2008 Minnesota Swarm Schedule - Version 2

November 2, 2007

2008 Minnesota Swarm Schedule

Even with the turbulence of October in the NLL, I tend to like the new and improved 2008 Minnesota Swarm Schedule - Version 2.

We kept six of eight dates which probably isn't too bad. We got an extra Saturday game and dropped the Thursday night game. So we have:

• 4- Saturday
• 3 - Friday
• 1 - Sunday

What happened is that the original home opener on Friday, January 4 got moved to close the home schedule on Friday, April 25. Then the Thursday game originally scheduled on March 27 was made to a very much desirable Saturday game on April 19. Not to bad in my opinion.

It looks like the Swarm will stay in the East to make it seven team division while the West will have five teams (Calgary, Colorado, Edmonton, Portland and San Jose).

The Swarm will play each team in the East twice with the following idiosyncracies:

• We play Chicago will play four times. That rivalry should really start to take off this year. Two here and two there. The last weekend of the season we host on Friday, April 25 then we go to Hoffman Estates the following day to finish the home and home. Our first game against the Shamsux is on Friday, March 14 here then we go to HE on Saturday, March 29. This is fine for me but I kind of wish that each team host one game on Friday and one on Saturday and vice versa.
• We play two games against the Bandits but both are in Buffalo. So we won't be able to see John Tavares and the Bandit most of us dislike the most, Kyle Laverty. It never is easy for the Swarm when it comes to Buffalo. Incidentally both Buffalo and Toronto have nine home games and seven road games. How convenient for them.
• Like I mentioned above about Buffalo and Toronto having nine home games, is that they got two home games that should have went to the New York Titans. That leaves the Titans with only six home games and ten road games this year. Not only that, both the games for the Swarm against the Titans are here in Minnesota. That means we get to see former Swarm Head Coach Adam Mueller and former Swarm Director of Scouting Paul Stewart twice at the X.

We start the season with a home and home against the Toronto Rock. The second game of the home and home is here at the X on Saturday, January 12 to open up the X. Also, Kasey Beirnes, Jamie Taylor and Scott Campbell come back to town.

We go on the road twice after that. First to Rochester to play the defending NLL champions. Remember, they haven't lost since January 19 when the Swarm beat them 11-10 at the X. They have won fifteen straight since.

The last game of the road trip is a 9:30 start in San Jose to play the Stealth. The Stealth just came under new ownership as the CEO of Seagate bought them. The Swarm have beat the Stealth in both of the games they have played between them. However, we only beat them by one goal in each game. In the last game on 4/9/06 at the X, the Swarm needed four Dean Hill goals in his debut and Jamie Taylor's overtime goal to win it 9-8. Also, the Steatlh advanced to the West Division Finals last year.

The Swarm come back home for two games on the weekend of February 8 -10. The first game is Friday night as the Swarm host the Titans with their three headed scoring machine of Pat Maddalena, Casey Powell and Ryan Boyle.

The last game of that weekend is our only Sunday game at home against the Portland LumberJax at 3:00 pm. That day, the Swarm welcome back, hopefully, many former Swarm like Michael Kilby, Spencer Martin, Scott Stewart, Ryder Bateman and Ray Guze.

Next we embark on the Swarm's longest road trip of the season for three games. Two games against the Bandits sandwich this road trip with a game in Philadelphia against the Wings on February 22 in between. The Bandits as mentioned above are our nemesis as we have lost 10 of 11 to them including twice in the playoffs.

The Wings are looking to break a long playoff less streak of five seasons. We are 5-3 against the Wings and have won four straight. Chad Culp loves playing the Wings as he has scored 14 goals and 15 assists in seven games including a four goal, four assist game on February 10, 2006 at the X in a Swarm 11-10 victory. Culp got the game winner with 3:08 left to go to give the Swarm what could be considered their most important home victory in their history. Culp's performance earned him NLL Player of the Week honors.

The Swarm return home for a Friday night game on March 14 against the Shamrox as the league goes to Edmonton later that weekend for the All-Star game. This will be the first of four games against the Shamrox. With St. Patrick's day three days away, maybe a promotion along those lines could be expected.

The Swarm take a week off after the All-Star game before they travel to Chicago for a Saturday night tangle at the Sears Centre on March 29.

Then we get to what I describe as the second biggest month in Minnesota Swarm history. Four straight home games with the first three on Saturdays. The Titans, Wings and Knighthawks come to town for those games and then we finish the home part of the schedule on Friday, April 25 against the Shamrox. Four weekends of beautiful weather to tailgate as the Swarm embark on the stretch run to playoffs. Quite an advantage for the Swarm to have these games at home late in the season.

Then we finish the season in Chicago on Saturday, April 26 to finish a home and home series.

After that, we will host a division semifinal, division final and then the Champions Cup probably on either May 17 or 18.

So with that out of the way, we now have 69 days 22 Hours and 45 minutes until we start the home and home terrorizing of the Toronto Rock!!!!!

It's time to SWARM IT UP!!! as we Defend Our Turf!!!!!