Recapping the New York Riptide's season

The New York Riptide entered the 2022-23 National Lacrosse League season with playoff aspirations but opened with four straight losses and never recovered. It finished 5-13 and has the No. 3 pick in the 2023 NLL Draft.

Here’s a game-by-game recap of a season highlighted by second-year star Jeff Teat finishing as the league’s leading scorer with 136 points.

Game 1: San Diego 15, Riptide 14: The Riptide scored seven goals in the fourth quarter, including the last four of the game but had its comeback fall just short against the Gulls. Teat had 4 goals and 7 assists. Reilly O’Connor added five points in his Riptide debut.

Game 2: Halifax 20, Riptide 11: The Thunderbirds built a 13-6 lead and never looked back behind Ryan Benesch’s five goals. O’Connor and Connor Kearnan had hat tricks in the defeat.

Game 3: Toronto 15, Riptide 7: New York’s offense struggled throughout and despite holding a two-goal lead after the opening quarter, the Riptide couldn’t sustain it. The Rock scored six times in the second and seven times in the third. Scott Dominey, Larson Sundown and Callum Crawford had two goals apiece.

Game 4: Rochester 11, Riptide 8: Connor Fields had four goals to lead the Knighhawks to victory at Nassau Coliseum as the Riptide fell to 0-4. Teat dished out five assists in the loss.

Game 5: Riptide 16, Albany 10: The Riptide headed upstate and notched their first victory of the campaign thanks in large part to Teat’s 12 points (7 goals, 5 assists) and Brett Hickey’s two goals and 4 helpers.

Game 6: Buffalo 16, Riptide 10: The Bandits broke a 7-7 halftime deadlock with a 7-goal third quarter and went on to victory despite being outshot by the Riptide, which was led by Teat’s seven points.

Game 7: Toronto 22, Riptide 14: The scoreboard operator was kept busy throughout as the teams combined for 36 goals. The Rock’s Tom Schreiber had a dozen assists and a hat trick. Teat wasn’t far behind with 12 points.

Game 8: Riptide 14, Albany 12: New York got the best of its upstate neighbor again as goaltender Steve Orleman starred with 50 saves. He got support from Teat (7 goals) and Kearnan (6 assists.)

Game 9: Halifax 13, Riptide 12: The Riptide scored three goals in all four quarters but fell just short against a Halifax team that beat it by nine goals in the first meeting. Teat had 9 points.

Game 10: Rochester 11, Riptide 10: This one stung. The Riptide scored four straight goals to end regulation and forced overtime, where Brad Gillies won it for the Knighthawks. Kevin Brownell’s hat trick wasn’t enough.

Game 11: Philadelphia 19, Riptide 12: Mitch Jones led the Wings, who never trailed, with 14 points. Teat had 8 assists.

Game 12: Riptide 13, Philadelphia 10: It was revenge time for the Riptide as new goalie Cameron Dunkerley made 48 saves and Kearnan totaled six points in the victory.

Game 13: Riptide 13, Albany 10: The Riptide got the best of the FireWolves again as Teat collected 10 points and Kearnan found the back of the net four times.

Game 14: Georgia 13, Riptide 8: The Swarm swarmed early with seven goals in the opening quarter and kept the Riptide from striking distance throughout. Teat scored four times in the home finale.

Game 15: Georgia 12, Riptide 7: New York held the Swarm to only one goal in the first quarter this time, but Georgia managed six tallies in the second. O’Connor paced the Riptide with four points.

Game 16: Buffalo 11, Riptide 10: Overtime hasn’t been friendly for the Riptide over the past two seasons. The Bandits tied this one with 29 seconds left in regulation and won it in OT on a Josh Byrne goal.

Game 17: Halifax 15, Riptide 6: The Thunderbirds held New York to a season-low offensive output while scoring five times in each of the first two quarters to take control. Teat had 4 assists.

Game 18: Riptide 16, Vancouver 8: New York exploded for 12 second-half goals and Teat had a hand in nine of them to become the NLL’s scoring champ, edging Dhane Smith of Buffalo. Kearnan registered four goals and five assists, and Orleman dazzled with a career-best 57 saves.