offensive Drought Wastes Strong Defensive Effort
Despite a solid performance in net from goaltender Doug Jamieson, the FireWolves' attack went cold at crucial moments. Of their six total goals, only two came in the final three quarters of play, with one of those being a last-second marker when the outcome was already decided. This game followed a troubling pattern for Oshawa, which managed just two goals against Halifax two weeks ago and five in a loss to Georgia last week. Even their season-opening victory over Toronto was a low-scoring, eight-goal affair.
This persistent inability to finish is frustrating for a team getting commendable defensive work. "I don't know. I honestly don't," said a perplexed FireWolves head coach Glenn Clark. "To run an offence, you look at putting guys in positions to have success, get looks, and get good shots. We generated better looks today, but we're not getting the hardest part, which is finishing the ball. It's a bit of a puzzle, a frustration with the whole group."
Warriors' Del Bianco Stands Tall with 48 Saves
For the visiting Vancouver Warriors, the story was the stellar play of goaltender Christian Del Bianco, who turned aside 48 shots to secure the win and improve his team's record to 2-1. The Warriors' offence was led by two-goal performances from Keegan Bal, Curtis Dickson, and Marcus Klarich, with singles added by Jesse King and Jackson Suboch.
For the FireWolves, now 1-3 on the young season, Ethan Walker scored twice. Alex Simmons, Mike Byrne, Taggert Clark, and Dyson Williams each added a single goal. The team will now enjoy a holiday break before returning to action on January 3rd to host the Ottawa Black Bears at Tribute Communities Centre.
Around the National Lacrosse League
The league saw other action over the weekend. The Ottawa Black Bears (1-2) mounted a furious comeback from a 9-1 deficit against the Las Vegas Desert Dogs but fell short, losing 10-9 on a late goal by Las Vegas's Mitch Jones. Reilly O'Connor and Rob Hellyer scored twice each for Ottawa.
The Georgia Swarm (1-2) also had scoring troubles, dropping a 7-4 decision to the Saskatchewan Rush (2-1). Notably, Georgia star Lyle Thompson has just one goal so far this season.
In contrast, the Rochester Knighthawks (2-0) had no such issues, erupting for 15 goals for the second straight week in a 15-11 win over the Philadelphia Wings (1-1). Connor Fields led the way with five goals.
The Toronto Rock (1-1), who celebrated a return to Hamilton with a win last week, are next in action on December 27th against the visiting Las Vegas Desert Dogs at TD Coliseum.
