New York Riptide Announce Broadcast Partners And Schedule For 2021-22 National Lacrosse League Season

Uniondale, NY (December 2, 2021) – The New York Riptide today announced the team’s broadcast partners for the 2021-22 National Lacrosse League (NLL) season, which will begin this Saturday, December 4 with the team’s home opener at Nassau Coliseum.

The Riptide will return to MSG Networks as well as be featured on ESPN platforms as part of the NLL’s expansive new deal with the network. MSG Networks will televise nine games throughout the season and fans can watch the team on ESPN’s linear channels three games during the season and ESPN+ for all games. A new partnership with Hofstra University’s WRHU 88.7 FM radio station will put all Riptide games on local radio and audio stream available via the WRHU iPhone app. Full broadcast schedule is included below.

“We are proud to partner with MSG Networks, ESPN and Hofstra University to ensure our fans can watch or listen to every Riptide game this season,” said Rich Lisk, Executive Vice President, GF Sports & Entertainment. “MSG Networks is the perfect partner to connect with tri-state area sports fans and we are excited to be a part of building the next generation of sports commentators thanks to our new deal with Hofstra University.”

“WRHU 88.7 FM has a great track record of creating professional quality student-produced sports coverage,” said Mark Lukasiewicz, Dean of the Lawrence Herbert School of Communication at Hofstra, home of WRHU. “We’re thrilled that this partnership will give our students new opportunities to hone their skills as journalists and broadcasters.”

BROADCAST TEAM:

Dave Leno, Play-by-Play: Dave Leno is entering his 2nd season as the TV PxP Voice of the Riptide. In addition to his lacrosse work, he’s a broadcaster with the Philadelphia Union (MLS), hosting pregame, halftime and postgame shows and calling select matches on TV & radio play-by-play. This past month, he announced all 31 matches at the 2021 World Team Tennis season in Indian Wells, CA; and worked the US OPEN Tennis Championships in New York as a TV World Feed and Radio commentator. Additionally, Leno freelances with ESPN as a college football and basketball announcer throughout the year. He got his start on National TV at 21-years-old on the Big Ten Network. Soon after, he called TV games with Comcast Sports Southeast, One World Sports and USA Field Hockey, in addition to being the Voice of several minor league teams.

Mitch Belisle, Color Analyst: Belisle is a former professional lacrosse player who spent nine seasons in the NLL (2008-2017), where he played for the New York Titans (drafted 13^th overall), Boston Blazers, and the Minnesota/Georgia Swarm, winning an NLL Championship in 2017. Belisle also played 12 seasons in Major League Lacrosse (2007-2018) where he won the 2011 MLL Championship and was a member of Team USA both on the indoor (2011) and outdoor National teams (2014). Belisle was a 2X All-American and NCAA Division 1 Defenseman of the Year in 2007 for Cornell University before embarking on his professional career. He started his broadcasting career with the Georgia Swarm during the 2017-2018 season and served as the Color Analyst for the Riptide during the 2019-20 season that was cut short by COVID. Currently, Belisle is a partner at Trilogy Lacrosse, one of the premier lacrosse event operators in the US.

Ally Melendez, Sideline Reporter: Melendez has extensive experience in sports and entertainment as a host and reporter. Currently, she is the in-arena Host for the Long Island Nets, the NBA G-League team affiliate to the Brooklyn Nets, and the New York Red Bulls. She can also be seen at Barclays Center as the backup host for the Brooklyn Nets, and on YES Network as the host of Well Life NYC. As well, she currently hosts Betonline All Access, a digital show about sports betting and news. Other sports hosting work includes the New York Cosmos, 2019 and 2020 Atlantic-10 Men’s basketball tournament, 2019 Kyrie Irving Invitational and serving as the in-theater host at the 2019 Heisman trophy presentation. Melendez is also the creator, executive producer, and host of the show “Ally Answers” which currently airs on IndiMusicTV.

RADIO TEAM:

Peter Schwartz, Play by Play: Schwartz currently serves as a host and anchor for WFAN Radio in New York while also serving an update anchor for CBS Sports Radio. He also covers the Islanders for WFAN.com and is a Play by Play Announcer for Varsity Media Sports Network. Schwartz spent eight years as the radio play by play voice for the New York Dragons of the Arena Football League. He was also the radio play by play announcer for the XFL’s NY/NJ Hitmen in 2001 and the radio play by play announcer for the New York Saints of the Major Indoor Lacrosse League from 1993 to 1996.

Hofstra Students, Color Analyst: A rotating lineup of Hofstra students/WRHU staff members will serve as color analysts for Riptide games throughout the season. WRHU also produces and distributes live game broadcasts for Hofstra Pride teams, the New York Islanders, Long Island Nets and Long Island Ducks.

The 2021-22 season will be the second for the team in its history, with all home games at Nassau Coliseum. Eight of the team’s nine home games this season will be played on Saturday nights, and fans will have the opportunity to purchase tickets for as low as $22 plus applicable tax and fees. Tickets can be purchased at newyorkriptide.com/tickets. For more information, please visit the website or social media at @NewYorkRiptide.

About the New York Riptide

The New York Riptide are a professional box lacrosse team based in Uniondale, New York. The Riptide are one of 14 teams competing in the National Lacrosse League (NLL), the largest and most successful professional lacrosse property in the world. The team has been competing in the NLL since 2019, plays their home games at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, and will be returning to the floor in December 2021. This offseason, the Riptide hired NLL Hall of Famer Jim Veltman as general manager and five-time NLL champion Dan Ladouceur as head coach. The team also signed four-time NLL All-Pro Callum Crawford to a two-year deal and selected two-time Tewaaraton Trophy nominee Jeff Teat with the first overall pick in the NLL draft. For more information on New York Riptide lacrosse, please visit www.newyorkriptide.com or follow the Riptide on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or TikTok @newyorkriptide.