 Looking Forward Alec Schimke | mnswarm.com I’m sure that I speak for many of you when I say that Friday’s home opener couldn’t have come any sooner. Sunday’s opener was the first of three games Minnesota plays against Calgary this season. Friday night (Jan. 15) the two teams meet again for the second time in a span of five days, this time at Xcel Energy Center for the Swarm home opener at 7:35 p.m. CST. Check out an in-depth look at this year’s schedule. Having talked lacrosse with many of you this offseason, the excitement surrounding this year’s team is at an all-time high. With plenty of new faces joining last season’s core group of guys, it’s hard not to be optimistic about this team’s potential. One thing is for sure; we are in store for an intense ride. With a revamped roster, the question is whether the team’s style of play will change this year. General Manager Marty O’Neill has stressed that despite welcoming many new players this offseason, the same style of play that we have grown accustomed over the years will once again be on display in 2010. This season, it just comes down to a different mix of players taking the field. Leading the new-look squad is first year Head Coach Mike Lines, who spent the previous three seasons with the team as an Assistant Coach under former Head Coach Duane Jacobs. Lines enters his first season as Head Coach with a good grasp of the system and so far the players have really taken a liking to his style. Joining Lines on the bench are two new faces in Assistant Coaches Aime Caines and Joe Sullivan. Having spoke to both of them this offseason, I can tell you that they bring a vast amount of lacrosse knowledge to the table and will only help elevate this team’s play. There’s no hiding from the fact that last season did not play out as intended. After a frustrating 6-10 finish, O’Neill spent the offseason upgrading the roster in several departments. You will notice this year’s team is bigger and stronger and features more playmakers than previous seasons. O’Neill has masterfully assembled a nice mixture of talented young players with a solid core of veterans that know how to get the job done. Let’s take a closer look at this year’s team and who will be suiting up come Sunday. THE NEW GUYS Forwards 2009 Stats Ryan Benesch 41 points (17g, 27a), 17 PIM, 71 LB in 14 contests with Edmonton Tim Campeau 28 points (13g, 15a), 18 PIM, 28 LB in 11 contests with Portland Callum Crawford 41 points (19g, 22a), 0 PIM, 48 LB in 13 contests with Edmonton Zack Greer 68 points (42g, 26a) in 15 contests with Bryant University Sean Thomson 6 points (5g, 1a), 4 PIM, 8 LB in 7 contests with Philadelphia Defensemen Rich Morgan 16 points (7g, 9a), 40 PIM, 68 LB in 9 contests with Portland Scott Self 13 points (5g, 8a), 14 PIM, 90 LB in 16 contests with Edmonton Jay Thorimbert 12 points (5g, 7a), 0 PIM, 84 LB, 58.3% FO wins in 15 contests with Boston A total of eight new faces are set to make their Swarm debut. There will be many eyes focused on rookie forward Zack Greer, as he will look to do his part to help a Swarm club that missed the playoffs for the first time in four years last season. There certainly are high expectations on the rookie coming in as NCAA D1 all-time leading scorer, but so far Greer has handled things well and has acted more like a seasoned veteran since he arrived in town. There’s no doubt that when he has the time and space, he can put the ball in the back of the net. Like any rookie, it may take some adjustment to get used to the physicality of the NLL, but Greer seems to be ahead of the curve and is prepared to do big things. Joining Greer on offense is a host of young talented forwards: Ryan Benesch (24), Callum Crawford (25), Tim Campaeu (25) and Sean Thomson (24). One of the first moves O’Neill made during this busy offseason was also one of hardest when he traded away longtime Swarm forward Ryan Ward to Edmonton. While it’s hard to replace a player of Ward’s caliber, the Swarm received one of the league’s most promising left-handed forwards in return in Ryan Benesch. Like Greer, Benesch was one of the most highly touted young prospects in the game when he entered the league in 2007. Coming in that year as the first overall pick, Benesch was named “Rookie of the Year” and has produced solid numbers ever since. Now entering his fourth season, Benesch gives the Swarm a potent left-handed weapon that can put up points. Acquired along with Benesch was Tim Campeau, who was selected 14th overall by the Swarm in the Dispersal Draft of the Portland LumberJax. Lines recently praised Campeau for his solid play during training camp and the team is looking for him to build off an impressive rookie season last season with Portland where he recorded 28 points (13g, 15a). One player to keep on eye on this season is Sean Thomson. Injuries have limited this young 24-year-old from breaking out in the league thus far, but when healthy, Thomson has