DULUTH, Ga. (January 13, 2023) – The Georgia Swarm pack their bags for the first time this season as they face the Buffalo Bandits on the road. The Swarm and Bandits faced off against one another last week and meet again this Saturday, Jan. 14 at 7:30 PM ET.
Last weekend, the Georgia Swarm (0-3) took its third loss of the season, falling 18-9 to the Buffalo Bandits (3-1). Half of the Swarm’s wins all-time against the Bandits are on the road, totaling six. Georgia looks for its seventh road win and 13th overall, in franchise history against Buffalo.
Buffalo is currently riding a three-game win streak, topping the Toronto Rock 11-8 (12/17/22), Halifax Thunderbirds 18-13 (12/30/23), and the Swarm 18-9. Last week, four Bandits recorded hat tricks in Brandon Robinson (5G, 1A), Tehoka Nanticoke (4G, 4A), Kyle Buchanan (3G, 5A), and Josh Byrne (3G, 4A), while Dhane Smith totaled eight assists.
Georgia’s Andrew Kew led the team in points and assists, totaling three and three, respectfully. Kew tops the Swarm in points (17), goals (7), and assists (10) while Lyle Thompson follows with 13 points, six goals, and seven assists. Against the Bandits Lyle Thompson notched his first hat trick of the season and dished out two assists, eclipsing the 300-career assist mark.
The Swarm’s offense improved on power-plays finding the back of the net on 2-of-4 opportunities. Rookie Ryan Lanchbury netted his first career NLL goal on a power play as TJ Comizio notched the other man-up goal in transition. Georgia’s defense shut down Buffalo’s lone power-play, making it the second-straight game where they held opponents scoreless on man-up opportunities.
Brett Dobson started his first NLL game in net, totaling 29 saves and a .674 save percentage across 48:48 minutes played. Craig Wende played 11:12 minutes between the pipes, comprising eight saves. Buffalo’s Matt Vinc held down his backline, totaling 30 saves and a .789 save percentage.
After the Swarm face the Bandits, Georgia goes on a two week break before suiting up again. Georgia’s next game is on Friday, Feb. 3 in Denver, Co. where they face NLL defending champions, the Colorado Mammoth.
Swarm Spotlight:
- Andrew Kew has taken the lead on the team in points (17), goals (10), and assists (7)
- Kew leads the squad in power play points after dishing out two assists
- Lyle Thompson ranks second in team points (13), goals (6), and assists (7)
- Adam Wiedemann Bryan Cole, and Kason Tarbell all total three blocked shots, tying each other for most on the team
- TJ Comizio ranks tied for second in NLL forced turnovers, causing seven
- Among NLL defenders, Comizio ranks tied for second and Wiedemann sits in third in points, totaling five and four, respectfully
- Wiedemann is tied for second in NLL defender goals, notching three
- Georgia averages 10.67 goals and 15.67 goals against per game
- Ryan Lanchbury ranks tied for fifth among NLL rookies in points with five and fourth in assists, totaling four
- Teioshontathe McComber and Will Cecile rank tied for eighth against NLL rookies in points with two each
Eye on the Bandits:
- Dhane Smith tops the league in assists, totaling 26; Smith ranks second overall in NLL points with 30
- Josh Byrne ranks second in NLL goals (14) and third in points (28)
- After his eight-point performance last week, Kyle Buchanan now ranks tied for seventh in NLL points, totaling 22
- Nick Weiss blocked six shots in four games, ranking second overall in the NLL
- Buffalo is the fourth ranked scoring offense, averaging 14.25 goals per game while averaging 10.25 goals against per game
- Steve Priolo ranks tied for third among NLL defenders in points, totaling four
- Ethan O’Connor ranks third against NLL defenders in shots blocked, stopping five
- Matt Vinc ranks second in the league in wins totaling three in net; Vinc totals 153 saves, a .790 save percentage and a 10.14 goals against average
Milestones:
- Bryan Cole needs six points to reach 100 in his career.
- Shayne Jackson needs one assist to reach 400 in his career.
Where to Watch:
- ESPN+ – Use your ESPN+ account (or create a new one) to watch the game live Saturday, January 14, 2023, and all season long
- Watch in person at six Gwinnett County Taco Mac locations: Buford, Cumming, Duluth, Johns Creek, Lawrenceville & Suwanee
