Today the Minnesota Swarm open up shop in Oakville, Ontario at the Toronto Rock Athletic Center. 2012 saw Minnesota playing tug of war throughout the season, back and forth with winning and losing.
Before their engagement into the rigorous sessions of training that the Swarm are about to embark on, they were able to sign their first round pick out of Bucknell, Brock Sorenson (1st round, 2nd overall), along with Yale product Matt Gibson (5th round, 46th overall). We all saw what Matt did for the Lizards over the summer, would not be a surprise if he does the same for the Swarm. Sorenson and the other cubs will present their skills at the rookie training camp, which starts today.
Speaking of rookies, last season Minnesota fielded close to 10 of them during the season on both offense, defense and in cage. This could make a case for why their season was a rollercoaster. However, they showed pride and passion as the team and all its greenhorns made it to the NLL Western Finals, unfortunately dropping the contest to the Edmonton Rush.
Other league pending signings that are enroot for the Swarm are transition player David Earl and Forward Pat Smith. Earl was part of the stellar rookie class, recording 6 points (3G, 3A) and 13 turnovers while scooping up 37 loose balls. Smith, a classmate of Earls, recorded two goals in his opportunity during the Buffalo game when he was called up from the practice squad.
December 1 will show the Minnesota organization where their team is at currently, talent wise, as they challenge the Colorado Mammoth in an exhibition match. The regular season starts on January 12 as the Swarm travel to Buffalo and have their season opener on January 26 versus the Washington Stealth.
