The Halifax Thunderbirds have won their first game of the 2026 National Lacrosse League semifinals. On Saturday, the Thunderbirds defeated the Georgia Swarm 12-7 at the Gas South Arena in Duluth, Georgia to take a 1-0 lead in the best out of three series.
Clarke Petterson of Toronto, Ontario had a sensational game for the Thunderbirds offensively. He led the team with nine points as he had two goals and seven assists. The Thunderbirds’s leading goal scorer was Jason Knox of Huntsville, Ontario, who had four goals.
Two more Thunderbirds players had a multi-goal game. Brendan Bomberry of Six Nations of the Grand River, Ontario and Stephen Keogh of Toronto each scored twice. Two Thunderbirds notched one goal. They were Casey Wilson of Victoria, British Columbia and Johnny Pearson of Langley, British Columbia.
The Thunderbirds are one of two Canadian teams in the National Lacrosse League to win this weekend. The other was the Toronto Rock (based out of Hamilton, Ontario), who beat the San Diego Seals 14-12 on Friday at Hamilton’s Toronto Dominion Coliseum. The Thunderbirds only have one game this weekend, while the Rock have two. Toronto is in San Diego against the Seals on Sunday. Halifax next faces Georgia in Halifax on Saturday, May 9.
