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Season opens on December 1st. Find 2023-24 schedules here and buy your tickets today

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WK
1
Fri, Dec 1
19:00:00
Saskatchewan
Halifax
Fri, Dec 1
22:00:00
Albany
Las Vegas
Fri, Dec 1
22:00:00
Panther City
Vancouver
Sat, Dec 2
19:00:00
Calgary
Rochester
Sat, Dec 2
19:30:00
Philadelphia
New York
WK
2
Sat, Dec 9
19:00:00
Philadelphia
Toronto
Sat, Dec 9
19:00:00
Buffalo
Albany
Sat, Dec 9
19:30:00
Colorado
Georgia
Sat, Dec 9
20:00:00
Rochester
Saskatchewan
Sat, Dec 9
22:00:00
Calgary
San Diego
Sun, Dec 10
16:00:00
Las Vegas
Panther City
WK
3
Fri, Dec 15
22:00:00
Saskatchewan
Las Vegas
Sat, Dec 16
13:00:00
Albany
Philadelphia
Sat, Dec 16
19:30:00
Halifax
New York
Sat, Dec 16
19:30:00
San Diego
Buffalo
Sat, Dec 16
22:00:00
Georgia
Vancouver
WK
4
Fri, Dec 22
20:00:00
Toronto
Panther City
Fri, Dec 22
21:00:00
Georgia
Colorado
Sat, Dec 23
19:00:00
Vancouver
Rochester
WK
5
Fri, Dec 29
18:30:00
Philadelphia
Halifax
Fri, Dec 29
19:30:00
Georgia
Buffalo
Fri, Dec 29
22:00:00
Rochester
San Diego
Sat, Dec 30
16:00:00
New York
Toronto
Sat, Dec 30
21:00:00
Las Vegas
Calgary
Sat, Dec 30
21:00:00
Vancouver
Colorado
Sun, Dec 31
20:00:00
Albany
Saskatchewan
WK
6
Sat, Jan 6
19:00:00
Halifax
Albany
Sat, Jan 6
19:30:00
Panther City
Georgia
Sat, Jan 6
19:30:00
Colorado
Buffalo
Sun, Jan 7
15:00:00
New York
Philadelphia
WK
7
Fri, Jan 12
18:30:00
Toronto
Halifax
Fri, Jan 12
22:00:00
San Diego
Las Vegas
Sat, Jan 13
19:00:00
Buffalo
Rochester
Sat, Jan 13
19:00:00
Saskatchewan
Philadelphia
Sat, Jan 13
19:30:00
Panther City
New York
Sat, Jan 13
19:30:00
Albany
Georgia
Sat, Jan 13
21:00:00
San Diego
Colorado
Sat, Jan 13
22:00:00
Calgary
Vancouver
WK
8
Fri, Jan 19
19:30:00
New York
Buffalo
Sat, Jan 20
19:00:00
Georgia
Toronto
Sat, Jan 20
19:00:00
San Diego
Albany
Sat, Jan 20
20:00:00
Vancouver
Saskatchewan
Sat, Jan 20
21:00:00
Calgary
Colorado
WK
9
Fri, Jan 26
22:00:00
Colorado
Vancouver
Sat, Jan 27
18:00:00
Rochester
Halifax
Sat, Jan 27
19:00:00
Buffalo
Toronto
Sat, Jan 27
19:30:00
Georgia
New York
Sat, Jan 27
19:30:00
San Diego
Philadelphia
Sat, Jan 27
22:00:00
Panther City
Las Vegas
WK
10
Fri, Feb 2
19:00:00
Halifax
Philadelphia
Fri, Feb 2
19:30:00
Vancouver
Georgia
Fri, Feb 2
21:00:00
New York
Calgary
Sat, Feb 3
19:00:00
Las Vegas
Albany
Sat, Feb 3
19:30:00
Rochester
Buffalo
Sat, Feb 3
20:00:00
Panther City
Saskatchewan
Sat, Feb 3
21:00:00
Toronto
Calgary
Sun, Feb 4
18:00:00
Colorado
San Diego
WK
11
Fri, Feb 9
18:30:00
Las Vegas
Halifax
Fri, Feb 9
20:00:00
Colorado
Panther City
Sat, Feb 10
19:00:00
Georgia
Rochester
Sat, Feb 10
19:00:00
Calgary
Toronto
Sat, Feb 10
19:30:00
San Diego
New York
Sat, Feb 10
22:00:00
Saskatchewan
Vancouver
WK
12
Fri, Feb 16
18:30:00
Buffalo
Halifax
Fri, Feb 16
22:00:00
Philadelphia
Las Vegas
Sat, Feb 17
19:00:00
Colorado
Albany
Sun, Feb 18
19:00:00
Halifax
Calgary
WK
13
Fri, Feb 23
21:00:00
New York
Colorado
Fri, Feb 23
22:00:00
Georgia
San Diego
Sat, Feb 24
19:00:00
Las Vegas
Rochester
Sat, Feb 24
19:00:00
Vancouver
Toronto
