Swarm Can Clinch Playoff Berth With A Win Saturday 

DULUTH, GA (April 5, 2024) – The Georgia Swarm (9-7) will close out their regular season with two games at home. This Saturday, April 6, the Swarm will face off against the Las Vegas Desert Dogs (4-11) for the first time in franchise history at Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Field at the Gas South Arena for Fan Appreciation Night.  

The Swarm is one of the top fifteen teams in the National Lacrosse League and ranked fourth in the overall standings. They have a chance to clinch a playoff spot for the first round of playoffs on the weekend of April 26-28 if they win against the Las Vegas Desert Dogs this Saturday. If they manage to stay in the top four, they could clinch a home playoff game that week. In the NLL, the top eight teams advance to the playoffs and are seeded in a bracket: #1 vs #8, #2 vs #7, #3 vs #6, #4 vs #5. The first round is single elimination, followed by a best-of-three series in the semifinals and finals 

In their most recent game on March 24, the Swarm were resilient on the defensive end, holding the Saskatchewan Rush scoreless over the final thirteen minutes of the game, winning 9-7. The team’s defensive efforts have been commendable, with players like TJ Comizio and Liam Brynes ranking in the top 20 in NLL caused turnovers. Adam Wiedemann holds the #1 position and John Ranagan is at #3 for blocked shots, while goaltender Brett Dobson ranks #4 among goaltenders with 564 saves this season.  

Offensively, the Swarm have been averaging 11 goals per game, led by Lyle Thompson with 38 goals and Andrew Kew with 30 goals for the season. Assistant captain Shayne Jackson leads the team in assists with 51 and has contributed 25 goals this season. 

The Swarm’s upcoming opponent, the Las Vegas Desert Dogs, currently rank last in the NLL and is out of playoff contention. They are coming off a fifth consecutive loss, most recently against the Vancouver Warriors with a score of 12-9. Las Vegas’ top performers include Rob Hellyer with 68 points (20G, 48A), Jack Hannah with 62 points (24G, 38A), and Casey Jackson with 58 points (36G, 22A). Former Swarm player Connor Kirst leads the Vegas defense with 115 loose balls and ranks fifth in the league for caused turnovers.  

Following Saturday’s game, the Swarm will have a week off before their final regular season home game against the Rochester Knighthawks on Friday, April 19, which will be Marvel Super Hero Night at 7:30 PM. The Swarm will be wearing custom-themed jerseys that night which will be up for online auction to ticket holders.