The New York Riptide will return home on Saturday, March 9th, when they host the Las Vegas Desert Dogs at 7:30 PM. The Riptide are currently on a 3-game losing streak after dropping contests against Toronto, Colorado, and Albany. Coach Dan Ladouceur attributes the team’s recent struggles to lapses in consistency, with multiple scoreless periods of 10+ minutes during each of the last three games. Las Vegas has also dropped three of their last four games but collected a win last time in New York when they played the Knighthawks two weeks ago. This game kicks off a three-game stretch for the Desert Dogs, where they will be on the road before returning home at the end of the month.
Recent Struggles:
New York’s recent struggles have come after the longest win streak in team history. The Riptide won four straight games in January and February and had themselves in prime playoff position before losing three consecutive games. Both sides of the ball have struggled for the Riptide, as they have allowed 14+ goals in each of the last three games and have not scored more than ten goals in that stretch. The Riptide are still in the hunt for the playoffs but will need to string together a few wins in their next games to stay alive. Jeff Teat is doing all he can to bring the Riptide to their first playoff appearance in team history; Teat leads the league in goals and points.
Playoff Implications:
The National Lacrosse League (NLL) introduced new “Unified Standings” that will feature the eight best teams in the league battling it out in the playoffs, no matter their geographical location. Currently, the Las Vegas Desert Dogs and New York Riptide are outside the playoff picture, with the Riptide trailing by only a single game and the Dogs by two. The fight for the 6th spot through the 8th spot will be very close as all teams have a fighting chance, especially as the last-place team, Vancouver, upset the reigning champion Buffalo Bandits last week. This week’s game will have massive implications for the playoff race, as the Riptide needs a win to get into the playoff picture with just five games remaining after this one.
Milestones:
Connor Kearnan has had a busy 2023-2024 season, collecting his 100th assist and his 200th career point. In his fifth season now, Kearnan is just two goals away from scoring his 100th career goal. This year, Kearnan has accumulated 35 points, placing him on track to surpass his single-season records for both assists and points. On the other side, Zach Greer has been around the league since 2010 and is closing in on his 300th career assist. Greer sits at 297 assists and 616 points in his NLL career. Greer ranks fourth on the Dogs with 34 points this season, heating up recently with nine assists in his past two outings.
This game will begin at 7:30 PM EST on Saturday, March 9th at the Nassau Coliseum. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+ & TSN+ for anyone who cannot attend the game. Live in-game updates will also be made available on Riptide’s X account @newyorkriptide. The Riptide will only have two remaining home games after this game, so anyone interested in buying tickets can head to https://newyorkriptide.com/tickets/single-game-tickets/.
