This Saturday the Georgia Swarm make their home debut at the Infinite Energy Centre after moving from Minnesota in the offseason.
The Swarm’s home opener will be a milestone for the team as they face some great competition in the Toronto Rock, who reached the league final last season and have retained most of their roster. It will be a test of old vs new, experience vs youth, and will be a great clash to begin a new era of pro lacrosse in Georgia.
The Swarm are a very young team, as always. Only D Mitch Belisle has more than five years experience in the NLL.
Young guns like Lyle Thompson, Randy Staats, and Johnny Powless all had multiple goals in the Swarm’s 16-15 loss to Colorado last week. Captain and former transition player of the year Jordan MacIntosh also had two goals. MacIntosh is also one of the best in the NLL on faceoffs.
The Swarm will face a real test against a veteran defense this Saturday when the Rock pay their first visit. The Rock have only one rookie listed on their defense while their mainstays—Rob Marshall, Sandy Chapman, Bill Greer, and Patrick Merrill—all have over 10 years NLL experience each. Fans should not expect 15 goals for the Swarm in this game, especially not with Brandon Miller and Nick Rose as the Rock’s goalie tandem. The Mammoth were easy targets; it will take a little more time for the Swarm rookies to learn how to beat the vets on the Rock.
Toronto’s offense is younger than their defense but still boast longtime NLL vets Colin Doyle and Kasey Biernes, in addition to highly touted rookies who will be playing their first games in Turner Evans and Dan Lintner. Rob Hellyer, Stephan Leblanc, and Brett Hickey are all capable of multiple point games and should be a real test for the young Swarm defense.
Judging from game one, defense may be hard to come by this season for the Swarm, but the goals, what lacrosse is best known for, will be a highlight of the season. They’ll rely on a running game much of the season with only four defensemen listed on their roster; most of their transition players will see more time on the back end while hoping to scoop up loose balls for scoring chances.
Fans in Gwinnett County have a lot to be excited for—this year’s version of the Swarm boasts one of the flashiest offences in the league, a plus for a team new to the area. The arena is just 25 minutes from state capital Atlanta, so they have a large area to advertise to and from which to draw in fans. The Swarm should be attempting to draw in hockey fans who have been without a pro team since the Thrashers moved to Winnipeg in 2011. Starting against an established team like the Rock will be exciting for the fans who will be exposed to a championship calibre team, which one day soon the Swarm aspire to be.