the potential to excel. That was evident last season, when Thomson took home “Rookie of the Week” honors in Week 2 of the regular season after he scored three goals on four shots to help Philadelphia secure a 16-13 victory over Rochester. With great size at 6’2” and 220 lbs, Thomson is ready to make some noise at the left-handed forward position. The newest of the five forwards is Callum Crawford, who was acquired in a three-team trade that sent Chad Culp to Colorado. That however, hasn’t stopped him from making an immediate impact on the team. In the team’s final preseason match-up against Colorado, Crawford made his presence felt when led the team in scoring with four points (2g, 2a) and helped Minnesota jump out to an early 3-0 lead. So far in his young career, Crawford has steadily improved in every one of his four seasons in the league and the Swarm are looking for that to continue in 2010. On defense, O’Neill has arguably put together one of the top lineups in the league after acquiring two top notch defenders via trade in Scott Self and Rich Morgan. Together the two bring a combined 15 years of NLL experience to the table. Scott Self was recently ranked the highest of any Swarm player on NLL Insider's Top 50 Player Rankings at #25. The nine-year veteran has already made his presence felt on the team in the leadership department. I’m going to go ahead and nickname Self “Mr. Dependable” as he has only missed four games in the last eight seasons. Look for Self to deliver consistently solid play on D. The other big addition on defense and I mean BIG, is Rich Morgan, who could probably also suit up for the Timberwolves at a towering 6’8.” Morgan gives the Swarm a sizeable defender that will force opposing teams to make adjustments come gameday. He also has the ability to put the ball in the net as he has scored at least ten goals in five of his six seasons in the league. To improve the team’s transition play, O’Neill filled a major void with the acquisition of Jay Thorimbert. With Travis Hill out with an ACL injury, Thorimbert will see the majority of face-offs this season. In only his second season in the league, Thorimbert was already winning 58.3% of face-offs. Look for him to give the Swarm an advantage in the face-off circle on a nightly basis. PLAYERS RETURNING Forwards 2009 Stats Kevin Buchanan 45 points (22g, 23a), 2 PIM, 58 LB in 11 contests Sean Pollock 65 points (26g, 39a), 14 PIM, 71 LB in 15 contests Kevin Ross 43 points (20g, 23a), 8 PIM, 47 LB in 16 contests Aaron Wilson 58 points (31g, 27a), 6 PIM, 66 LB in 16 contests Other than the departure of Ryan Ward, Chad Culp and Dan Marohl for the time being, the core of Minnesota’s offense has remained intact, despite only returning four members. The Swarm welcomes back last season’s top scorers in Sean Pollock and Aaron Wilson, “All-Rookie Team” honoree Kevin Buchanan and Kevin Ross who was a pleasant surprise last season. Sean Pollock enters his sixth season with the Swarm and is coming off one of his best statistical seasons last year when he lead the team in scoring with 65 points (26g, 39a). He also scored his 100th goal with the team, which certainly deserves praise. Unfortunately for the Swarm, Pollock will miss the first game of the season due to work commitments. His return for the home opener will be crucial as he gives the Swarm one of the league’s most relentless right-handed forwards in the game. Last year, Aaron Wilson helped rejuvenate the Swarm offense after coming over in trade from Rochester midseason. Minnesota hopes that he can continue to provide a spark on offense with his ability to score goals in bunches. Last season in a four game span from February 28 to March 28, Wilson scored a team-high 28 points (15g, 13a). It’s that kind of production desperately needed to stay in playoff contention with the league’s high scoring teams. Despite only appearing 11 contests in his first year in the league, Kevin Buchanan was one of the most relied upon options on offense in 2009. Buchanan had some huge games last season, which included five goals scored on the road in Toronto to help snap a five game losing streak. It wouldn’t surprise me if Buchanan responds with an even bigger season this year as less pressure rests on his shoulders with the addition of left-handed forwards, Zack Greer and Ryan Benesch. Finally you can’t forget about the fantastic performance that Kevin Ross put together last year in his first season with the club. After only posting 11 points in his rookie season with Chicago in 2008, Ross exploded for 43 points (20g, 23a) with the Swarm in 2009. He had four 3-goal games last year and recorded at least four points in six games. Ross along with Wilson won a Mann Cup Championship with the Brampton Excelsiors this past offseason in a wild seven game series. That kind of experience will only help the Swarm come playoff time. Defensemen 2009 Stats Colin Achenbach 8 points (1g, 7a), 6 PIM, 