Justin Ivey, Co-Editor
Lacrosse is Awesome©
The #4 Georgia Swarm played in their home uniforms in Game 3 against the #8 Halifax Thunderbirds at Scotiabank Centre in Halifax Sunday night. Due to a scheduling conflict, Gas South Arena was unavailable to host the winner-take-all matchup, and on short notice the teams settled on staying in Halifax. After pouring on 21 goals to force the decisive game, the Swarm hoped to continue the hot streak. Halifax, much like Georgia on Saturday night, needed to shake some offensive demons. Both teams came out hot, combining for 13 goals in the first quarter. Georgia’s Brett Dobson (14GA, 42SV) and Halifax’s Warren Hill (11GA, 37SV) eventually settled things down between the pipes, but the Thunderbirds strung together just enough positive plays to maintain a narrow lead for most of the game. The lead was no more than two until nearly halfway through the third quarter. Halifax managed only two goals in the third, but they held Georgia scoreless and entered the fourth quarter with a three-goal lead. Jason Knox (3G, 3A) and Clarke Petterson (2G, 7A) led a Halifax offense that scored in every possible way. Jake Withers (2A) dominated the faceoff circle (25/29) and picked up an incredible 28 loose balls. Shayne Jackson (3G, 3A) did all he could, but Lyle Thompson (4A) struggled, and the offense could not keep pace in the end. The #8 Halifax Thunderbirds move on to face the #6 Toronto Rock in the NLL Finals. Final Score: Halifax Thunderbirds – 15, Georgia Swarm – 11.
The Swarm struck first 2:32 into the game. Kean Moon (1G) beat Hill with a sidearm shot from distance. Halifax answered immediately. After winning the faceoff, the ball found Cody Jamieson (2G, 3A) in the corner. He rolled around a pick and stepped into Halifax’s first goal just four seconds after the opener. Georgia reclaimed the lead on a pick-and-slip play that left Toron Eccleston (2G, 1A) open on the crease. Jackson made it a two-goal lead while streaking off the bench in transition just 43 seconds later. Halifax kept pace with two straight goals. First, Casey Wilson (1G, 1A) got open around a high pick and drove in for a bounce-shot goal. Sixteen seconds later, Jamieson scored his second of the game with a powerful overhand shot after losing his defender around a screen. The fans were treated to a tussle on the floor with just under seven minutes to play, and during the stoppage Coach Ed Comeau asked to review a diving goal attempt from Jackson that had been called no goal on the floor. After review, the goal stood and Georgia regained the lead. With a delayed penalty looming and a five-on-four advantage on the floor, Brendan Bomberry (2G) scored through the five-hole from beside the crease after some excellent passing. Back at four-on-four, Wake:Riat BowHunter (2G) sniped a corner from outside just 22 seconds later. Halifax held their first lead over Georgia since Game 1 ended, but it lasted less than a minute. Georgia kept pace in the furious opening quarter, and Jacob Hickey (1G, 1A) scored in transition despite the Swarm being down two players on the floor. The Thunderbirds answered again. Staats scored with 20 seconds left in the five-on-three advantage. Twenty-seven seconds later, still on the man advantage, Knox tied the game after catching a great feed inside from Petterson. Richie Connell (1G, 1A) joined the scoring frenzy with a goal on the run with 1:52 remaining to bring Georgia back within one. At the end of the first quarter, Halifax led Georgia 7-6.
Georgia started the second quarter on a power play but could not capitalize with the advantage. At 2:21, Knox scored the first goal of the quarter after picking up a rebound while dancing on the crease. The Swarm went man up once more later in the quarter, and this time Jackson buried a quick stick after a cross-crease pass from Kaleb Benedict (3A). After a few minutes of scoreless lacrosse, Mike Robinson (1G, 3A) stretched the Halifax lead back to two. After Staats threw a behind-the-back assist across the crease out of a double team, Robinson finished over Dobson’s far-side shoulder. Eccleston answered for Georgia, scoring on a rolling shot from outside with 4:28 remaining in the half. Neither team could break through during the final minutes of the second quarter. At halftime, Halifax led Georgia 9-8.
Scoring took a few minutes to arrive in the third quarter. Petterson continued the back-and-forth scoring just over four minutes in. His goal came shortly after Halifax successfully killed off a two-minute penalty, and the momentum was starting to build. BowHunter scored in transition just over a minute later, giving Halifax a three-goal lead. Georgia continued to generate good looks, but Hill slid across the crease repeatedly to shut the door. The Swarm successfully killed off a minor penalty of their own, but they still could not find the net. In fact, neither team scored for the remainder of the third quarter as the defenses stood tall. At the end of the third quarter, Halifax led Georgia 11-8.
Georgia had an early power-play opportunity in the fourth, but Ben Trumble was tossed for a game misconduct just 48 seconds in and the momentum immediately flipped. After a tense minute of four-on-four action, Halifax went back on the power play. Kevin Tarbell (1G, 1A) ended up scoring a shorthanded transition goal to pull Georgia back within two. Halifax regrouped, and on their next possession Knox scored from outside. With nearly two minutes still remaining on the power play because of the Trumble major, Halifax struck again less than a minute later. Knox lined up the same look but fired the ball to Bomberry on the crease, where he quickly finished. Bryan Cole (2G, 1A) got one back for Georgia with a power-play goal from the point. With just over six minutes to play, the Swarm trailed by three once again. With under three minutes remaining, Dobson headed to the bench for the extra attacker. Halifax nearly scored into the empty net but instead settled for a diving goal from Petterson late in the shot clock. Dobson had returned to the crease for the acrobatic finish. Halifax was content to stretch the next possessions deep into the shot clock as the game moved under two minutes, but Georgia struck quickly after regaining possession. Thompson found a cutting Cole in the middle of the zone, and he fell into the crease while scoring. With 1:13 remaining, Halifax still led by three. Ryan Terefenko (1G, 1A) scored into the empty Georgia net with 58 seconds left to finally put the game away. Final Score: Halifax Thunderbirds – 15, Georgia Swarm – 11.
The #6 Toronto Rock will host the #8 Halifax Thunderbirds in Game 1 of the NLL Finals on Friday, May 15 at 7:30 PM EDT.
The #8 Halifax Thunderbirds will host the #6 Toronto Rock in Game 2 of the NLL Finals on Sunday, May 17 at 6:00 PM EDT.
If necessary, the #6 Toronto Rock will host the #8 Halifax Thunderbirds in Game 3 of the NLL Finals on Saturday, May 23 at 7:30 PM EDT.