Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 4/6/26
From Press Release
Scott Gabrielsen, former Philadelphia Wings Captain and current TV Color Commentator for team broadcasts, is making a plea to lacrosse fans to attend and support the last Wings lacrosse game of the season this Saturday at 7 pm at the Xfinity Mobile Arena.
Last week, Comcast Spectacor announced it will cease operations of the Philadelphia Wings Professional Indoor Lacrosse team at the end of the season.
Gabrielsen noted that the Wings have had such an impact on Philadelphia lacrosse throughout the region that he believes will spark the support of local lacrosse fans to thank the Wings and also allow the current Wings players and Alumni to thank the fans for their dedication over the years.
The Wings have won six world championships in Philadelphia, the second most in NLL history, only behind the Buffalo Bandits, who won their seventh last year. The six titles are also the most of any Philly pro team in history (the Eagles and Philadelphia A’s have won five).
Gabrielsen via a post in social media said, “Please join us for the last home game…and make it feel like the old days and remind everyone of the passion of the Philly fans that helped put Philadelphia lacrosse on the map … The Wings alumni will be there to give the fans one last hug and show our appreciation.”
The NLL later posted on Instagram that it was “initiating a comprehensive process to identify the next ownership group and evaluate the strongest long-term market opportunity for the franchise.”
THE WINGS PLAYER/COACHING TREE
The success of the Philadelphia Wings in the 1990’s led to the early growth of lacrosse in the region and the area that emerged as a lacrosse hotbed and where top colleges can recruit some of the best lacrosse players in the country.
Former Philadelphia Wings players have coached many of the top high school lacrosse teams in the area and left their mark.
“Almost every player on the Wings Championship teams in the 1990’s coached locally at one level or another and changed the national landscape of where great lacrosse is played,” Gabrielsen said. “The Philadelphia area is now known for smart, athletic, gritty student-athletes. Former Wings players taught that mentality to youth and high school players, and that continues today.”
Some notable Coaches from the Wings Playing Tree:
College & Professional:
Chris Bates – PLL Utah Atlas, Drexel University, Princeton University, Episcopal Academy, St. Andrew’s (DE)
Tony Resch – Wings, PLL Atlas, Team USA, La Salle College HS
Brian Voelker – UPenn & Drexel University
Adam Mueller – Wings, Penn*Lax All-Stars
Steve Govett – Colorado Mammoth, San Diego Seals
Gary Gait – Syracuse University
Tom Slate – Philadelphia Barrage, San Francisco Dragons and Denver Outlaws of MLL, Wings, Episcopal Academy, Downingtown East, Penn*Lax
High School:
Bill Leahy – La Salle College High School
John Nostrant – Haverford School
John McEvoy – Malvern Prep School
Paul O’Grady – Episcopal Academy, Haverford School, Malvern Prep
Tom Marechek – IMG Academy
Kevin Finneran – IMG Academy, Coach Finn Lacrosse & Finncrosse
Tom Hannum – Marple Newtown, Downingtown High and West, West Chester Rustin HS
Mike Buzza & George Corrigan – Radnor High School
Elite Club & Youth:
Dallas Eliuk – USBOXLA
Brett Manney – NXT Lacrosse
Matt Ogelsby – All West Lacrosse
Steve Holmes & Kevin Crowley – Fusion Lacrosse (Holmes also was head coach at Unionville)
Scott Gabrielsen, Chris Flynn, Jake Bergey, Pat Heim, Paul Deniken – West Chester LC & Mesa Fresh
Paul French, Gary Martin, Pat Carney – Radnor Youth, Mesa & Ashbee
Pat Heim, Scott Growney – Conestoga
Jim Rogers, Bill Miller – NY Elite
Billy McGlone – Delco LC
Note: Malvern Prep, Episcopal Academy, Haverford School, La Salle College HS and Radnor HS have appeared in the Top 20 of the national rankings at some point this year.
