Minnesota Swarm (8-8 H 5-3 A 3-5)

Washington Stealth (8-8 H 3-5 A 5-3)

West Division First Round Playoff Game
Saturday, April 30, 2011 - 7:30 pm CDT
Xcel Energy Center
Treasure Island Field at The Hive
St. Paul, Minnesota

Live Statistics

TV/Internet/Radio Coverage:

More Coverage of this game at:

Playoffs

Series History:

The Swarm will play the Stealth for the second straight year in the playoffs. Last year, the Stealth beat the Swarm in Everett, Washington by a score of 14-10. The Stealth went on to win the 2010 NLL Champions Cup. This year, the Swarm won 16-8 in Washington on January 14th with Ryan Bnesch scoring a team single game record seven goals. Nick Patterson saved 50 of 58 shots in that game. Both received NLL Player of the Week honors. Two weeks later, Benesch scored the overtime game winner in the Swarm's 11-10 victory. The Stealth finally got a win the series this year in Washington on April 9th as Rhys Duch scored the game winner in overtime clinching a 16-15 victory. Winning the season series was the tiebreaker that earned the Swarm the home game over the Stealth.

Personnel:

Minnesota Swarm

Depth Chart

Goaltenders	Defense (Left)	Defense (Right)
Transition (Left)	Transition (Right)	Forwards (Left)	Forwards (Right)

Staff

General Manager	Head Coach	Assistant	Assistant

Washington Stealth

Depth Chart

Staff

Notes:

• This is the second home playoff game for the Swarm. Their first was in 2008 when they lost to the New York Titans, 11-8, in the first round.
• The Swarm have won three straight home games for the first time since 2008.
• The Swarm are 0-4 in the playoffs in their history. The only other team in the NLL without a playoff victory is the Boston Blazers who are 0-2.
• The Swarm are 4-0 against the Stealth (both San Jose & Washington) at The Hive
• In four playoff games, the most goals the Swarm have socred in any one game is ten.
• Ryan Benesch finished first in the NLL in goals (46) and points (95). Benesch is the first Swarm player to lead the NLL in those categories at the end of the regular season.
• Benesch has two game winning goals against the Washington Stealth ih his career.
• Benesch was the first overall pick by the Stealth, when they were in San Jose in 2006. He was traded to Toronto to the start of the rookie season.
• Andrew Suitor finished seventh in the NLL in loose balls with 108.
• Nick Patteson finished with a .768 save % this year, his highest since 2008 when he had the same percentage.
• Patterson has started all four playoff games in Swarm history but has only finished two of them.
• Noah Talbot has played in 74 consecutive games for the Swarm
• Talbot, Nick Patterson, Eric Pacey, Sean Pollock and Jon Sullivan have played in all four previous Swarm playoff games.
• Pollock has the most playoff points amongst current Swarm players for the Swarm with nine. Chad Culp, now of the Bandits, is the Swarm's all-time playoff points leader with eleven.
• Mat Giles and Aaron Wilson are the only members of the Swarm on an acitve roster to win a Champions Cup
• Shayne Bennett was on the Stealth's practice roster last year as the Stealth won the Cup.
• Lewis Ratcliff (92 pts) and Rhys Duch (90 pts) finished second and third in the NLL in scoring.
• In the Stealth's victory over the Swarm on April 9th, Duch had  five goals and five assists and Ratcliff had six goals and five assists.
• Stealth Head Coach Chris Hall has won two NLL Champions Cup as Head Coach. First in Calgary in 2004 and last year with the Stealth.
• Jeff Zywicki is expected to retrun to the line up for the Stealth. He has only played in three games this year. Last year, Zywicki had thirty goals.

Prediction: Minnesota Swarm 15 Washington Stealth 13