The National Lacrosse League's (NLL) Minnesota Swarm (0-1) fell to the Rochester Knighthawks (1-0) in an 11-10 overtime thriller in front of 8,242 fans on Treasure Island Field at Xcel Energy Center. F Ryan Benesch lead the Swarm with five points (2g, 3a) and D Andrew Watt tallied four points (3g, 1a). Watt started the Swarm off with the first goal of the season in the first-quarter, tying the game at 1-1. F Callum Crawford, the third top scorer during the 2010 season, posted the first point of the second-quarter, tallying a total of four point (2g, 2a) overall. At half-time, the Knighhawks led the Swarm 5-4. Off of a rebound in the fourth-quarter, Benesch tied the game. Assistant Captain F Mat Giles (2g, 2a), who made his Swarm debut Saturday night and is a 12-year veteran of the NLL, scored two goals to take a 10-8 lead in the fourth-quarter. On defense, the Swarm got solid play from G Nick Patterson, who recorded 27 saves in the loss. In their Swarm debuts, the one-two punch of D Rory Smith and D Andrew Suitor made their presence felt with several punishing hits on Knighthawk offensemen. General Manager Marty O'Neill acquired both Smith and Suitor in the off-season to add toughness on defense. After trailing 10-8 in the fourth-quarter, the Knighthawks rallied and overtook the Swarm in overtime. Former Swarm F Craig Point sealed the deal for Rochester with a goal in overtime to give the Knighhawks a 11-10 victory. Make sure to visit mnswarm.com next weekend as the Swarm hit the road to take on the defending NLL champion Washington Stealth on Friday, Jan.14 at 10:00 p.m. CST. Fans not near a computer during the game can text "SWARM TURF" to 91944 to receive halftime and final score updates. Lower level single game tickets can be purchased for as low as $24 for 2011 home games. Tickets are available online at mnswarm.com or by calling 888-MN-SWARM.
