The Georgia Swarm announced their final 21-man Active Roster for the 2019-20 NLL season. The Swarm’s fifth season in Georgia will start with a contest on Saturday, Nov. 30 against the expansion Rochester Knighthawks at Blue Cross Arena, and face-off is set for 7:00 p.m. ET.
Three weeks of Training Camp wrapped up this past weekend at Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Field at Infinite Energy Arena. The Swarm held the final Training Camp session in front of Swarm fans, and fans enjoyed a post-practice Q&A with Swarm head coach Ed Comeau and autographs with select Swarm players.
Following the weekend’s conclusion, the Swarm made difficult decisions to floor an Active Roster which they believe will set the franchise on a course to its second world championship.
“This Training Camp was one of the more competitive Swarm camps that we’ve had, and the 31 players we brought out at the beginning of November made our final roster decisions difficult,” Swarm Owner and General Manager John Arlotta said. “Our coaches did an excellent job of preparing our players for the upcoming season. I’m excited about the players on our team. Together, they give us the best chance at bringing another championship back to Georgia.”
The Swarm’s final roster features 16 first-round selections and five second-round picks.
Once again, transition player Jordan MacIntosh will captain the Swarm, and forward Shayne Jackson and defenseman Jason Noble will be assistant captains.
The Swarm offense returns with familiar faces. Coming off an MVP-caliber season, Lyle Thompson will lead the offense and is joined by Randy Staats, Miles Thompson, and Zed Williams. The Swarm brought Jordan Hall back on a one-year deal. He will join Jackson and Bryan Cole on the left side, the latter who was designated a forward after spending the first three seasons of his young NLL career as a transition player.
The goaltending will look similar to last season’s roster, as Mike Poulin, returning on a three-year deal, is once again joined by Kevin Orleman.
With Cole now playing out the front door, the Swarm’s transition squad went through some notable changes. Joining MacIntosh is Brendan Bomberry, Joel White, Kason Tarbell, and Ryan MacSpadyen. White returns to the Swarm on a one-year deal after not playing the 2018-19 season, and Comeau is fond of saying White’s return is like getting another first-round pick on the team. Tarbell and MacSpadyen were first-round picks in the 2019 NLL Entry Draft and are the newest faces to the team.
Defensively, NLL veterans Alex Crepinsek, Connor Sellars, Leo Stouros, and Chad Tutton all return for another season in blue and yellow. Sophomores Adam Wiedemann and Matt Dunn round out the defensive group.
The Swarm’s Practice Roster consists of goaltender Steven Orleman and defensemen Sergio Perkovic and TJ Comizo.
Acquired in a trade with the San Diego Seals this offseason, forward Zach Miller will start the season on the Injured Reserve. Defensemen Justin Lemcke and Jordan Gillis were placed on the Physically Unable to Perform list.
Comeau is returning for his fifth season as the Swarm’s head coach and will be joined by assistant coach Sean Ferris (fifth season) coaching the defense and Dan Ladouceur (fourth season) coaching the offense.
2019-20 Georgia Swarm Roster (*Denotes first-year players)
Forwards (7): Bryan Cole, Jordan Hall, Shayne Jackson ‘A’, Randy Staats, Lyle Thompson, Miles Thompson, Zed Williams
Transition (5): Brendan Bomberry, Jordan MacIntosh ‘C’, Ryan MacSpadyen*, Kason Tarbell*, Joel White
Defensemen (7): Alex Crepinsek, Matt Dunn, Jason Noble ‘A’, Connor Sellars, Leo Stouros, Chad Tutton, Adam Wiedemann
Goaltenders (2): Kevin Orleman, Mike Poulin
Practice Roster (3): TJ Comizio*, Steven Orleman, Sergio Perkovic*
The Swarm’s Home Opener is set for Saturday, Dec. 14 against the Philadelphia Wings, and face-off at Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Field at Infinite Energy Arena is set for 7:00 p.m. ET. Fans can purchase tickets to see the fastest game on two feet by visiting GeorgiaSwarm.com/Tickets or by calling 844-4-GASWARM.
Sting City Memberships for the 2019-20 Swarm season are on sale now. Fans can join the most exclusive club in the South by visiting StingCity.com or by calling 844-4-GASWARM.