Sat, Feb 24
19:30:00
Albany
Buffalo
Sat, Feb 24
20:00:00
Halifax
Saskatchewan
Sat, Feb 24
21:00:00
Philadelphia
Calgary
Sun, Feb 25
16:00:00
Georgia
Panther City
WK
14
Fri, Mar 1
19:00:00
Georgia
Halifax
Fri, Mar 1
20:00:00
San Diego
Panther City
Fri, Mar 1
22:00:00
Toronto
Las Vegas
Fri, Mar 1
22:00:00
Buffalo
Vancouver
Sat, Mar 2
13:00:00
Calgary
Philadelphia
Sat, Mar 2
19:00:00
New York
Albany
Sat, Mar 2
21:00:00
Saskatchewan
Colorado
Sat, Mar 2
22:00:00
Toronto
San Diego
Sun, Mar 3
16:00:00
Rochester
Panther City
WK
15
Fri, Mar 8
19:00:00
Vancouver
Albany
Fri, Mar 8
19:30:00
Calgary
Georgia
Fri, Mar 8
19:30:00
Saskatchewan
Buffalo
Sat, Mar 9
17:00:00
Colorado
Toronto
Sat, Mar 9
19:00:00
Albany
Rochester
Sat, Mar 9
19:30:00
Las Vegas
New York
Sat, Mar 9
22:00:00
Halifax
San Diego
Sun, Mar 10
15:00:00
Panther City
Philadelphia
WK
16
Fri, Mar 15
18:30:00
Panther City
Halifax
Fri, Mar 15
21:00:00
San Diego
Calgary
Fri, Mar 15
22:00:00
Las Vegas
Vancouver
Sat, Mar 16
19:00:00
Rochester
Albany
Sat, Mar 16
19:00:00
Toronto
Buffalo
Sat, Mar 16
19:30:00
Philadelphia
Georgia
Sat, Mar 16
20:30:00
New York
Saskatchewan
WK
17
Fri, Mar 22
20:00:00
Buffalo
Panther City
Fri, Mar 22
21:00:00
Albany
Calgary
Sat, Mar 23
19:00:00
Halifax
Toronto
Sat, Mar 23
19:00:00
Vancouver
Philadelphia
Sat, Mar 23
19:30:00
Saskatchewan
New York
Sat, Mar 23
21:00:00
Rochester
Colorado
Sat, Mar 23
22:00:00
Las Vegas
San Diego
Sun, Mar 24
17:30:00
Saskatchewan
Georgia
WK
18
Sat, Mar 30
13:00:00
Buffalo
Philadelphia
Sat, Mar 30
19:00:00
Halifax
Rochester
Sat, Mar 30
19:30:00
Toronto
New York
Sat, Mar 30
22:00:00
Vancouver
Las Vegas
WK
19
Fri, Apr 5
21:00:00
Saskatchewan
Calgary
Fri, Apr 5
21:00:00
Buffalo
Colorado
Fri, Apr 5
22:00:00
Panther City
San Diego
Fri, Apr 5
22:00:00
Halifax
Vancouver
Sat, Apr 6
19:00:00
New York
Rochester
Sat, Apr 6
19:00:00
Toronto
Albany
Sat, Apr 6
19:30:00
Las Vegas
Georgia
Sat, Apr 6
20:00:00
Calgary
Saskatchewan
Sun, Apr 7
16:00:00
Philadelphia
Panther City
WK
20
Fri, Apr 12
21:00:00
Philadelphia
Colorado
Sat, Apr 13
19:00:00
Rochester
Toronto
Sat, Apr 13
19:30:00
Calgary
Buffalo
Sat, Apr 13
20:00:00
San Diego
Saskatchewan
Sat, Apr 13
22:00:00
Colorado
Las Vegas
Sat, Apr 13
22:00:00
New York
Vancouver
Sun, Apr 14
16:00:00
Albany
Panther City
WK
21
Fri, Apr 19
19:30:00
Rochester
Georgia
Fri, Apr 19
22:00:00
Vancouver
San Diego
Sat, Apr 20
18:00:00
Colorado
Halifax
Sat, Apr 20
19:30:00
Albany
New York
Sat, Apr 20
20:00:00
Toronto
Saskatchewan
Sat, Apr 20
21:00:00
Panther City
Calgary
Sat, Apr 20
22:00:00
Buffalo
Las Vegas
Sun, Apr 21
15:00:00
Philadelphia
Rochester
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Stories/Op-Ed

Swarm Focused On Unselfish Principles To Start Winning Again

In 2017, the Georgia Swarm set the new offensive standard posting NLL records for team goals and assists on their way to claiming the franchise’s first Champion’s Cup. To begin 2018, despite maintaining their core attackers on offense, the defending champions started the year with an offensive showing unbecoming of their capabilities.

