Same Ole WORLD CHAMPION Georgia Swarm

[lethalweapon3]

Might the ATL finally earn themselves a championship of some kind this year? It could happen next month.

A brief swerve... I tried to get in on the ground floor with the Atlanta Blaze, the Major League Lacrosse squad playing at Kennesaw State that was an expansion club in 2016, and their #1 overall pick Myles Jones out of Duke. But barely over a month into the season, Atlanta shipped the star midfielder out of Duke to Chesapeake. The trade was for MLL All-Star Matt Mackrides, who promptly injured his spine and was out for the 2016 season. And the Blaze coach got fired in mid-season. So, with so much instability from the jump, I've shifted my interests indoors for the time being.

The Georgia Swarm finished 2017 with a 13-5 record, tops in the National Lacrosse League, the premier league for box (indoor) lacrosse (back in the day, it was known as the "Major Indoor Lacrosse League"). Inside Lacrosse does the "world" rankings that naturally has the Swarm at #1. After 11 seasons, the NLL franchise was relocated here from Minnesota in 2015. So, no, they're not intentionally stealing Georgia Tech's colors.

The Swarm knocked off the Toronto Rock 11-8 on the road in Game 1 of their two-game Eastern Division Finals series, with Game 2 shifting to the ATL this Saturday. If Georgia wins in regulation, they move on to the NLL Champion's Cup Finals. Even if the Swarm don't win in regulation, their would be (at least one) ten-minute tiebreaker afterwards, where the tiebreaker winner moves on. A playoff series victory would be sweet for Swarm coach Ed Comeau, a longtime Toronto assistant who was canned by the Rock while an interim head coach in 2003.

Playing out of Infinite Energy Arena in Duluth (the old Gwinnett Center arena), the Swarm have become sort of the Golden State Warriors of "boxla" along the way. They shattered the longstanding record for most goals scored in an NLL season, 266, with one game left to spare. Georgia also signed the top free agent in the 2016 NLL class, goaltender Mike Poulin, to mind the net on the other end. Poulin also got his pro start in the NLL with Toronto, so a win this weekend would hold extra meaning.

 

It's quite a family affair whenever the Swarm play. NLL scoring title winner Lyle Thompson is joined by two siblings, fellow forwards Miles and Jerome "Hiana". The Thompson clan are Native American, from the Onondaga Nation in New York State, and that's of special significance since Native Americans established the roots of this sport back around 1100 A.D.

Teammates at SUNY-Albany, Miles and Lyle were 2014 co-winners of college lacrosse's version of the Heisman Trophy. Lyle won the Tewaaraton Award again in 2015 while Miles was in his rookie season here. Georgia selected Miles third-overall in the 2014 NLL Entry Draft, then drafted Lyle (NCAA's all-time leading scorer) first overall in 2015. They traded to acquire Jerome from Buffalo in 2016.

If the Swarm prove successful, there's a chance for a true family reunion during the Champion's Cup Finals, which begin in June. The favorite in the Western Division finals are the Saskatchewan Rush, featuring elder brother Jeremy Thompson, who also teams with Lyle at Chesapeake in the outdoor MLL. The four on the field together this past January set a Guinness World Record, as one might imagine, for most siblings in a pro lacrosse game.

The "laxbros" don't get paid a ton as pros and are often pulling double-duty in indoor and outdoor leagues, if not also other side jobs. The 2016 NLL Rookie of the Year, Native American Canadian Randy Staats also plays as an attacker on the other end of I-285, with our Atlanta Blaze. Staats will rejoin the MLL club once his NLL campaign concludes.

They're teaming up with 680 The Fan radio to promote Saturday's playoff contest as "#10KDay". No, they're not looking to get a quick race in before the game. But they do want to set an arena attendance record by selling out "The Hive" with five-digit ticket sales in advance of the game. If the talent isn't enough, the air conditioning and the free parking might be enough of a swing for ATL sports fans to help pack the house this weekend.

(^I suspect that's a nice Photoshop job.)

~lw3

[Dnice]

I don't know their schedule but I've been hearing about the conference title game for the longest.

[lethalweapon3]

35 minutes ago, Dnice said:

I don't know their schedule but I've been hearing about the conference title game for the longest.

