Alex Urquhart
This offseason the Minnesota Swarm traded Ryan Benesch to the Buffalo Bandits in a package deal that also saw Andrew Watt shipped to Buffalo in return for a number of first round draft picks and a third round pick.
Benesch has been a team leader in Goals since joining the team in 2007. He finished the season with 34 goals and 50 assists, for a total points at 84. He lead the team in Goals and was second to Callum Crawford in total points. He was also an All- Star for the second straight year and was close to being named to the NLL’s All- Pro Team with Swarm teammates Jordan MacIntosh and Callum Crawford.
The Swarm have traded away a huge asset and one of the most well known people in the Minnesota Lacrosse community.
Looking forward the Swarm will need their young guns step up in a big way if they want to make it over the hump they’ve found in the Conference Finals. Players like first rounder Logan Schuss, and late round players like Zach Palmer and Reid Acton will need to step into the scoring column early in the season.
This will be a interesting set up for the Swarm seeing as they have the best transition core in the league. Now they may also have one of the scariest forward groups in the league. With players like Crawford, Shayne Jackson ( who was an All- Rookie), and Matt Gibson, veterans and the young incoming group of Schuss, Palmer, among other young players looking to make the now reduced roster.
This is an important year for the Swarm, they are going into their 10th season and have come close to winning a championship both of the last two years. They also have the biggest upside, right now, in the league. The Swarm are easily an early season favorite to win the Championship.
