Photo via @NLLwings on X
The Philadelphia Wings sported beautiful, Marvel-themed jerseys in Saturday's game against the Halifax Thunderbirds.
Unfortunately, they looked much better than they played. Halifax took the game, 14-10.
The Thunderbirds won 25 of 28 faceoffs, outhustled the Wings to the tune of a 90-58 loose ball advantage, and outshot the Wings 62-47. But Philadelphia head coach Ian Rubel attributed the loss primarily to transition goals.
"There's no hiding it, that's how we lost the game," Rubel said. "It should be a wake-up call after one transition goal, not six, seven, maybe eight. That's accountability. That's not a skill thing . . . It's something we've been preaching all year long, and guys need to step up and fill that role."
The @HFXThunderbirds are cooking on the run 🔥
Colton Armstrong gets their third transition marker of the 1st quarter! pic.twitter.com/6kXyIfAPA9
— NLL (@NLL) February 8, 2025
After the Thunderbirds jumped out to a 5-1 lead, the Wings battled back to tie things up at eight with 9:50 remaining in the third quarter. But Halifax went on a 5-0 run from there to put the game out of reach.
"We gotta generate more shots," Wings forward Joe Resetarits said afterwards. "We score a lot of goals, but . . . we gotta be putting the ball on net more."
It wasn't all bad. Resetarits had a hat trick and three assists. Forward Mitch Jones led all players with eight assists. And Michael Sowers played well in his much-anticipated National Lacrosse League debut, scoring two goals and adding an assist.
Have yourself a day Michael Sowers #PHIvsHAL pic.twitter.com/Ub2VudFwBS
Sowers finished his college career at Duke with one of the most decorated resumes in school history, breaking program records for both assists and points. In the Premier Lacrosse League, he helped lead the Waterdogs Lacrosse Club to a championship in 2021.
And Sowers is a Philly-area native. He called his debut "a super-cool experience."
"I was coming to Wings games when I was little [and] going to Sixers games," Sowers said. "So to be able to play in Wells Fargo, in front of home fans, so many friends and family, it was unreal."
"It's what we expected," Rubel said when asked about Sowers. "He's very athletic, he's a talented player . . . He proved that he can play."
Other positives? Nick Damude made 48 saves. And how about this highlight-reel goal from Brennan O'Neill:
THIS IS INCREDIBLE 😱
We got a Goal of the Year candidate in the NLL.
(🎥: @NLL)pic.twitter.com/rwz0a7LPUR
The jerseys were also a hit. They were created by the late Jeffrey Veregge, an award-winning Native American artist featured in numerous Marvel comics.
This Saturday we will celebrate our Indigenous roots, including the debut of our first-of-its-kind @Marvel jerseys.
Auction for game-worn & autographed jerseys opens 2/8 at 12pm.
Fans can also purchase replicas and additional @Marvel themed items in-store on Saturday pic.twitter.com/nk1L6Df4Ob
Fans were treated to a pre-game land acknowledgement, where the Wings committed to honoring the history and legacy of the Lenni-Lenape people, the traditions of the medicine game, and the land on which Wells Fargo Center stands. In-game performances from Native Nations Dance Theater and Tchi rounded out the night.
The Wings now travel to Halifax for the back half of a home-and-home series on February 15. They won't play again at the Wells Fargo Center until March 8.
