SASKATOON, SK– Alex Simmons recorded his third hat trick of the season and led the way offensively, but the Oshawa FireWolves (2-5) fell to the Saskatchewan Rush (6-1) on Saturday Night by a score of 15-10. Tye Kurtz tallied a goal and three assists on the night, while Doug Jamieson made 38 saves in the game.
View full stats here: OSHAWA VS SASKATCHEWAN
Oshawa’s offence started quickly as Ethan Walker scored 33 seconds into the game, which saw the FireWolves gain some momentum. Ryan Keenan scored the Rush’s first goal of the game, but Oshawa took the lead right back as Dyson Williams scored his seventh goal of the season on the power play. Saskatchewan then went on a two-goal run before Oshawa scored its third goal of the game off the stick of Alex Simmons. Josh Zawada would give the Rush the lead before the end of the opening quarter, going up 4-3.
The second quarter was a strong defensive quarter for Oshawa. Slides and communication were good, loose-ball recoveries were high, and shot blocks were happening from every FireWolves defender. The offense did all it could to match that effort and it wasn’t until the 2:31 mark of the quarter that Simmons sniped his second of the game from distance past Rush starting goaltender, Frank Scigliano, to make it 8-4.
After Oshawa went down by four at halftime, they quickly re-ignited the offence coming into the third quarter as Walker scored his second of the game. Robert Church found the score sheet before the FireWolves scored two goals in 1:53 from Taggart Clark on the powerplay and Kurtz tallied his first goal of the contest.
With the FireWolves down 10-7 after three, they were right there, and they showed for three quarters that they can play with the NLL Finalists from a year ago. Zach Manns scored while the Rush were killing off a major penalty for his second shorthanded goal of the season to extend the lead for the Rush, while Simmons scored his hat-trick goal on the power play to make it a three-goal game once again. Simmons’ fourth goal also came on the power play to make it a two-goal deficit for Oshawa at 11-9. Although after the FireWolves clawed their way back into the game, Brock Haley had the nail in the coffin as he scored past Jamieson to put the Rush back up by three. Jackson Nishimura would score in transition to try and mount a comeback, but Saskatchewan added three more to pull away with the victory.
The Oshawa FireWolves are now shifting their focus to next week in the Mile High City as they faceoff against the Colorado Mammoth on Saturday, January 24 at 9:00 PM ET from Ball Arena. Fans can stream the game on TSN+, ESPN+, and NLL+.
The FireWolves are back home at the Tribute Communities Centre on February 14 against the San Diego Seals. Fans can purchase tickets here or visit oshawafirewolves.com for more information.
About Oshawa FireWolves
The Oshawa FireWolves are Durham Region’s professional box lacrosse team, competing in the National Lacrosse League (NLL) out of the Tribute Communities Centre in downtown Oshawa, ON. For more information, visit OshawaFireWolves.com. Follow the team on Facebook at facebook.com/FireWolvesNLL, Twitter @FireWolvesNLL, and Instagram @FireWolvesNLL.
About National Lacrosse League
The National Lacrosse League (NLL) is North America’s largest professional lacrosse league and welcomed more than 1 million fans for the third consecutive year during the 2024-25 season. Founded in 1986, the NLL is comprised of 14 franchises across Canada and the United States, and recently unveiled its largest brand campaign ever, “Welcome to The Next Major League™” and introduced its comprehensive grassroots initiative, NLL UnBOXed™, that will expand the League’s footprint to 60 communities across North America by 2028. For the latest scores and developments in the National Lacrosse League, please visit: NLL.com and find the NLL on Facebook, Instagram, X, YouTube and TikTok. Games are available live and streaming on TSN, TSN+, the ESPN family of networks, ESPN+, and NLL+.
About Tribute Communities Centre
The Tribute Communities Centre is Durham Region’s premier sports and live entertainment facility and is managed by Oak View Group. The Tribute Communities Centre is home to the Oshawa FireWolves of the National Lacrosse League, Oshawa Generals of the Ontario Hockey League, and hosts a myriad of events including concerts, circuses, ice skating and family shows. Visit TributeCommunitiesCentre.com, and follow on Facebook, Instagram, and X.
About Oak View Group
Oak View Group (OVG) is the global leader in live experience venue development, management, premium hospitality services, and 360-degree solutions for a collection of world-class owned venues and a client roster of arenas, convention centers, music festivals, performing arts centers, and cultural institutions. Founded by Tim Leiweke and Irving Azoff in 2015, OVG is the leading developer of major new venues either open or under development across four continents. Visit OakViewGroup.com, and follow OVG on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and X.
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