Di Miller, NLL Correspondent
Lacrosse is Awesome
The Georgia Swarm (6-1) headed north to Toronto to face the Rock (4-2) at Air Canada Centre. This was the battle for the best record and first place in the league. Over 8,800 Rock fans were there to cheer on their team after their victory against the Roughnecks the week before. Georgia was coming of their victory over New England as well. This was a game of diving goals; jumping goals; behind-the-back goals; can’t believe that one went in goals; spectacular net-minding; and a virtual track meet. The fans would be treated to a fast paced thriller of game, but for Rock fans, they would see Georgia get the final goal in OT to defeat the Rock; head to the top of the league and one and a half games ahead of the Toronto in the east. Final Score OT: Georgia 13—Toronto 12.
Georgia would start out the scoring first with Miles Thompson hitting net at 1:18 (assist Lyle Thompson). This would be the only time they would lead the game until the fourth quarter. Toronto would go on a three-goal run with Dan Lintner scoring; Kieran McArdle; and Turner Evans on the power-play. The game was scoreless for almost four minutes as Nick Rose and Mike Poulin held tough in net. The Swarm would finally hit net again off Shayne Jackson on a short-handed goal (assist Lyle and Miles Thompson). That would be it in the first for Georgia. Toronto would close out the frame with another from McArdle (power-play); and only 29 seconds later Tom Schreiber netting the final point in the quarter at 11:44. Score at the end of the first: Toronto 5—Georgia 2.
The Swarm would come out gunning quickly in the second with a nice shot by Jordan Hall on the power-play. His trickery pulled Rose out of net trying to stop the shot and Hall would hit twine only 55 seconds in. There was very little scoring in the second as the goalies were putting on a show and making veteran saves in net. The first half of the second quarter would see sloppy play; rushed passes; and poor transition on both sides. Each team was being saved by the steel for most of the quarter. All three goals in the second would be power-play goals, the second coming from Brett Hickey off the skip shot for Toronto almost nine minutes after the first. L. Thompson would close out the quarter for the Swarm when Kiel Matisz set the screen for a nice wind up shot by Thompson with just under four minutes left to bring Georgia to within two. Score at the end of the half: Toronto 6—Georgia 4.
The third quarter was very different with a barrage of goals. Stephan Leblanc would start it off for the Rock only 1:19 in with the assist to Turner Evans and Schreiber (1G, 5A). Then Georgia would go on a three-goal run. Johnny Powless finally returned for his first game back since suffering a concussion last summer and would hit net when Jordan Hall came hard to net, drew the defense allowing Powless to step into and fire off a nice shot. Thompson (L) would send a behind-the-back shot over the shoulder of brother Miles on the power-play; and Jordan MacIntosh unassisted on the shorthanded goal at 6:20 to tie it up as the momentum started to shift to the Swarm. But then Toronto struck back with two of their own. Damon Edwards would fire a top shelf bullet past Poulin 
to put the Rock back up by one (assist Sandy Chapman and Rose); followed by another from Lintner who tip-toed the crease and went hard through the dirty spot soaring through the air to hit net. Matisz would fire back with a nice spin move and went high above the crease popping it into the net past Rose. With the cage wide open, (L) Thompson would fire right to left to brother Miles yet again and the ball fluttered into the cage tying the game again. But it would be Toronto closing out the third with McArdle notching the hat-trick when he went through the screen with an outside shot putting the Rock back up by one. Score at the end of three: Toronto 10—Georgia 9.
Georgia would be the first to get on the board in the fourth, tying game at 10 apiece when Powless fed the ball to Jerome Thompson at 4:13. The Swarm would go on the power-play and Matisz would find an opening on the man up situation to give the Swarm only their second lead of the game, this time he’d tuck his legs up and dunk shot it in behind Rose. But Brodie Merrill after multiple break-aways, would finally see an opportunity to score. Merrill was on a three-on-one situation and sent it right up the middle past a surprised Poulin. The Rock would find themselves on a man-down situation off a delay of game penalty, but managed to kill off the penalty to keep the game tied 11-11. With only 1:01 remaining in regulation, Latrell Harris would hit the breakaway one-on-one with the defender, had a side to side step move and dove towards the crease to send it past Poulin to put the Rock back up by one. Then the unimaginable occurred. Harris would be called for interference with only 49 seconds left on the clock and just what the doctor ordered for the Swarm. Georgia is one of the best teams in the league on the power-play and they showed it again tonight. With 18 seconds left on the clock, Georgia would pull Poulin for the extra-attacker putting them in a six on four situation. 
Out of nowhere, Shayne Jackson would reach out, snare the ball and made a sick bounce shot past Rose to tie the game 12-12 with only 3.9 seconds left in regulation. Hello OT….Final at the end of regulation: Georgia 12—Toronto 12.
Toronto would win the face-off in OT and called a timeout at 14:51 to discuss their game plan. Unfortunately for the Rock, their plan failed and the Swarm would regain possession of the ball and call their own timeout at 14:37. Powless would take the shot for Georgia which went off the shoulder of Rose and by a fluke was deflected into the net giving Georgia the win. Final Score OT: Georgia 13—Toronto 12.
If you love the game of lacrosse, this was probably the best game of the season so far regardless of which team you root for. Each team played spectacular both offensively and defensively. Net-minding was beyond amazing; and the majority of goals in this game were Top Ten highlight reel goals.
The Battle of the East has been won tonight. Georgia now holds the best record in the NLL and heads home to face the Rochester Knighthawks (2-4) at home in Atlanta at Infinite Energy Center.
Di Miller, NLL Correspondent
Lacrosse is Awesome