DULUTH, GA. (FEBRUARY 29, 2024) – The Georgia Swarm will be playing their final away game in Halifax, Canada after being on the road since February 10. Following this game, the Swarm will be returning to their home arena at Gas South Arena in Duluth, Georgia, to play the last of their regular season games, which will commence on March 8.
The Swarm has recently faced two closely contested matches, resulting in two losses. In the first match against San Diego, both teams displayed solid defense and goaltending, leading to a thrilling overtime finish. Unfortunately, despite a valiant effort, the Swarm lost 11-12 in the last possession of the game. The following day, the Swarm traveled to Fort Worth for a match against Panther City on that Sunday. Panther City took the lead early in the game with a goal run, but the Swarm made a comeback in the third quarter and regained the lead. In the fourth quarter, the game was tied at six goals each until Andrew Kew scored two consecutive goals for the Swarm, giving them the biggest lead of the night. However, in the last three minutes of the game, Panther City went on a three-goal streak, putting them up by one. Despite their best efforts, the Swarm was unable to score the equalizer in the last 40 seconds of the game, and the game ended with a score of 9-10 in favor of Panther City.
The Halifax Thunderbirds achieved a 19-6 victory against the Saskatchewan Rush at SaskTel Centre last Saturday. Ryan Benesch (4G, 2A), Cody Jamieson (4A), and Dawson Theede (2G, 1A) were the top performers for the Thunderbirds. Halifax has been steadily climbing the ranks and is now 4th overall. They have only lost two out of four home games this season.
Foward, Clark Petterson, who scored 63 points (26g, 37a), and Ryan Benesch, who has 54 points (32g, 22a), are the offensive leaders for Halifax Thunderbirds this season. Additionally, Austin Shanks is another offensive threat who has taken 97 shots this season and is third in offensive points. The Thunderbirds have a 51% success rate on powerplays.
On the defensive end, Jake Withers picked up 183 loose balls and blocked 10 shots. He is the league’s leader in faceoff wins, with 31 being his highest.
The Swarm team has shown a commendable performance this season, showing their prowess in both offensive and defensive units. Lyle Thompson has been the most productive player in scoring, having accumulated 60 points, including 29 goals and 31 assists. Shayne Jackson, the Assistant Captain, has made a valuable contribution to the team’s success, having amassed 58 points, including 19 goals and 39 assists.
The Swarm team’s defense has been noteworthy, with Brett Dobson making an impact by saving an impressive 572 goals this season. Adam Wiedemann demonstrated his defensive abilities by leading the team with 15 blocked shots. Jeremy Thompson has shown his prowess with 79 loose balls, while Jordan MacIntosh has closely followed with 75.
The Swarm performance throughout the season bodes well for their future success. With an array of talented players, this team is poised to continue to fight for victories and keep their spot for a possible playoff opportunity.
SWARM WATCH:
Lyle Thompson needs 1 loose ball recoveries to reach 800 in his career
Lyle Thompson needs 5 points to reach 700 in his career
Brett Dobson needs one save to reach 1000 in his career
TJ Comizio needs four loose balls to reach 300 in his career
Jordan MacIntosh needs 13 loose ball recoveries to become the 7th player all-time to reach 1700
Shayne Jackson needs 9 assists to reach 500 in his career
Jeremy Thompson needs five games played to reach 200 in his career
