Georgia Swarm: All Hail Your 2017 NLL Champion’s Cup Winners!
By W. M. Lawson
The Georgia Swarm won the National Lacrosse League’s Champion’s Cup late last night, and did so in dramatic fashion.
Yesterday was a big day for the Atlanta sports scene. The Braves hosted a double-header at Suntrust Park. Atlanta United FC tried to right the recent wrongs on the road. But it was the Georgia Swarm, a recent transplant team to the area, that was playing for a title. They won.
Naturally, professional lacrosse isn’t going to get the pub or the love that other national sports get. But when one looks at what the Swarm did this year, it is difficult not to take notice of how special a season it was. Records were broken and hardware was won.
In short, the Swarm dominated the 2016-2017 NLL season. They finished the regular season 13-5, leading their conference, and then proceeded to go undefeated in the playoffs. In that undefeated record was a two game sweep of the two-time defending champion Saskatchewan.
Have you ever seen that movie “Slap Shot”; the Paul Newman hockey film from the 1970s (if you are offended easily don’t do it…and also get some counseling.)? If you have, then you are familiar with the Hanson Brothers. This team had a similar type thing going.
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Lyle Thompson was the MVP of the Champion’s Cup series. He was the best player in the league all year. His brother, Miles Thompson, scored the overtime winner last night to secure the championship. Randy Staats also had a big time 2017 playoffs. The entire team played well, but those dudes balled out.
I got some grief from some the Atlanta Blaze folks for this article a couple of weeks ago. And, yes, we love all of our teams equally in Atlanta, but I stand by it. Chances are the Georgia Swarm is the most exciting team from our area that most have never heard of.
So, congratulations to the Georgia Swarm. An amazing season ended last night with an amazing last second goal in regular time and then an overtime goal, on the road, to secure their first ever championship.
They represented our city and state well, and secured a place in professional lacrosse history. It doesn’t get much better than that. And we salute y’all. The NLL Champion.