To recap a monumental decade of pro lacrosse, Pro Lacrosse Talk enlisted members of the lacrosse community to recount the top moments in pro lacrosse from 2010 to 2019. This article was published as part of the “Top Pro Lacrosse Moments of the Decade” series.
The moment for me is the Champions Cup game in 2017 between Saskatchewan and Georgia.
While the 2017 championship was the Swarm’s first-ever appearance in the title game, the Rush were in the finals for the third consecutive year and hoping to become the first team to claim three straight Champion’s Cups since the Rochester Knighhawks did it from 2012 to 2014. The game also featured all four of the Thompson brothers with Lyle, Miles and Jerome on the Swarm and Jeremy on the opposing Rush.
After winning the first game of the series, Georgia found themselves down 14-13 with a minute and a half to go. Lyle Thompson got a look at an empty net and took a shot with seconds ticking down, but Jeremy Thompson dove in front of the net to block the shot for the Rush. It was then picked up and buried by Joel White with three seconds left to force overtime. Then in overtime, Lyle Thompson found his brother Miles Thomspon for the game-winning goal.
That was seriously one of the best finishes to a season that I’ve ever seen, and a franchise’s first-ever league title. I was there for it and that building was rocking; then you could hear a pin drop. I still can’t get over the way in which they won.
Watch the highlights of the 2017 NLL Championship below to relive the thrilling finish and Georgia Swarm’s first NLL title.
