Wings, Jasinski gives Thunderbirds first loss in OT

Nearly two weeks separate the Philadelphia Wings (2-2) loss in their home opener from their latest triumph. Last Friday, they thrillingly defeated the Halifax Thunderbirds (2-1) in overtime, 16-15.

Underdogs, and back on the road, the Wings were more banged up than before. In addition to Blaze Riorden (upper body) and Holden Cattoni (upper body), Curtis Romanchych (lower body) and Ryan Wagner (lower body) weren’t in the lineup. However, Ian Llord said something after the loss to the Albany Fire Wolves that must’ve resonated with the rest of the locker room:

“Everybody’s got to step up. That’s something Paul’s [Day] said, too. When guys of that caliber drop out of your lineup, everybody’s got to step up. I think we’re still waiting on the guy next to us to do a better job. We’re following that and the results were there.”
Ian Llord; 12/16/2023

Here are a few notable observations from when Philadelphia snatched a win from the jaws of defeat against the Thunderbirds:

Blue Collar Win (+)

There is a ton to clean up and improve on, but the Wings found their work ethic early this season. Halifax was undefeated on their turf and led 10-6 at halftime.

Then, Philadelphia flipped the switch throughout the second half.

“The most important part of what NLL games come down to a lot of times is who’s going to work harder, and we worked harder than they [the Halifax Thunderbirds] did particularly in the second half. In the first I still thought we worked hard, but in the second half we outran them, we out physicaled them all over the floor.”
Jeff McComb; 12/29/2023

In the second half, the Wings outscored the Thunderbirds 9-5. Mitch Jones, Ben McIntosh, and Sam LeClair scored a pair, and Taite Cattoni tallied four points (1G, 3A). Entering overtime, Philadelphia had the momentum.

“We could’ve packed it in early and went home, but we all beared down, dug in, supported one another, and came through with a big win. That’s how you get it done in this league [NLL].”
Ian Rubel; 12/29/2023

Jack Jasinski scored the game-winner. He opened up at the extended goal line, accepted a feed from the point, and cleared the crease in a single bound on a Superman dive, 16-15. In Halifax, Jasinski made his NLL debut with the Wings. His first point with his new team came with an exclamation point.

Consistency Is Key

Paul Day drilled the point; they must get better and become consistent. How a team prepares translates to how they perform.

“It’s not turn it on Friday; ‘oop, I’m going to be good for four quarters,’ because you’re not going to be. You need to be good for four days.”
Paul Day; 12/29/2023

The win is an accomplishment, but it represents early success. This weekend, Philadelphia hosts the New York Riptide. On NLL Faceoff Weekend, the Wings won on Long Island, 13-10.

A win this weekend would represent the first resemblance of consistency.

Joe Resetarits (+)

Joe Resetarits had an explosive second half with Cattoni, serving the primary assist to Jasinski on the game-winner.

Resetarits totaled seven points (1G, 6A) in the win and recovered seven loose balls. He is the all-time leading American-born scorer in the NLL with 706 points (294G, 412A).

He is one of many players taking on a leading role while the lineup missed vital contributors. On the season, Resetarits has 21 points (6G, 15A). In his NLL career, Resetarits registered 676 points (280G, 396A) in eleven seasons, making the postseason six times and notching 30 points (14G, 16A).