Game Preview: New York Riptide vs the Georgia Swarm
January 25, 2024 - National Lacrosse League (NLL)
New York Riptide News Release
The Georgia Swarm and New York Riptide are scheduled to meet on Saturday, January 27th at 7:30 PM at the Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, New York. The Riptide are coming off one of the biggest wins of the season and in franchise history against the Buffalo Bandits last weekend. Jeff Teat registered a season-high 10 points in that contest, carrying the Riptide to victory alongside Cam Dunkerley, who made 47 saves. The Georgia Swarm let a fourth-quarter lead slip away last weekend against the Toronto Rock and fell to the # 1 team in the league, 12-9. Lyle Thompson registered his 300th career goal in that contest, another milestone in an already illustrious career. Despite Lyle's six-point effort, Toronto's five-goal fourth quarter proved insurmountable for the Swarm to come back from. This game will be broadcast on ESPN+ and TSN+ for anyone who cannot attend the game. In-game live updates will be posted on the team's X account @newyorkriptide.
Riptide Turning the Corner:
The New York Riptide have won two of their last three games this season after a slow start to the year. Jeff Teat, Reilly O'Connor, and Connor Kearnan have been instrumental to the team's offensive success during the past three games. All three rank within the Top 20 in points as they have jumpstarted the offense in recent games with new additions to the team like Kiel Matisz and Stephen Keogh. Matisz is second in the league with six powerplay goals, as the big righty has been crucial to the team's success on the power play. Stephen Keogh, who was acquired two games into the season, had his best game in a Riptide jersey last Friday with four goals and one assist. If the 36-year-old can continue to turn back the clock and contribute like this night in and night out, the Riptide will continue to rise up the standings.
While the New York offense drew the majority of attention on Friday, the defense stepped up when relied upon in crucial moments. Callum Jones, the 3rd pick in the 2023 NLL draft, played one of the best games of his career so far, picking up 13 loose balls while matching up against one of the most dangerous offenses in the NLL. Callum Jones has cemented his status as a standout rookie, consistently matching up against top opponents. Callum Jones was awarded Rookie of the Week following last week's strong performance. Along with the addition of Callum Jones, Mitch Wilde has been great in his first year with the Riptide, finding transition opportunities often, as he's scored three goals this year in transition.
Riptide Ranks in the NLL:
After his most recent 10-point performance, Jeff Teat is now sitting second in the league in goals, just behind Lyle Thompson. Jeff Teat is also tied for third in overall points, just two behind Dhane Smith. Jeff Teat had one of his worst performances in a game in Week 3 when he tied a career low with just 2 points against the Thunderbirds on December 16th. Since then, Jeff has registered 31 points over the past 4 games, averaging just under eight points a game to put himself among the league leaders. Teat will look to replicate last week's success in this matchup as he will be looking to outscore Lyle Thompson and take over the league lead for Goals.
Coming off his best performance of the season, Cameron Dunkerley sits at #5 in the league in saves with 221. Dunkerley also ranks in the Top Ten for goals-against average (GAA) and save percentage among starters in the NLL. The 24-year-old is in his first year as a full-time starter and has shown flashes of his full potential to be a top goaltender in the NLL. Ron John has been a big help for Dunkerley as well, as Ron is tied for second in the NLL in caused turnovers.
Lyle and Georgia's Recent Success:
After starting the 2022-2023 season 0-7, Georgia turned into one of the hottest teams in the NLL. Lyle Thompson and the Swarm have gone 12-6 since dropping the initial seven games of the 2022-2023 season. The Swarm finished last season 8-3, narrowly missing the playoffs after their abysmal start. The Swarm's success began to pick up as Brett Dobson took on a bigger role with the team. As a rookie, Brett Dobson took time to adjust to the league's best shooters but has now established himself as one of the NLL's next great goalies. Dobson is saving the ball at 78% in his career and provides a steady, reliable option between the pipes for the Swarm each night. Andrew Kew has loved playing against the Riptide in his career. In his last three games against the Riptide, Kew has posted 21 points combined, making him a player to look out for alongside Lyle Thompson on Saturday.
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National Lacrosse League Stories from January 25, 2024
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- Game Preview: New York Riptide vs the Georgia Swarm - New York Riptide
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