When you think of Philadelphia teams, a lot comes to mind. The Flyers, the Eagles, the 76ers, the Union, the Phillies, but one team you might not have heard of is The Philadelphia Wings.
The Wings are not a new team; they have been around since 1987, and have won six championships in their league, the NLL (National Lacrosse League.)
That was until 2014 when the Wings relocated to New England and become the New England Black Wolves. At the time, the Wings had just finished their 28th season with a 6-10 record, missing out on the playoffs.
For four years, Philadelphia would be without a Lacrosse team. However, in 2017 the NLL announced that Philadelphia was awarded an expansion team alongside San Diego. Those who followed this team were chosen to vote for the team’s new name, and among one of the names was the Wings. Wings won the vote, and the team officially made its return on Dec. 15, with a new coach, Paul Day.
The Wings’ return to Philly was bittersweet. Their first season didn’t go so well, with them struggling to find a win throughout most of the season. Even with star player Kevin Crowley back, the Wings just could not get it together, with a record of 4-14.
Now the Wings are playing in the 2019-2020 NLL season. The NLL’s landscape has once again changed with the new editions of New York Riptide and Rochester Knighthawks, who momentarily went on hiatus as their original owner moved them to Halifax to become the Halifax Thunderbirds.
Meanwhile, the Wings made some changes to their lineup. Brandon Miller has returned, and with him is a new goalie Zack Higgins.
The wings lost their first game (6-12) to the Georgia Swarm, and things were already looking grim.
However, the season changed for the better on Dec. 29. The Wings faced off against the Colorado Mammoth. With three seconds on the clock, Matt Rambo scored a goal giving the Wings their first season win. Already the Wings had one win on the board sooner than they did in the previous season.
The Wings followed up with two more wins, one against the New York Riptide 15-12, the other against the Vancouver Warriors in a home opener 18-10.
The Wings are currently in first place in the eastern standings, a place they haven’t been in a long, long time. While the Wings still have some weeks to go, it’s safe to say that if they keep playing the way they are, they’ll be able to make it to the playoffs, a place they haven’t seen since 2013.
The Wings play at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, sharing their home with the 76ers and Flyers.
You can learn more about the Wings at www.wingslax.com. For Tickets, visit www.wingslax.com/tickets.