This Saturday, the Swarm are celebrating local heroes from many walks of life. However, in the Minnesota lacrosse world, we have seemingly ordinary individuals like you or me (ok maybe just you) with superhuman lacrosse abilities.

Our favorite professional indoor lacrosse team, the Minnesota Swarm (2-1), finishes this weekend at the buzzing confines of Xcel Energy Center against the hairy Colorado Mammoth (2-2). The Mammoth are the only NLL team the Swarm has never beaten, losing both regular season games in the series, the last one being in 2007 at the X.

The Mammoth finally played a good game last weekend in their 12-8 victory over the New York Titans. They scored some goals and seem to be getting behind backup netminder Andrew Leyshon (1-1 8.55 GAA .782 Save %) who is filling in for the injured Gee Nash (1-1 13.49 GAA .696 Save %). The amazing thing about Leyshon is that he was without an NLL job last year, but was able to make a comeback for 2009. He has generally been a back up and never held a starting role for long. The question is: can Leyshon keep up his play or will his fifteen minutes be up starting this Saturday?

The Mammoth do have some talent on offense that may have started to hit its stride. As always, Mammoth captain Gavin Prout (6g 9a) leads the team in scoring. The 2006 NLL Playoff MVP, Prout is triggerman for their offense and often in the top five in the league for assists. The loquacious Brian Langtry (8g 6a) can definitely tickle the twine but he maybe the streakiest goal scorer in the league as he will score six in one game then one in the next. He is very outspoken and may be one of the best characters in the league. He was even featured on the cover of this year’s Inside Lacrosse NLL Preview issue (http://insidelacrosse.com/page.cfm?PageRID=192878). Langtry never stops talking and probably talks to himself to hear the sound of his own voice. Matt Danowski (5g 0a) is the second big time rookie field player (Paul Rabil the first) visiting the X this year as he adjusts to playing indoors. Last weekend, Danowski earned NLL Rookie of the Week props for his hat trick against New York.

Speaking of rookies, the Swarm have a duo that should make their NLL debuts this weekend in Joe Cinosky and Kevin Buchanan. Cinosky will provide the size and speed the coaches have raved about in training camp. Buchanan has a hard outside shot and may be more willing than most on the team to put shots on net. Honestly, I don’t know how they will respond in their first go, but I will take a bet that they will prove Swarm Head Coach Duane Jacobs’ decision to play them the correct.

This Thursday is Chad Culp’s birthday. He will be turning 27 and has grown as a lacrosse player over the last five years. He may not be scoring like he has in the past, but then again, only one player can score at a time. It is the all around game you see from Chad that is impressive. He is just as comfortable and proficient at disrupting the opponent’s transition as he is going to the net off a screen or pick. Of all the players on the team, he always has a quick smile and seemingly child-like innocence that makes him so easy to like. You see this on the turf but you know that behind the easy smile, he is coming at you with unbridled ferocity. So, if you bump into Chad this weekend, wish him a Happy Birthday and thank him for all the hard work he has done for the Swarm.

Keep your eyes open for a new Swarm player this weekend. His name is Josh Funk and he joins The Ohio State University clique that the Swarm have started with Kevin Buchanan and Ricky Pages. Funk is a defenseman who was drafted by the now-defunct Chicago Shamrox with the 21st pick in the 2008 Entry Draft. He ended up in New York after the Shamrox folded but was released on the day the season started. According to this story (http://www.monocacymonocle.com/images/MMV11_9-12.pdf ) on page 10, Funk is attending medical school at UMBC. So, if your significant other needs emergency treatment at the game, soon-to-be Dr. Funk should be able to do CPR until the EKG reads that the MRI is A-OK. He replaces Riley Kemp on the roster, who was placed on injured reserve last week. Funk will be wearing #5 on his blue and gold Swarm jersey.

It is not easy to win back to back games, but looking at this weekend the game at the X seems to favor the Swarm more than the game Friday. The Mammoth have struggled to get to 2-2 and have been inconsistent. Some of that maybe due to player turnover in the last couple of years, but it may be that they're just not quite as good as they used to be. The Swarm have the better, more balanced offense, quicker, more proficient transition and the stouter defense. That’s even before we talk about the Swarm goaltending duo of Nick Patterson and Kevin Croswell, who have both been lights out keeping the ball out of the net this year.

Prediction: Minnesota Swarm 13 Colorado Mammoth 9

Corporal