The decline of the Albany FireWolves to a 3-13 record entering Sunday afternoon’s home game against the Philadelphia Wings might have begun last Aug. 25.
That was the date forward Joe Resetarits, a National Lacrosse League MVP finalist last season, opted to leave the FireWolves to sign a three-year free-agent contract with the Wings.
After that, the surprised FireWolves shifted from a playoff contender to a franchise going through a youth movement.
“It was sort of the first domino that fell and really reinforced the fact that we’re getting crushed in free agency,” FireWolves general manager and head coach Glenn Clark said. “It was the first domino that really gave us pause and sort of made us pivot from one (plan) to the other.”
When: 3 p.m. Sunday
Where: MVP Arena
TV: My4 Albany
Resetarits, a University of Albany alumnus who tied for the NLL lead with 47 goals last season, returns to MVP Arena on Sunday when Philadelphia (7-9) battles Albany at 3 p.m.
“It’s going to feel different,” Resetarits said. “Those are some of my closest friends that are still over there. It was a hard decision to make, probably the toughest decision I ever had to make, the decision I made last offseason, because I was so close with the guys on the team and Coach Clark is a guy that always believed in me, that I could play to my potential. I love Clark as a coach and as a person. I owe him everything for giving me a chance, but it came down to what’s best for me and my family and travel and all that.”
Resetarits, who lives in the Buffalo area with his wife and three children, said easier travel was the main reason for switching teams. He can catch a 45-minute direct flight from Buffalo to Philadelphia for home games instead of taking a bus or driving more than four hours to Albany.
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