Wings Soar Over Vancouver, 18-10

The Philadelphia Wings (3-1) opened the home portion of the 2019-20 National Lacrosse League season against the Vancouver Warriors (1-4) in front of 9676 raucous fans.

A tight defensive first quarter would reveal only four goals with two apiece.
Blaze Riorden and Josh Currier set up Kevin “Big Cat”
Crowley (3g,2a) who fired a laser that beat netminder Aaron Bold for a Wing’s leads with just 3:38 played.

Philadelphia kept pressing and just 43 ticks later, Brett Hickey (3g) pushed it 2-0.

Vancouver fought their way back when Riley Loewen (1 g,2a) and Jordan McBride (2g,1a) brought the curtain down on a dominating Warrior first quarter.

The home team took control with a flurry of four tallies in just 4:35.

Trevor Baptiste (2g) picked up his 4th of the young season with a highlight-reel goal.

Baptiste secured a loose ball and sprinted down the turf and buried it behind Bold.

Matt Rambo (6a) hit Blaze Riorden (3g,4a) with a sweet pass in traffic to make it a 4-2 contest.

Josh Currier (3g,4a) chased Bold from the Nets after just 22;35 and five goals.

Rambo and Cory Vitarelli set up Currier for his second tally in three minutes.

Ian Hawksbee (2a) and Chris O’ Dougherty set up Justin Salt (1g,2a) to stem the Philadelphia onslaught and get it to a three-goal differential at 6-3.

Vitarelli (2g,2a) knocked in a pair just 1:12 apart and Philadelphia was feeling it’s mojo with an 8-4 lead.

Vancouver we’re finally able to get a semblance of an Inside game and reap the benefits when Mitch Lones and Keegan Bal (3a) set up McBride for a power-play score.

Brett Hickey notched his own man-up goal with only :03 on the game clock to end the half with Philadelphia in control, 9-5.

Currier with a beautiful quick-stick goal off a Blaze Riorden feed made it a 10-5 score before Hickey unleashed an overhand howitzer to seemingly blow it open, 11-5.

Vancouver are named Warriors for a reason and refused to throw in the towel when Mitch Jones (2g,4a) converted a Hawksbee to Salt passing play to keep a pulse for Vancouver.

Riorden and Crowley short-handed for his 300th career goal that ended the uprising and just seven seconds after the Crowley lamplighter, Trevor Baptiste did what Baptiste does, won the draw cleanly and chased Penney with a goal, also while a man down.

Special teams were in the spotlight and twenty seconds later, Currier notched the third man-down score.

Vancouver got that one back with a power-play goal from
McCready that bought the curtain down on the third with the visitors facing a huge uphill battle, trailing 15-7.

Matt Beers (1a) set up Chris O’Dougherty (1g.1a) on a nice transition goal and Jones got it to 15-9 with 16:17 remaining.

Any hope of the comeback was snuffed when Crowley and Steph Charbonneau (1g) countered,

McCready had one more man-up goal before Rambo went 1 on 2 and hit Riorden who made no mistake to end things, 18-10.

Dis and Dat: The affair revealed no less than 105 shots on goal with Philadelphia having 55.

How dominant was Baptiste? 2 goals, 27 loose balls and an unworldly, 27 for 31 from the X.

Loose balls were a huge factor in this game with Philadelphia garnering a 93-66 edge.

Vancouver shuffled both goaltenders I’m twice each with Eric Penney seeing 32:34 allowing 10 goals on 37 shots.

Aaron Bold was in for 27:06 surrendering 8 goals on the18 shots he faced.

For the victors, Zach Higgins played his third consecutive impressive game with 40 saves.

Mitch Jones turned in a 2 goal, 4 assist night with 15 shots and a +3 in defeat.

Kevin Crowley was +11 with 9 shots with Josh Currier producing 8 shots and +13 and Matt Rambo manning up with 6 shots and a +10.
Wings Soar Over Vancouver, 18-10

Post Game Interview with the Stars of the Game

By: Kevin Neibauer

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Kevin Neibauer

Kevin has followed and promoted the game of lacrosse since May 19, 1974.
The same day the Philadelphia Flyers won the Cup, the Philadelphia Wings were introduced to Neibauer and Philadelphia.

Kevin has covered many sports, including baseball, football, basketball, and.. lacrosse. A former licensed football referee and baseball umpire, Kevin brings a unique insight to his game coverage.

A published writer in JustHockey Magazine, Kevin covered the American Hockey League as well as a monthly story on a pugilist where Kevin used the pen name, The Rink Rat. Neibauer turned his attentions to lacrosse for a few years and does his part, whether podcasting or writing to grow the game. Kevin branched out to his roots and currently provides insight for all Philadelphia teams for Edge of Philly as well as his full-time duties with LaxPhilly.