Albany Attack

The Albany Attack was a team that played in the National Lacrosse League from the 2000 season through the 2003 season. They played their home games in Pepsi Arena in Albany, New York, which is now called the Times Union Center.

After the 2003 season, the team was sold and moved to San Jose, California, where it was renamed the San Jose Stealth. Today, the team is owned by Canucks Sports & Entertainment and is known as the Vancouver Warriors.

The Albany Attack was part of an exciting league that brought fast-paced, action-packed games to fans during its time in Albany.

Awards and honors

All time record

Playoff results

2001-02 schedule

2002 highlights

The 2002 (called then the 2001–2002) Albany Attack was the best team during its four years in Albany, New York. It was the only team from Albany to make the NLL playoffs. The team had a great regular season, winning 14 out of 16 games and finishing first in the Central Division.

Before the season started, the head coach Terry Sanderson left to coach the new Montréal Express team. He was replaced by Bob McMahon. The season began on November 16, 2001, with the Albany Attack winning against the new New Jersey Storm. The team finished the regular season with 14 wins and 2 losses.

In the playoffs, the Albany Attack had a rest in the first round. They then beat the Rochester Knighthawks in a semifinal game. However, they lost to the Toronto Rock in the final game for the Champion's Cup on April 13, 2002.

Head Coach Bob McMahon was named NLL Head Coach of the Year. Forward Josh Sanderson set a new record for most passes in a season, and goalie Rob Blasdell was named Goalie of the Year. Both Josh Sanderson and Rob Blasdell were chosen for the NLL All-Pro First Team. Five Albany Attack players were selected to play in the 2002 NLL All-Star Game.

Attendance problems

The Albany Attack had trouble getting enough fans to their games. On average, only about 3,000 to 4,000 people came to each game, which wasn’t enough to make the team profitable.

In June 2001, the owner of the Albany Attack and the owner of another team, the Albany River Rats, made a deal to work together on marketing. But even with this plan, the Attack still struggled financially. By the 2002 season, the owner thought about selling the team, but decided to keep it after a good playoff run. Fans also started a club to try to bring in more people.

In the 2003 season, ticket sales improved, but the team didn’t play well early on and couldn’t make the playoffs. Despite a better second half of the season, attendance stayed too low to save the team.

Move to San Jose

The Albany Attack team was struggling to attract fans, and in 2003, it was sold and moved to San Jose, California. The team was renamed the San Jose Stealth after a contest.

Later, in 2009, the team moved again to Everett, Washington, becoming the Washington Stealth. Finally, in 2013, the team moved to Vancouver, BC and became the Vancouver Stealth.