DULUTH, Ga. (March 3, 2022) – The Georgia Swarm (4-6) and Rochester Knighthawks (3-6) go head-to-head for the second time this season, Friday night at 7:30 PM. The Swarm and Knighthawks are both are coming off losses and need a win to stay close in the playoff hunt. The Swarm currently stand one-half games out of a playoff seeding, trailing Albany (5-6) and Philadelphia (5-6). The 14 NLL teams are competing for 8 playoff spots. The top four of the eight teams in the East and the top three of the six teams in the West receive playoff spots. The team with the next best record – regardless of conference – receives the fourth and final seed in the West.
Prior to Georgia’s Week 13 bye, the Swarm fell, 15-10, to the Halifax Thunderbirds on Feb. 19. The Knighthawks most recently lost to the East Division powerhouse Buffalo Bandits on Feb. 26, 14-8. When Georgia and Rochester faced off against one another earlier this season, Georgia recorded its second win of the 2021-22 season, topping Rochester, 12-8, in Blue Cross Arena. The win was the definition of a team effort, with 10 different goal scorers and 15-of the-17 players who played that night recorded points.
The Swarm are 2-0 all-time against the Knighthawks, as Rochester was an expansion team in the shortened 2019-20 season. Both of Georgia’s wins against Rochester have been achieved on the road. Tonight, will be the first-ever meeting of the two teams on Harrah’s Cherokee Casino and Resort Field at Gas South Arena.
Before Georgia’s bye week, Lyle Thompson, topped the NLL standings in points (60) and goals (27), after the 13th week of play Thompson now ranks third and tied for second, respectfully, in both categories. He is seven points away from regaining the lead in points and two goals away from leading the league in goals once again. With the team not playing for a week, Shayne Jackson now ranks tied for 17th in league points (42). Thompson and Jackson rank first and second, respectfully, in team points, goals and assists.
Rochester’s offense is led by Shawn Evans, who totals 42 points throughout nine games. In assists, Evans sits sixth among league players and first on his team, totaling 34. Teammate, Holden Cattoni scored the most goals on the team this season, registering, 18.
Netminder Mike Poulin saved 333 shots this season, ranking him fifth among NLL goalies. Poulin saved 41 shots the last time the Swarm faced the Knighthawks on Jan. 21 which was a season-best at the time. He most recently set a new season high in saves with 42 against New York on Feb. 12. Poulin currently posts a .753 save percentage and an 11.74 goals against average. Craig Wende spent some time between the pipes the last time the Swarm took the field and stopped 27 Thunderbirds shots on Feb. 19 in 37:32 minutes of play.
Rochester’s starting goaltender, Ryan Hartley, has accumulated 272 saves across eight games. The Mississauga, Ontario native registers a .782 save percentage and 11.71 goals against average on the season.
Tomorrow’s game is the first of a two-game home stand for the Swarm. Following the Knighthawks game, Georgia invites the Halifax Thunderbirds to Gas South Arena on Saturday, March 12 for Heroes Night. After two away trips on March 19 and March 26, the Swarm return to Duluth, Ga., on April 1, marking the first of three home games during the final month of NLL regular season play.
Milestones:
Jordan Hall: Is 6 points away from reaching the 800th of his career
Vaughn Harris: Needs 15 faceoff wins to reach 200 in his career
Jordan MacIntosh: Needs 15 faceoff wins to pass Stephen Hoar for 6th place in league history with 1,651
Jordan MacIntosh: Is 14 loose balls shy of 1,446, ranking him 9th in NLL history
Mike Poulin: Needs one win to pass Anthony Cosmo for fourth place on the all-time list with 99 and two wins to become the fourth goaltender all-time with 100 in his career.
