2014 Minnesota Swarm Training Camp - Lefties

December 6, 2014

The final Swarm training camp preview looks at the team's lefty shooters. Like former Swarm General Manager Marty O'Neill would say and I paraphrase, "finding a good lefty forward is the toughest player to find". O'Neill said it better than I remember it but it sure is true. Looking at the Swarm roster, we know we definitely got one of the best lefties in the NLL. We also got another pretty good player who may still have room to grow. We drafted a couple hopefully will be good lefties. We have one lefty trying to come back from not playing for a year. Another one who wants to do more than collect dust on the practice squad. We even have a lefty who at one time set the Swarm single-season goal record his first time around with the team.

He started with a mild roar but by the end of the 2014 season, the roar from Logan Schuss was loud enough to smash diamonds. The 2014 NLL Rookie of the Year and first overall pick in the 2013 NLL Entry Draft got better each game with his cannon from the outside and he ability to get to the net. We don't expect a slow start from Schuss to start 2015 and an hundred point season may very well be attainable.

Shayne Jackson is the solid number two behind Schuss. Entering his third year, Jackson still has room to grow but two consecutive 50 point seasons shows that he belongs. He works hard down low and plays much bigger than his size. Look for another solid season from Jackson with at least 60 points.

The Swarm ownership of today don't normally look into the past for answers or inspiration but this offseason they did in bringing back Dean Hill. Hill was with the Swarm from 2006 - 2009 and set a team record with 32 goals in a season in 2007. He has bounced around since then and played in a couple games last year with the Mammoth. He has one of the best sticks right on the crease and if he is shape, which has always been a concern, Hill will definitely have a spot on this team.

Zach Palmer was drafted in 2013 but he spent all of 2014 on the practice roster. He is back in camp after spending the fall leading the Grand Rapids Dragonfish of the Contintental Indoor Lacrosse League but he hasn't played at a high level indoors since Junior A in Whitby in 2012.

Two 2014 draftees are battling for spots on the left side. The fifth overall pick, Shane MacDonald, comes to camp injury and hopefully jinxed-free. When he has played in the summer he has been spectaculer but staying healthy has been an issue the last two year. Joe Haodais Maracle was taken tenth overall and is coming off a Minto Cup championship run with the Six Nations Arrows. Maracle already has pro experience playing two years in CLAX with 35 points in 15 games over two years showing he was able to play with against veteran players at such a young age.

Nick Cotter was a surprise signing as he has played for other NLL teams in his career which usually disqualifies one from playing for the Swarm. He did not play in 2014 due to injury but according to reports he is healthy again and based on past performance, he can definitely be a spark for any team he plays for. If his coaching duties don't intrude much and he looks impressive in camp, Cotter could edge out the rookies to make the team.

I figure four lefties will make the team out of camp. Schuss and Jackson are locks in my opinion but the other two spots are wide open. I think the Swarm prefer MacDonald and Maracle to make the team considering they just drafted them and will cost less than veteran players like Hill and Cotter. For the two vets to make the team, they have to show up to camp in great shape and make themselves too indispensable to be let go. Two spots up for consideration should make this the group to watch in camp.