Lyle Thompson scored three goals and added five assists as the Georgia Swarm defeated the Rochester Knighthawks 17-12 on Sunday at Blue Cross Arena, clinching the fourth seed and a home game for the upcoming NLL playoffs.
The Swarm (12-6) received a balanced offensive effort to secure the win. Richie Connell found the net four times, while rookie Nolan Byrne scored three goals. Shayne Jackson was a key playmaker, contributing two goals and five assists. In goal, Brett Dobson turned away 47 shots.
For the Knighthawks (6-12), whose season came to a close, several players had strong offensive outings. Connor Fields posted a goal and six assists, and Ryan Lanchbury also dished out six assists. Ryan Smith led Rochester in goals with four, while Zed Williams and Thomas McConvey recorded hat tricks and added three assists each. Goaltender Riley Hutchcraft made 34 saves in the loss.
Georgia established control early, building a commanding 9-3 lead by halftime. The Knighthawks mounted a comeback in the third quarter, scoring four unanswered goals to cut the deficit to 10-7 with about five minutes to go in the period. However, the Swarm responded with a dominant fourth quarter to put the game away and solidify their playoff positioning.
Up next: The Swarm will host the Buffalo Bandits on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET in the first round of the playoffs.
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