Mike Poulin: Needs 9 saves to become the sixth goalie all-time with 6,000 career saves
Lyle Thompson: Is 13 points shy of achieving the 500th of his career
- The Halifax Thunderbirds defeated the Georgia Swarm, 15-10, in Scotiabank Centre; the Swarm fell to 4-6 on the season
- Jordan MacIntosh led the team in points after scoring one goal and giving out five assists; this was the second time this season MacIntosh reached six points in a game, tying his season-best
- Brendan Bomberry, Shayne Jackson, and Lyle Thompson totaled five points each in the affair; all three players scored two goals and gave out three assists
- Craig Wende played two-and-a-half quarters in net coming up with 27 saves and a .794 save percentage
- The Swarm struggled on faceoffs, winning only 7-of-29 (24.1 percent); Georgia was outshot 50-45
- Chad Tutton, Jordan Hall, and Joel White all caused two turnovers each; Kason Tarbell came over midfield and registered one assist marking his fourth of the season
- The Swarm’s defense held the Thunderbirds to only three man-up goals stopping 50.0 percent (3-of-6) of their opportunities
- Georgia’s offense put up four power-play goals; Bryan Cole, Hall, Bomberry, and MacIntosh all recorded one each
Swarm Spotlight
- Georgia is the third-highest scoring offense in the NLL, totaling 113 goals in 10 games; the squad averages 11.30 goals per game
- Lyle Thompson ranks third in the NLL in points with 60 and is tied for second in goals (27); Thompson is two goals away from regaining the lead in goals and seven points away from ranking first in points
- Thompson is tied for first in the NLL in shorthanded points, totaling four and tied for third in power play assists after giving out 11
- Shayne Jackson is tied for 17th in league points (42) after scoring 20 goals and giving out 22 assists
- Ryan McSpadyen posts a 42.9 shooting percentage after finding the back of the net on 3-of-7 shots, ranking him fifth in the league
- Mike Poulin ranks fifth in NLL goalie saves, totaling 333; the starting netminder ranks third in NLL minutes played logging 557:16
- For the third-straight week Ethan Walker ranks top-10 in NLL rookie points with 21; Walker ranks fourth in rookie assists after giving out 15 in eight games
- TJ Comizio is tied for first among rookies in shooting percentage (33.3 percent), tied for fourth in rookie faceoff wins (15), and 20th in rookie points (8)
- Connor Kirst posts a 43.0-win percentage after winning 43-of-100 faceoffs; Kirst leads the Swarm in faceoff wins, while Jordan MacIntosh and Vaughn Harris follow with 22 wins each
- Among NLL defenders, Bryan Cole ranks fifth in NLL points (15), second in power-play goals (2) and fourth in power-play assists (3)
- Georgia’s defense ranks third in overall penalty killing, shutting down 27-of-41 (65.9 percent) opportunities; the team has only allowed four man-up goals on its home turf, posting a 66.7 percent at home penalty killing record
Where To Watch
- ESPN+ – Use your ESPN+ account (or create a new one) to watch the game live Friday, March 4, 2022, and all season long
- Peachtree TV – The Swarm vs. Knighthawks game will be tape delayed; the broadcast will air on Saturday, March 5 at 2:00 PM ET
- Watch live in person at six Gwinnett County Taco Mac locations: Buford, Cumming, Duluth, Johns Creek, Lawrenceville & Suwanee
About the Georgia Swarm
The Georgia Swarm continue the 2021-22 season at Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort Field at Gas South Arena. The full schedule is available at GeorgiaSwarm.com/Schedule. Watch the fastest game on two feet for just $10 a gamne by heading to GeorgiaSwarm.Com/Tickets or by calling 844-4-GASWARM. Many other membership options, fan experiences, and group ticket options are available at GeorgiaSwarm.com. For additional information, follow the Swarm on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok: @GeorgiaSwarmLAX.
About the National Lacrosse League
The National Lacrosse League (NLL) is North America’s premier professional lacrosse league. Founded in 1986, the NLL ranks third in average attendance for pro indoor sports worldwide, behind only the NHL and NBA. The League is comprised of 15 franchises across the United States and Canada: Albany FireWolves, Buffalo Bandits, Calgary Roughnecks, Colorado Mammoth, Georgia Swarm, Halifax Thunderbirds, Las Vegas NLL, New York Riptide, Panther City Lacrosse Club (TX), Philadelphia Wings, Rochester Knighthawks, San Diego Seals, Saskatchewan Rush, Toronto Rock, and Vancouver Warriors.
For more information, visit NLL.com and find @NLL on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