Since most players have other 9-to-5 duties they're pretty limited to playing on weekends (Saturdays), and with the league trying to fit its schedule around other things (like the NCAA Final Four next week), we get long stretches between NLL games like this one. The radio promos have definitely been nonstop.

~lw3

[Dnice]

Oh I see.

[lethalweapon3]

Now, if THESE guys go up 28-3, they'd be in good shape the rest of the way.

~lw3

[Dnice]

Time to get something on t-dot for a change,  92 was a bad ending.

[lethalweapon3]

Lacrosse fans, I gotta know-know-know-know wha-what's your fan-ta-ta-syyyyyyyyyyyy?

~ludaw3

[Guest]

Lmao ludaw3 love it!!!! I can get on board with that! Haha

[lethalweapon3]

So close, we can taste it!

~lw3

[lethalweapon3]

Show some real #TrueToAtlanta solidarity, Hawks! Shoulda sent Timmy up there to Saskatoon! ;-)

~lw3

[lethalweapon3]

ATL, our Long National Nightmare is Over! CELEBRATE!

Special props to the Saskatchewan coach for pulling THEIR goalie with seconds to spare up 1. "What Could Possibly Go Wrong???" :-)

Congrats to the Swarm, our first pro team to win it all this millennium! (don't be the last, a'ight?) Bring Home That Cup!

~lw3

[lethalweapon3]

http://www.myajc.com/sports/pro-sports/georgia-swarm-wins-first-champion-cup-third-atlanta-title/scKhCRFnG1Bdz1nJiSUwGN/

(PHOTO CREDIT: Josh Schaefer/GetMyPhoto.ca)

Quote

 

The Swarm came out firing. Randy Staats opened the game with a goal in the first minute. That was a good omen; the Swarm is 5-1 when he scores first.

It led 3-0 after three minutes of play, but that lead shrunk to 7-6 at halftime. The Rush took its first lead in the fourth period, reeling off four-straight goals for a 12-10 advantage with 11:24 left in regulation. The Swarm responded with three consecutive goals of its own but Saskatchewan’s Jeremy Thompson evened the score again.

Adam Jones put the Rush up 14-13 in the late going and with 42 seconds remaining, the Swarm pulled (goalie Mike) Poulin for an extra attacker. The Rush regained possession and pulled (their goalie Aaron) Bold, hoping an extra man would help them keep the ball but the decision came back to haunt Saskatchewan.

The Swarm took possession on a errant pass. Joel White passed to Lyle (Thompson) for the winning attempt and then rebounded Lyle’s miss for the game-tying goal with three seconds left.

“We actually practiced that this morning,” (Georgia coach Ed) Comeau said. “We had a plan for it. Now obviously our plan didn’t involve them missing a pass, but we had a plan to get the ball in the air and get it out of the guy’s stick.”

Miles Thompson’s game-winner came at 1:17 into the extra period

“I was going to go set a pick for Lyle, but he went over the top, and he drew two guys, which was my defender and his defender,” Miles said. “So he turned back towards me. I just started running down. He one-handed a pass to me and all I saw was goal-side top corner. So that’s what I shot, and after I shot that, I don’t know what happened. It’s crazy.”

Staats and Shayne Jackson had seven points apiece. Mike Poulin made 48 saves on 62 shots, just enough to cling to a win.

The franchise was founded as the Minnesota Swarm, playing in St. Paul from 2004-2015. It’s the team’s first title in 13 years.

The title is the third in Atlanta pro sports history, following the Atlanta Chiefs’ NASL championship in 1968 and the Atlanta Braves’ World Series win in 1995.

 

~lw3

[Guest]

Congrats ladies!!! Showing us how to lead by example. Love it!

Lol..sorry I meant congrats guys! Lol.

[Dnice]

Is there a parade in Gwinnett?

 

ATL kinda got over the Twin cities again... "dammit:.. lol

Edited June 12, 2017 by Dnice

[lethalweapon3]

On 6/12/2017 at 8:48 AM, Dnice said:

Is there a parade in Gwinnett?

Well the Gwinnettians won't be pleased with the party venue... North Fulton!... but you can bet there will be something the county will pull together to honor these guys.

The first rule at Taco Mac... DO NOT ASK FOR TACOS!

~lw3