The Georgia Swarm today announced that it has signed Joel Tinney to a two-year deal. The Swarm has also signed free agents Bennett Drake and Zach Tomkinson to two-year contracts and Braden Wallace to a one-year contract.
Tinney, 23, was selected No. 18 overall in the 2018 NLL Entry Draft. The speedy midfielder was team captain of the Blue Jays during his senior season, leading the team to the NCAA Tournament Quarterfinals.
“Joel had a great career at Johns Hopkins University, and he was an extremely productive box lacrosse player in Canada prior to his college career,” Swarm Owner and General Manager John Arlotta said. “He is known as an ultra-competitive player with great leadership qualities. He also brings great flexibility to the roster, as he is capable of playing out of both the front end and the back end. We’re excited to have Joel signed and part of the Swarm organization.”
That excitement is shared by Tinney, and with his contract signing out of the way, he is ready to join his fellow 2018 Swarm draftees and fellow JHU alum and new member of the Swarm, Holden Cattoni.
“Being a Canadian kid and growing up watching guys that are on the Swarm right now and seeing them win two years ago, it’s obviously an organization that has that winning mentality, and that’s the kind of mentality that I carry with everything I do,” Tinney said. “It seems like a great fit for me, and I’m just excited that this is in the rear-view mirror now. Now I can focus on what goes on the floor.”
With Johns Hopkins, Tinney became the fastest midfielder in Blue Jay history to reach the 30-goal career mark. Through 50 career games, the Innerkip, Ontario native recorded 119 points (68G, 51A), 107 ground balls, and 24 caused turnovers.
Tinney played in the Ontario Junior A Lacrosse League with the Toronto Beaches and Orangeville Northmen from 2015-16. He posted 76 points (28G, 48A) in 19 games.
“If you ask any guy on the Swarm, just for me barely being a part of this organization for a month, you can tell that it is a winning-mentality, and the championship is our main goal,” Tinney said. “For me, I just want to get through a positive Training Camp, learning experience, and crack this roster and be able to help them out any way possible come Dec. 1.”
Drake, 22, was drafted in the 2017 NLL Entry Draft by the Georgia Swarm (No. 47 overall). Graduating from the University of Albany, Drake participated in the Swarm’s 2017-18 Training Camp. He finished his collegiate career with 111 points (80G, 31A). Drake also boasts a family connection on the Swarm. Dan Ladouceur, the Swarm’s assistant coach, is his uncle.
Tomkinson, 27, graduated from Mars Hills University and was signed by the Buffalo Bandits as a free agent in 2017. In his senior season at Mars Hill, Tomkinson finished with 31 points (20G, 11A) in 14 games played.
Wallace, 24, was picked No. 60 overall by the Buffalo Bandits in the 2017 NLL Entry Draft. As a midfielder at Rochester Institute of Technology, Wallace played in 91 games and recorded 141 points (94G, 47A), grabbed 76 ground balls, and caused 20 turnovers.
Season Tickets for the Swarm’s 2018-19 season are On Sale Now! Season Ticket packages include 10 games (nine regular season games and one postseason game) and a handful of VIP benefits. Join Sting City by reserving your membership today by calling 844-4-GASWARM.
Georgia released its full 2018-19 regular season schedule on Sept. 6. The 2018-19 NLL regular season runs from Dec. 1 to April 20, and fans can view the entire Swarm schedule here.
