Clarke Petterson tallied a game-high nine points as the Halifax Thunderbirds advanced to the NLL finals by defeating the Georgia Swarm 15-11 on Sunday at Scotiabank Centre. The host team won the series 2-1.
Petterson finished with two goals and a game-high seven assists for Halifax. Jason Knox contributed a hat trick and three assists, while Randy Staats added a goal and four assists. Cody Jamieson also had a strong performance with two goals and three assists. Goaltender Warren Hill made 37 saves.
For Georgia, Shayne Jackson led the offense with three goals and three assists. Lyle Thompson dished out four assists, and Bryan Cole and Toron Eccleston each scored twice. Goalie Brett Dobson was busy in net, stopping 43 shots.
The game was close throughout the first half, with Halifax taking a 9-8 lead into the break. The Thunderbirds created separation in the third quarter, shutting out the Swarm 2-0 to extend their lead to 11-8. A key moment in the game occurred with 12:20 remaining in the fourth when Georgia's Ben Trumble was assessed a five-minute major penalty and a game misconduct for boarding. Halifax capitalized on the extended power play, with Knox and Brendan Bomberry each scoring to push the lead to 13-9 and help secure the victory.
Up next: The Thunderbirds will visit the Toronto Rock for Game 1 of the best-of-three NLL finals on Friday at 7:30 p.m. ET. Game 2 will be at Halifax on Sunday at 6 p.m. And Game 3, if necessary, will be back in Toronto on May 23 at 7:30 p.m.
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