Richie Connell, Liam McGrath, and Kaleb Benedict sign two-year agreement with Swarm

DULUTH, GA (June 26, 2024) – The Georgia Swarm have signed 2023 draft picks Richie Connell, Liam McGrath, and Kaleb Benedict to two-year agreements.

Richie Connell: Selected 66th overall in the draft from the University of Denver, Connell had a standout season in 2024, earning a spot on the BIG EAST second team. He played in 16 of Denver’s 17 games, starting against Utah. Connell missed the season opener against Johns Hopkins but scored 19 goals and added three assists for 22 points. He also picked up six ground balls and caused one turnover. Connell scored multiple goals in six games, including five of the last eight, with hat tricks in regular season wins over Georgetown and Marquette. He scored twice in the NCAA First Round win over Michigan and in the national semifinal against Notre Dame. He had game-winning goals against Air Force and Cornell and ranked 77th in the nation with a 35.8% shooting percentage. 

Liam McGrath: Drafted 26th overall in the NLL draft, McGrath played for Lenoir-Rhyne University in Hickory, North Carolina. He was instrumental in leading the Bears to their first National Championship in school history in 2023, finishing the season with 25 points (18 goals, 7 assists), 18 ground balls, and five caused turnovers. 

Kaleb Benedict: The 19th overall picks in the draft, Benedict played for the Orangeville Northmen, helping his team reach the OJLL Finals where they narrowly missed winning the Minto Cup. He finished fifth on the team in scoring with 95 points across 26 games. Benedict signed with the Swarm during the 2023-2024 season but was placed on injured reserve at the beginning of the season.