During their run to the title, the Swarm tallied 266 goals helped by 415 assists for an average of 14.7 goals and 23 assists per game. In terms of team totals, the league hadn’t seen numbers like that since 2002 when the Rochester Knighthawks racked up 258 goals and the Washington Power collected 380 assists -both teams were able to set NLL records with those marks in just 16 games.

One team, however, had never led the league in goals and assists by such wide margins. The Swarm put together such an impressive collective offensive masterpiece last season that they managed to score 35 more goals than the next closest team and pass the ball with such speed and fluidity to tally 74 more assists than anyone in either conference.

The 2007 Knighthawks and the 2005 Toronto Rock come to mind as similarly equal offensive juggernauts -each won the Champion’s Cup in their respective seasons- but last season’s Swarm inserted themselves in the conversation for best NLL offense of all-time.

So, when the Swarm scored just 11 goals on 44 shots on goal (11 SOG less than their ’17 average) in the 13-11 loss to the New England Blackwolves, it’s no surprise that the underwhelming performance didn’t sit well with the players and coaches.

“In our film session and in our practice this week, we really talked about what we didn’t do.” Swarm assistant coach, Dan Ladouceur, said during the team’s run up to their second game. “It was not smart lacrosse last game and we talked about things we can improve on.”

The Swarm’s Week 1 loss marked only the 5th time since the start of the 2016 season where they were beaten on face-offs, loose balls, and attacking the cage in a loss. “The principles of keeping the ball moving, keeping our feet moving and not staying on one spot of the floor. Those, along with their unselfish attitude. When they swing that ball and they don’t care who’s scoring and who’s helping as long as they have success as a unit.” Ladouceur says, is what makes this team so great.

It wasn’t that the team wasn’t implementing these principles in Week 1 -the Swarm were leading 8-5 at the half and tied 8-8 at the end of the 3rd- it was more that New England was able to stop those principles from continuing to dominate as they did early on in the game.

The Swarm couldn’t put together consecutive scores in the 2nd half or score on either of the Blackwolves two power-plays in the later part of the game. And, by the final whistle, it was only the 7th time, when both were playing, that Lyle and Miles Thompson either both didn’t score or only one of them scored in their careers’ -they are 3-7 when this happens as opposed to 17-4 when they both score.

“In talking with Miles and Lyle, I don’t think they felt that they were playing their game.” Ladouceur stated. “Specifically with Lyle, in my conversations with him, he thought he had to do something different this year, but, through watching film and having conversations [with teammates and coaches] he realized he doesn’t have to change a thing.”

According to Randy Staats, the first week of the season can come with some growing pains. “It’s the first game of the season.” Staats said while chuckling. “That’s no excuse, not by any means, but I think we were feeling each other out.”

Next week, with Jordan MacIntosh making his first start of the 2018 season at the X, the Swarm should be able to create more opportunities on offense to build off the chemistry they already have and score more goals.

Jesse King looked to be in great form with his three goals (four points) in his first game back after a year long absence due to an ACL injury, Staats continued where he left off last season with a hat trick and added an assist of his own, while Shayne Jackson had a pair of goals and assists; proof that the Swarm have some of their pieces already locked in this season.

If there’s anything that this dynamic group of still-developing, young players would tell you, it’s that they can’t be the best they can be unless they’re helping each other click. “If there’s one word I would use to describe this club.” Staats said, “It’s unselfish. There’s not one person in our offense that demands the ball or gets mad when he doesn’t get the ball, everyone one loves sharing the ball equally, that’s why we had so much success last year.”

The season is still early for the Swarm, but going down 0-2 on the year will start to put some pressure on the guys to start stringing together wins. If they were to lose this Saturday it will be the first time since 2014 where they lost the first couple of games of year.

However, it’s only a matter of time before the Swarm get the offense rolling like they were last season. As Staats put it, “We just need to do a better job capitalizing on our chances.” Once they start doing that, expect this team to take command of the Eastern Conference and put themselves in prime position to make another run at the Champion’s Cup.

NLL