Playoff Preview - Thunderbirds, Swarm face off in NLL Semifinals
May 2, 2026
The Halifax Thunderbirds are headed south on Saturday night, as they open their NLL Semifinal series with the Georgia Swarm at Gas South Arena. Opening face-off is set for 8:30 p.m. AT.
Scouting the Thunderbirds
Halifax mounted one of the most memorable comebacks in NLL history a week ago in Vancouver, toppling the first-seeded Vancouver Warriors to punch its ticket to the Semifinals.
Clarke Petterson has been an offensive driver for the entire season for Halifax, but it was Jason Knox's career night that stole the headlines, as he posted four goals and six points to pace the team in scoring.
Thunderbirds captain Cody Jamieson had 1 goal and two assists, as did assistant captain Jake Withers. Mike Robinson also continued his strong scoring form, burying two goals in the victory. Brendan Bomberry, Ryan Terefenko, and Casey Wilson all had two-assist nights.
But alongside the massive second-half comeback offensively was a shutout pitched by the defence and goaltender Warren Hill.
Hill made 36 saves in the victory, with many of them being pivotal to keeping Halifax in the fight. The Thunderbirds starter holds a 7.00 goals-against average and an .837 save percentage in the postseason following his standout Quarterfinal performance.
Scouting the Swarm
Not to be outdone, the Swarm ousted the three-time defending champion Buffalo Bandits with a strong all-around performance.
Lyle Thompson continued to show he's one of the most elite players in the league, with a four-goal, 10-point game. First-rounder Nolan Byrne also had a hat trick and six points in his NLL playoff debut.
The offence had a banner night across the board. Kaleb Benedict and Kean Moon each had six points, while Richie Connell and Shayne Jackson each had three goals and five points. Bryan Cole added a goal and four points in the win.
But Georgia also had a massive loss in their Quarterfinal victory, as rookie standout Michael Grace suffered a torn ACL that brought his outstanding rookie campaign to an abrupt end.
The Swarm will lean on veterans like Jordan MacIntosh, Mike Manley, and Jeff Henrick, as well as second-year man Jacob Hickey, who did a great job in his matchup against Dhane Smith last weekend.
But Georgia is anchored by Brett Dobson, who's the shoo-in Goaltender of the Year who could also take home Most Valuable Player come season's end. He holds a 10.00 GAA and a .783 SV% in the postseason.
Milestone Watch
- Warren Hill needs 10 saves to reach 200 for his playoff career
- Stephen Keogh needs three points to reach 50 for his playoff career
- Graeme Hossack needs nine loose balls to reach 100 for his playoff career
- Cody Jamieson needs one goal to reach 40 for his playoff career...Needs six assists to reach 70 for his playoff career
- Jake Withers needs four face-off wins to pass Jamie Hanford for sixth all-time in NLL History in playoff face-off wins (190)...Needs 14 face-off wins to reach 200 for his playoff career...Needs 11 loose balls to reach 150 for his playoff career
Broadcast Information
Thunderbirds fans can tune into all the action on Saturday night on TSN2, as well as TSN+ and NLL+. Fans in the United States can catch Game 1 on ESPN+