(Duluth, GA) – The Georgia Swarm is excited to announce that transition player Joel White has been activated from the Holdout List and will make his season debut this Friday, March 17, in the rematch against the Calgary Roughnecks. White missed the first 10 games of the season due to personal reasons.
“Joel’s a character guy and an impact player,” head coach Ed Comeau said. “Those are two things you can never have enough of on your team. When the opportunity came to activate him, there was no discussion about it. He’s going to help us be better. That’s what we’re trying to do is get better every day, and Joel helps us do that.”
The five-year veteran transition player joined the Swarm in 2015 in a trade with the New England Black Wolves. He immediately made an impact, with 65 loose balls (LB) and 11 caused turnovers (CTO) in six games in addition to scoring 10 points (3G, 7A).
“When we traded for Joel at the trade deadline in 2015, we knew we were getting a character player with great talent that would help us win games, especially with his loose ball ability,” Swarm Owner and General Manager John Arlotta said. “In 2016, he showed his versatility by scoring in transition and causing disruption and turnovers on the defensive side of the floor. We could not be more excited about adding such a significant piece to our roster as we move into the back half of our season.”
White had a career year in 2016 with Georgia. He played in all 18 games and finished with a career-high 16 points (6G, 10A). The Cortland, New York native also set highs in loose balls and caused turnovers with 143 LB and 32 CTO. In Georgia’s playoff game against New England in 2016, White scored two points (1G, 1A) with seven LB and five CTO. ILIndoor.com named him the 2016 Transition Player of the Year.
Throughout his career in the NLL, White has played in 73 regular season games with Rochester, Philadelphia, New England, and Georgia. He has recorded 55 points (19G, 36A) with 574 LB and 97 CTO.
When he played with Syracuse University, White was a three-time All-American defensive midfielder who helped the Orange win two NCAA National Championships.
“Joel’s one of the premier loose ball guys in the league,” Comeau said. “He’s a great shut-down, pressure defender. We know he’s excellent at running the floor and creating loose balls or turnovers and transition opportunities. He’s done that pretty consistently since he’s been in the league, and we’re looking forward to him being able to get back there and providing those contributions to our team this year.”
This transaction is currently pending League approval.
Georgia’s return to Harrah’s Cherokee Field at Infinite Energy Arena will see the team celebrating with a St. Patrick’s Day Party at The Hive. Players will be wearing special St. Patrick’s Day-themed jerseys during the game which will be available to fans via an online auction. Proceeds from the jersey sales will go towards Bert’s Big Adventure. Early arriving fans can receive a special “Take A Seat” poster, and select Swarm players and mascot Stinger will be available post-game for autographs. Tickets are available by calling 844-4-GASWARM or by visiting GeorgiaSwarm.com/StPatricks.
