Playoff Push Continues as Warriors Face FireWolves in Country Night Showdown

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NLL Vancouver Warriors

Playoff Push Continues as Warriors Face FireWolves in Country Night Showdown

April 4, 2025 - National Lacrosse League (NLL)
Vancouver Warriors News Release


The Vancouver Warriors (8-7) are bringing their three-game win streak back home as they get set to take on the Albany FireWolves (6-9) on Country Night, presented by Coors Original.

The Warriors were on the road Saturday, taking down the Buffalo Bandits 13-12 in a game that showed they can dig deep and deliver when it matters most. With the Bandits still on the hunt for home-field advantage in the playoffs, it was a gritty matchup until the bitter end.

The Warriors opened with four goals in the first quarter. Though Chase Fraser tied it for the Bandits early in the second, a goal from Keegan Bal helped Vancouver regain the lead, which they held through the rest of the second and all of the third.

The Bandits fought back in the fourth to make it 11-9, but Vancouver responded with four straight goals. With 36 seconds left and Buffalo pressing with a two-man advantage, Christian Del Bianco stood strong with a few key saves to seal the win.

Bal made the most of his time on the field, tallying 10 points (4G, 6A). Also finding the back of the net Saturday was Kevin Crowley (2G, 2A), Riley Loewen (2G, 2A), Ryan Martel (2G,1A), and Adam Charalambides (1G, 6A).

The Warriors took advantage of a few Buffalo penalties, with Bal, Loewen, and Charalambides each lighting the lamp during the man-advantage. Del Bianco stood tall in net, stopping 40 of 52 shots sent his way.

Bal's strong performance against the Bandits is nothing new. Over the past three games, he's racked up 11 goals and 20 assists for 31 points, with an average of over 10 points per game. Across the season, Bal ranks eighth in the league with 93 points (35G, 58A) and is on pace to surpass last year's total.

Saturday's win brings the Warriors up to the seventh slot in the standings with just three games left on the schedule, two of those being at home.

The Albany FireWolves had a rocky start to the season, but they've bounced back strong, securing four wins in their last five games. Most recently, the FireWolves defeated the Buffalo Bandits 11-10.

FireWolves goaltender Doug Jamieson was on fire against the Bandits, saving 58 of 68 shots for an impressive save percentage of 0.853. He currently leads all NLL goaltenders in saves with 613 on the season.

Tye Kurtz led the FireWolves' offence, netting two goals and dishing out four assists. Kyle Jackson (4A), Ethan Walker (2G, 2A), Alex Simmons (2G, 2A), and Dyson Williams (3G, 1A) each contributed four points, while former Vancouver Warrior Johnathan Peshko added three (2G, 1A).

With 83 points (32G, 51A) in 18 games, Simmons ranks 11th among forwards in the league and will be a force on the field on Friday.

Kurtz has tallied 71 points (27G, 44A) this season, and has been a part of some memorable highlights, including scoring a massive seven- goal night against the Colorado Mammoth in January.

Albany's Will Johansen, hailing from Victoria, B.C., is also expected to take the field at Rogers Arena on Friday. Johansen was selected seventh overall by Albany in the 2022 NLL Entry draft. He played for Robert Morris University up until 2023, finishing his collegiate career with 58 points (32G, 26A), 83 ground balls and 29 caused turnovers in 68 games. Prior to that, Johansen suited up for the Junior A Nanaimo Timbermen as their captain.

Another player to watch will be 23-year-old forward Johnathon Peshko, who will hit the field to face-off against his former team on Friday.

Peshko was traded by the Warriors to the Ottawa Black Bears prior to the NLL trade deadline on March 10. The deal ultimately netted the Warriors a 2026 first-round pick, a 2026 second-round pick, and a 2028 second-round pick.

The Black Bears then traded Peshko to Albany in exchange for forward Travis Longboat and a fourth-round pick in the 2026 NLL Entry Draft. Since the trade, Peshko has recorded 3 points (2G, 1A) in two games played.

Watch the Warriors clash with the FireWolves on Country Night at Rogers Arena by grabbing your tickets here. If you can't catch the action in person, tune in at 7:00 p.m. PST on NLL+ or TSN+.

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