28 LB in 9 contests Joe Cinosky 2 points (2a), 6 PIM, 21 LB in 5 contests Ryan Cousins 7 points (4g, 3a), 20 PIM, 87 LB in 15 contests Nick Inch 5 points (5a), 25 PIM, 51 LB in 15 contests Eric Pacey 3 points (3a), 8 PIM, 29 LB in 9 contests Jon Sullivan 7 points (1g, 6a), 8 PIM, 52 LB in 15 contests Noah Talbot 2 points (2a), 7 PIM, 62 LB in 16 contests Josh Funk 3 points (3g), 23 PIM, 8 LB in 4 contests Andrew Watt 17 points (6g, 11a), 10 PIM, 68 LB in 13 contests Ryan Cousins, the only captain the Swarm has ever known, returns for his sixth season in Minnesota and will once again be looked upon to anchor the Swarm defense. Check out the recent Q & A with Ryan Cousins. Cousins will have plenty of help alongside him this season as Minnesota returns eight other defenders. Last season Cousins was named to a fifth all-star game and was joined by Nick Inch. Inch, in only his second season, was selected to his first all-star appearance. Swarm veterans Noah Talbot, Jon Sullivan and Eric Pacey bring a combined 16 years of experience and are expected to provide physical play on defense. All three have been very consistent during their time in Minnesota and that should continue in 2010. Sullivan won a Major League Lacrosse (MLL) Championship with the Toronto Nationals during the offseason along with teammate Joe Cinosky. Speaking of Cinosky, he was recently named to the final 23-man roster of the U.S. Men’s National Lacrosse Team that will compete in the 2010 FIL World Lacrosse Championships in Manchester, England. Regarded as one of the top outdoor defenseman in the country, look for Cinosky to see more minutes on the floor this season as he continues to blossom as an indoor player. Make sure to tune in to his video blog, “Joe Knows” all season long. Joe brings you an exclusive player’s perspective on the team and the NLL lifestyle. Watch the most recent episode where the boys traveled to Six Nations, Ontario for training camp. Cinosky, along with local star and fan favorite Colin Achenbach, spent countless hours preparing this offseason with local trainer Tim Pelot. Achenbach is entering his third season with Minnesota and is planning to build on a productive 2009 campaign. Two sophomore players to watch out for are Swarm 2008 first round pick Andrew Watt and Josh Funk who was acquired a few weeks into last season. In just one season with the team, Watt has already established himself as a backbone of the defense and is expected to start this season. Funk is coming off an encouraging training camp where he showcased significant improvement in his game. A former teammate of Kevin Buchanan at Ohio State, Funk has the potential to become a fixture in the Swarm’s lineup. Goalies 2009 Stats Kevin Croswell 3-6 13.62 GAA .713 SV% Nick Patterson 3-4 11.21 GAA .773 SV% One of the big question marks from last season is how Nick Patterson will respond after having an off year. The good news is that Patterson is coming off an impressive summer campaign with the Victoria Shamrocks of the Western Lacrosse Association (WLA) where he posted a 10-2 record, 10.43 GAA and a .776 SV%. Even more promising, those numbers look nearly identical to his 2008 all-star season with Minnesota when he went 10-4, 11.99 GAA and had a .768 SV%. If Patterson can return to form, expect to see a lot more W’s. While Patterson struggled last season, Kevin Croswell helped pick up the slack in front of the net. In his first career start, Croswell received “Player of the Week” honors for his lights out performance against the Portland LumberJax. In that game Croswell allowed seven goals and had 49 saves in a complete game. Look for Croswell to continue to push Patterson for playing time. Lines admitted yesterday in a conference call that a decision has not been made on a number one goaltender. Regardless who Minnesota goes with, it would not surprise me to see both goalies receive significant minutes early on the season. The fact that Lines had two goalies capable of starting is a good sign. FINAL THOUGHTS I can’t conclude the preview without praising the hard work of Swarm Owners John and Andy Arlotta in only their second season in Minnesota. You won’t find two people more passionate about growing the sport of lacrosse in the area. They have orchestrated what will be the greatest Swarm season to date. This season has a lot to offer whether it’s on the field or in the community, so make sure to keep a close eye on the team. With less than a week to go until the home opener, it’s not too late to spread the word about the Swarm to your friends, family, and even your pets (there is a Dog Night this season). More on this season’s promotions. For those of you tuning into the game this Sunday, join us at mnswarm.com for additional live coverage of the game. The game will be streamed at no cost and I will be live blogging throughout. Until then, stay warm, and GO SWARM! |
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