Nardella’s journey to NLL is beginning to bear fruit

Joe Nardella, right, is in his first season with the Black Wolves. (New England Black Wolves photo)

With four minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, Joe Nardella headed to the face-off dot inside Mohegan Sun Arena. The Vancouver Stealth had just scored, putting Nardella and the Black Wolves down by a score of 9-3.

On the ensuing face-off, Nardella won the clamp, popped the ball to the correct side of his stick, and found himself streaking down the floor, uncovered and no slide in sight, straight at Vancouver goalie Eric Penney. Before running into the crease, Nardella leaped in the air and Penney went up with him. That’s when Nardella dipped his stick under Penney and dropped the ball into the back of the net.

It was Nardella’s first NLL goal.