DULUTH, GA. (MARCH 6, 2024) – The Georgia Swarm have a record of 7-6 and are about to play five consecutive home games as they near the end of the regular season. They are currently ranked #5 in the National Lacrosse League (NLL) and have a chance to make it to the NLL playoffs.
This Friday, March 8, the Swarm will be playing against the Calgary Roughnecks at Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Field in Gas South Arena at 7:30 PM ET. The game will honor local heroes and will be celebrated as “Heroes Night”. During halftime, a lacrosse game called the “Battle of the Badges” will take place, where the fire departments and police departments will face off against each other.
Coach Comeau commented on the return home, “We cannot wait to be back home with a fantastic fan base.” He added, “It has been a whirlwind of traveling through four time zones in six days. Nevertheless, we are thrilled for the home stretch and determined to secure a spot in the playoffs.”
The Georgia Swarm had a great 12-11 victory last Friday in Halifax. Lyle Thompson has been the top scorer for the Swarm this season with 66 points (33 goals, 41 assists), followed by Shayne Jackson with 62 points (21 goals, 41 assists). The Swarm’s offense has been a dominant force throughout the season, having converted 22 goals out of 52 power plays and maintaining a 66% accuracy rate with shots on goal. Defensively, the Swarm has blocked 82 shots, caused 138 turnovers, and secured 866 loose balls this season. Jeremy Thompson leads the team in loose balls with 83, followed by Jordan MacIntosh with 82 and Adam Wiedemann with 80. Goalie Brett Dobson, one of the league’s top goalies, leads the NLL in saves with 487 saves.
The Swarm’s upcoming opponent, the Calgary Roughnecks, recently suffered an 11-9 loss against the Philadelphia Wings last week. In the fourth quarter the Wings managed to shut down the Roughnecks, preventing them from scoring any goals. The Wings won the game after going on a 5-goal run. The Roughnecks are currently 8th in the standings. Forward Jesse King leads the team with 69 points (20 goals and 49 assists), and Zach Currier, who spearheads the defense with 115 loose balls, are notable players to watch out for. Christian Del Bianco, the Roughnecks’ goaltender, is ranked 5th in the NLL with 439 saves.
After this Friday’s home contest, the Swarm takes on the Philadelphia Wings on Saturday, March 16 at Gas South Arena at 7:30PM ET. Upcoming Georgia Swarm tickets can be purchased at https://www.georgiaswarm.com/tickets/singlegametickets/
About NLL March to May Playoffs
The NLL March to May is the annual crescendo towards the eight-team NLL Playoffs, the stakes couldn’t be higher. Each upcoming game will be charged with a playoff atmosphere and implications as teams vie for the prestigious NLL Championship. Under the league’s new unified, single-table format, the revamped playoff structure ensures that the top eight teams at the end of the regular season have an equal shot at claiming the NLL Cup, irrespective of geographic location. The playoffs kick off during the weekend of April 26-28.
The revamped playoff format will witness the #1 seed taking on the #8 seed, #2 facing #7, #3 confronting #6, and #4 clashing with #5 in the quarterfinals, following a bracket-style advancement towards the NLL Finals. The quarterfinal round will be single elimination, while the semi-finals and NLL Finals will maintain the best-of-three series tradition.
