Game Preview - Halifax @ Philadelphia
Feb 7, 2025
The Halifax Thunderbirds are looking to continue their winning ways when they head on the road for a Saturday matinee with the Philadelphia Wings at Wells Fargo Center. Opening face-off is set for 2:00 p.m. AT.
Head to Head
Philadelphia is sitting third in the league with a 5-3 record on the year. There is a clogged playoff picture at the moment, which Halifax has played its way into over the past month, sitting at 3-4, good for ninth overall. This doubleheader against the Wings will kick off a crucial stretch of their season.
The Thunderbirds have fared well in their matchups with the Wings during their time on the East Coast. They currently sit with a 5-1 record all-time, including a 3-0 record at Wells Fargo Center.
The last two meetings between the teams have each gone to overtime. Philadelphia won the first of those matchups 16-15 in 2023. Halifax repaid the favour with a 15-14 victory last season, with Thunderbirds captain Cody Jamieson scoring the overtime winner.
Jamieson and Clarke Petterson sit at the top scorers in the all-time head-to-head matchup, having 30 and 27 points in six games, respectively.
Mitch Jones has been Philadelphia’s leader, posting eight goals and 23 points in three games against Halifax.
Scouting the Thunderbirds
Halifax has managed double-digits in goals in five of their first seven outings, and a 10-goal effort got the job done last weekend against Vancouver.
Randy Staats (10G, 36A) leads the Thunderbirds in scoring this season. The veteran righty continues to be a facilitator every time he’s on the floor, as does Clarke Petterson (12G, 26A).
Dawson Theede (17G, 12A) remains as Halifax’s leading goal scorer, and his pair of tucks last time out helped the Birds to a big win. Mike Robinson (8G, 10A) has also been a consistent contributor for the team, still sitting above two points a game to open his rookie campaign.
But the story of last game was the career night for transition ace Ryan Terefenko (6G, 7A). He finished with his first career hat trick and five points – also tying his career high – to go along with eight loose balls and a caused turnover.
Warren Hill earned his first win on the campaign with a 30-save effort. He now sits with an 11.93 goals-against average and a .762 save percentage.
Scouting the Wings
The Wings have gotten out to a good start this year off the back of strong offensive play from their veterans, led by Joe Resetarits (22G, 44A) and Mitch Jones (22G, 43A). The pair have been consistently producing for their team all year.
Holden Cattoni (19G, 31A) is already at 50 points before the halfway mark of the year, and 2024 first-overall selection Brennan O’Neill (15G, 16A) has come into his rookie year and made a seamless transition to indoor lacrosse. Wings captain Blaze Riorden (12G, 12A) is also one of the best crease finishers in the league currently.
Philadelphia also boasts some solid depth up front, with the likes of Phil Caputo (11G, 8A) and Sam LeClair (7G, 8A) providing secondary scoring.
The Wings added to their defence during the off-season, bringing in Connor Sellars and bringing back Liam Patten and Anthony Joaquim to help a unit that also features Alex Paces, Isaiah Davis-Allen, and Scott Dominey, among others.
In his first year with the Wings, starter Nick Damude holds a 12.99 GAA and a .772 SV% on the season.
Milestone Watch
- Ryan Terefenko needs one loose ball to reach 500 for his career
- Dawson Theede needs two loose balls to reach 200 for his career
- Thomas Hoggarth needs Seven assists to reach 100 for his career
- Randy Staats needs eight points to reach 600 for his career
- Cody Jamieson needs 31 points to become the 17th player in NLL history to reach 1,000 career points
Broadcast Information
Thunderbirds fans in the Maritimes can catch all the action on Saturday afternoon on TSN+ and NLL+. Fans in the United States can tune in on ESPN+.