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SWARM RE-SIGN PATTERSON & COUSINS

Nine more players signed by Minnesota

12/01/2006

After signing eight players to contracts on Wednesday, Minnesota Swarm General Manager Marty ONeill announced that the team inked nine more players to deals Thursday. Highlighting the player signings is 2006 Second Team All-Pro goaltender Nick Patterson and 2006 All-Star Ryan Cousins. Also signed were forwards Chad Culp, Dean Hill and Rory McDade and defenseman Dave Ellis, Travis Hill, Kyle Ross and Jon Sullivan.

Nick Patterson posted a 6-2 record in 11 games with the Swarm in 2006 and was named to the 2006 NLL Second All-Pro Team. He ranked third in the NLL with a .790 save percentage and fourth with a 10.40 goals against average. The five-foot-eleven, 185-pound native of Vancouver, British Columbia was named the February Player of the Month as well as the Defensive Player of the Week in Week 6 and Week 7 and the Overall Player of the Week for Week 4. Patterson is 8-6 with a 12.04 GAA and a .776 save percentage in 33 career NLL.

Ryan Cousins collected eight points (2g, 6a), and 65 loose balls in 14 games with Minnesota last season. The captain led the team with 32 penalty minutes and represented the Swarm at the NLL All-Star Game for the second consecutive year in 2006. The six-foot-one, 200-pound native of Toronto, Ontario has recorded 25 points (9g, 16a), 120 penalty minutes and 232 loose balls in 67 career NLL games over five seasons.

Chad Culp notched 55 points (20g, 35a), 25 penalty minutes and 69 loose balls while appearing in a career-high 15 games last season with Minnesota. He ranked second on the team in scoring, goals and assists and fourth in loose balls as the five-foot-nine, 175 pound forward set new career-highs in every major statistical category in 2006. The Fergus, Ontario-native has recorded 128 points (53g, 75a), 71 penalty minutes and 229 loose balls in 49 career NLL matches.

Dave Ellis, a five-foot-eleven, 190-pound defenseman was selected by Minnesota in the fifth round (63rd overall) of the 2006 NLL Entry Draft.

Dean Hill notched seven points (6g, 1a) in the final two games of the 2006 season for Minnesota. The six-foot-three, 225-pound forward was selected by Minnesota in the fifth round (48th overall) of the 2005 NLL Entry Draft.

Travis Hill appeared in three games with Minnesota last season and collected seven penalty minutes and six loose balls. The five-foot-ten, 170-pound native of Lewiston, New York also appeared in five games with the Swarm in 2005.

Rory McDade recorded five points (1g, 4a) and five loose balls in five contests during his rookie season with Minnesota in 2006. The five-foot-eleven, 180-pound forward also scored a goal in Minnesota's playoff game at Buffalo.

Kyle Ross signs with Minnesota looking for his first NLL action. The six-foot-one, 187-pound defenseman was originally selected by Minnesota in the fifth round (44th overall) of the 2004 NLL Entry Draft.

Jon Sullivan played in all 16 games with Minnesota last season and set personal bests with seven points (2g, 5a) and 61 loose balls. The six-foot-two, 195-pound defenseman has recorded 13 points (4g, 9a), 32 penalty minutes and 83 loose balls in 25 career NLL games during two seasons with Minnesota.