Road to Glory: Georgia Swarm Playoff Journey Begins in Buffalo

DULUTH, GA. (APRIL 25, 2024) – The Georgia Swarm (5th seed) will be traveling to Buffalo to compete against the defending 2023 champions, the Buffalo Bandits (4th seed), in a single elimination playoff round on Saturday, April 27th at 7 pm ET. Fans who want to watch the game can tune in to ESPNU or ESPN+ or visit a local venue that streams the game. 

The Swarm finished their regular season with a record of 10-8. Lyle Thompson and Andrew Kew both scored 87 points, which puts them in the 21st position in the overall league scoring. Among the eight playoff teams, the Swarm has the second-lowest goal differential at +1. Shayne Jackson led the team in assists this season with 53. On the defensive front, goaltender Brett Dobson made 658 saves with a 78% save percentage. Defensive players Adam Wiedemann and John Ranagan led with 23 block shots this season. Jermey Thompson scooped up 128 loose balls this season. 

Looking ahead, the Swarm reface the Buffalo Bandits at Buffalo again. The last time Swarm played at Buffalo was this season on December 29. Swarm won 9-8 after a back-and-forth battle with the Bandits. Shayne Jackson posted 4 goals and 3 assists. On Buffalo’s side, Dhane Smith scored 7 points. Swarm held its defensive course throughout the game and didn’t allow Buffalo to score until 6 minutes left in the first quarter. Jackson Scored a goal in each quarter. In the fourth quarter, Andrew Kew notched a one-point lead over Buffalo with 1:41 minutes left. Swarm’s defense sealed the win by preventing Buffalo from tying the game with 22 seconds left.   

The Buffalo Bandits and the Swarm last faced each other in December. Since then, the Bandits have won four games in a row and are in excellent form. The Bandits’ offense is led by Josh Byrne, who is the NLL points leader with 135 points (53 goals and 82 assists). Dhane Smith, who has 134 points (33 goals and 101 assists), is the NLL assist leader. The team has had 70 powerplay opportunities with 36 goals, resulting in a 51% powerplay success rate.  

The Bandits are determined to continue their winning streak by securing a victory on their home turf, while the Swarm is aiming to defeat them again and progress to the playoffs against either Rochester or Toronto. The outcome of the game will be heavily influenced by the defensive efforts of both teams, and ultimately the team that displays greater determination and desire to win will emerge victorious.