The NLL World Champion Georgia Swarm today announced its Training Camp schedule for the 2017-18 season. Georgia will have a total of three Training Camp sessions to finalize its 20-man Active Roster in preparation for the upcoming season.
Swarm Training Camp will run over a three-week time period in Nov. and Dec. and features two exhibition games.
“We’re excited and looking forward to getting back,” Swarm head coach Ed Comeau said. “It’s a really good group of guys that like to be together, and everyone’s ready to get to training camp and start to prepare for our next season.”
Swarm players and coaches will report to Six Nations at the Iroquois Lacrosse Arena (ILA) from Nov. 4-5. With no exhibition games on the schedule for the first week, Georgia plans to evaluate its draft picks and free agents during several practices and scrimmages.
The boys in blue and yellow will then travel to Saskatchewan from Nov. 17-19. Georgia players will get some competitive NLL action on Saturday, Nov. 18, as the Swarm takes on the Rush at SaskTel Centre for an exhibition game. Faceoff for the rematch of the Champion’s Cup is set for 9:30 p.m. ET.
With it being a preseason game, both teams will be allowed a deeper bench to get as many looks as possible at players before the league deadline for teams to decide their final rosters. Georgia will submit its final 20-man roster to the NLL on Nov. 24.
The Swarm’s last week of training camp will be back at Six Nations from Dec. 1-3. On Dec. 2, Georgia will clash against the Rochester Knighthawks in the final exhibition game of the preseason. Faceoff is set for 6:00 p.m. ET.
In preparation for the Training Camp, the Swarm recently celebrated its NLL World Championship with a team road trip down to Universal Studios and Arnold Palmer’s Bay Hill Club & Lodge in Orlando, Fla. The Arlotta Family arranged a first-class trip for everyone, featuring lessons from PGA professionals and a competitive team tournament. Swarm team captain Jordan MacIntosh spoke highly of the trip, how great it was to relax and reconnect with Swarm teammates and use the event to refocus on the upcoming season.
“The first thing I did when I got back from the trip was start to string up some new sticks and hitting back on the wall,” MacIntosh said. “It was definitely a good kind of fire to light, saying, ‘Hey, this is coming up soon and we got to make sure we’re ready to go.’ It was awesome to do that.”
A week after the final training camp session, Georgia kicks off the 2017-18 season with a road opener against the New England Black Wolves on Friday, Dec. 8, at Mohegan Sun Arena. Faceoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET. The Swarm’s first home game at Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Field at Infinite Energy Arena will be on Saturday, Dec. 30 at 7:05 p.m. ET when the team welcomes the Rochester Knighthawks. The Swarm will have a banner raising ceremony celebrating its first-ever Champion’s Cup title.
Georgia has signed a number of players this offseason, seven of them from the 2017 NLL Draft featuring Zed Williams (No. 4 overall, University of Virginia). The team recently signed big names Lyle Thompson (2017 NLL MVP and Champion’s Cup MVP) to a four-year contract, Randy Staats (2016 NLL ROY) to a three-year contract, and four-time NLL Champion Johnny Powless to a one-year deal. The team will also be welcoming 2016 All-Rookie Jesse King back after he missed the 2017 season due to a lower body injury he suffered in the 2016 offseason.
Single-Game Tickets and Season Tickets for the upcoming Swarm season are On Sale Now! With the purchase of four (4) Season Tickets, fans will receive a replica Swarm Championship Ring. Season Ticket Packages include 10 games and a handful of VIP benefits. Call 844-4-GASWARM to purchase your tickets and help the Swarm “Defend the Cup!”
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