(Duluth, GA) – The National Lacrosse League (NLL) announced 2017 All-Pro Honors for four Georgia Swarm players on Monday, July 17.
NLL MVP Lyle Thompson and Defensive Player of the Year assistant captain Jason Noble were named to the First Team All-Pro lineup. Assistant captain Shayne Jackson and goaltender Mike Poulin joined the Second Team All-Pro lineup.
“The Swarm organization and fans want to congratulate these four players for their selection to the NLL All Pro teams for the 2017 season," Swarm Owner and General Manager John Arlotta said. "This is a tremendous honor for each player, and it is a direct reflection of their amazing performances on the field throughout the season. However, it is no coincidence that they were also tremendous leaders who raised the level of play of everyone around them, and that was equally important to bringing the Champion’s Cup to Georgia. We are so proud of them and want to thank each of them for their incredible contributions to our success.”
Lyle is the first-ever Swarm player to be named the NLL MVP and to reach and surpass the 100-point threshold. The Onondaga Nation native was all named the Champion’s Cup MVP. Lyle finished with 116 points (45G, 71A) in the regular season, capturing the scoring crown and setting a new team record in assists. He also collected 126 loose balls (best out of the Top 24 NLL scorers), caused 15 turnovers (best among the Top 54 NLL scorers), and went 21-for-44 in faceoffs (best among the Top 54 NLL scorers).
In the postseason, Lyle scored 21 points (6G, 15A), collecting 20 loose balls and causing six turnovers. He was instrumental in the last second heroics that tied Game 2 of the Champion’s Cup final up and the game-winning goal netting the Swarm the Cup.
Noble collected 57 loose balls, caused 11 turnovers, and recorded a goal and four assists in 18 regular season games. The four-year veteran also collected 17 loose balls and caused two turnovers while recording an assist in Georgia’s postseason sweep of the Toronto Rock and two-time defending champion Saskatchewan Rush. Known for his aggressive defensive and pressing up against star players larger than him, the Cornell University alum helped lead the young Swarm defense to become one of the top units in the league.
In his fifth year with the Swarm, Jackson finished second in scoring on the team with 84 points (39G, 45A) in the regular season, setting a new career-high in points. The Limestone University alum scored 22 points in the postseason (8G, 14A), highlighted by his 13 points (3G, 10A) in the Champion’s Cup series against Saskatchewan.
Poulin posted a league-best 12-4 regular season record in addition to going 4-0 in the postseason. The Kitchener, Ontario native made 646 saves (second in the league) in the regular season, finishing with an 11.77 GAA and a .781 SV% (third-best in the league). In 241:17 min. of postseason action, Poulin made 165 saves—an 11.19 GAA and a .786 SV%—to help Georgia sweep its way to its and his first-ever Champion’s Cup title. Poulin was also named the 2017 Teammate of the Year, his second straight year winning the award.
All four made major contributions to help the Swarm win its first-ever Champion’s Cup, propelling the team to a league-best 13-5 regular season record in 2017. Georgia was also notably the only team to have victories against every other NLL team.
Lyle and Noble are joined in the First Team All-Pro lineup with forwards Mark Matthews (Saskatchewan) and Corey Small (Vancouver), transition player Brodie Merrill (Toronto), and goaltender Dillon Ward (Colorado).
The Second Team All-Pro lineup has Jackson and Poulin joined by forwards Curtis Dickson (Calgary) and Kevin Crowley (New England), defenseman Graeme Hossack (Rochester), and transition player Jay Thorimbert (New England).
