JR NLL Tournament Recap
August 29, 2022 – National Lacrosse League (NLL) – Philadelphia Wings News Release
This past weekend, seventeen JR Wings participated in the 2022 Junior NLL Tournament in Oakville, Ontario. It was an action packed weekend full of teamwork, big plays, and the first two wins in JR Wings history.
The weekend started with the journey up North on Thursday. A caravan of cars packed full with families, lacrosse bags, and snacks crossed the Canadian border and arrived in Oakville, Ontario. Staying at the same hotel that the actual Wings stay at during the season against Toronto, the JR Wings spent their nights hanging out in the lobby playing cards and getting to know each other better.
On Friday morning, the Wings played their first game of the weekend against the Albany Firewolves at the Glen Abbey Rec Center. In what was many of the JR Wings first box lacrosse game, there naturally was a bit of a slow start in the first half. But the JR Wings battled back with goals from Gavin McHale, James Johnston, and Keegan Luey. In the end the comeback fell short as the Firewolves took the first game of the weekend 12-9, but it was an encouraging sign to see the team competing against a team largely made up of players with more experience playing box lacrosse.
After lunch the JR Wings headed to the TRAC (Toronto Rock Athletic Centre) to take on the eventual tournament champions, the Toronto Rock. The Rock’s experienced roster and high powered offense dominated most of the game, but the Wings were able to hold them scoreless in the last 5 minutes of regulation.
After the loss to the Rock, the Wings were matched up with the Rochester Knighthawks for a 5PM matchup. After an inspiring locker room speech from Wings Hall of Fame General Manager & Head Coach Paul Day, the JR Wings came to play against the JR Knighthawks. At halftime, the Wings trailed. But in the second half, the Wings were powered to an 11-10 win by 4 goals from Hudson Llord and a stellar performance in goal by netminders Emily Giaquinto and Bryce Kash. This was the first win in JR Wings history, and the excitement on the bench could be felt all throughout the rink.
After a fun night together as a team, the JR Wings were back in action at 10AM on Saturday against the Buffalo Junior Bandits. The Junior Bandits started really strong in the first half and led by a large number at halftime, but the never quit attitude of the JR Wings shone through as they scored 8 goals in the second half.
The JR Wings final game of the weekend was against the Junior Thunderbirds from Halifax. Going into the game, the JR Wings knew they were out of playoff contention, so they left it all on the field against the Thunderbirds. Bryce Kash and Emily Giaquinto combined for 12 saves throughout the game, and held the Thunderbirds to just 3 goals as the Wings dominated in an 11-3 win. Wings goals were scored by Hudson Llord (4), James Johnston, Mac Day, Brady Hopstetter, Michael McKeon, Brock Dancho, and Keegan Luey (2).
Overall the 2022 JR NLL Tournament was a major success for the JR Wings. As one of the only teams with a majority of their players being American, the JR Wings were competitive and held their own on the floor with some quality competition. Most importantly, the team had fun and made bonds that they’ll carry with them for a lifetime. We are looking forward to another great season next year!
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