N.S. lacrosse player makes first professional appearance in front of hometown crowd

Nova Scotia lacrosse player Liam McGrath made his first professional appearance in front of a hometown crowd Saturday night in Halifax.

Liam McGrath, 24, had the night all young lacrosse players dream of.

He played a professional game in front of his family, friends, and lacrosse community. His team, the Georgia Swarm, played in Halifax Saturday, taking down the home team Thunderbirds in a decisive 11-7 victory.

McGrath, a Hatchett Lake, N.S., native, came up through minor lacrosse in the Halifax area playing for the St. Margaret’s Bay Storm and Bedford Rock. He played junior lacrosse for Mi’kmaq Warriors and St. Margaret’s Rebels, before moving on with his lacrosse career with the Orangeville Northmen.

He represented Nova Scotia in both box and field lacrosse in his youth. Lacrosse Nova Scotia Technical Director KJ MacNeil says as a Thunderbirds fan, he couldn’t help but go to the Saturday game as a bit of Swarm fan.

“(McGrath) put in a lot of time, and made sacrifices, leaving home at a young age to pursue this goal, and we’re really proud of him,” said MacNeil.

McGrath was drafted to the National Lacrosse League (NLL) in 2023 when Georgia picked him 26th overall from Lenoir-Rhyne University in Hickory, North Carolina.

He is the fifth Nova Scotian to play in the NLL and only the second to play a professional game in Halifax.

In his off season, McGrath has returned to Halifax to help coach high performance youth in the box and field provincial programs.

“(It was) great to see my coach come to town and get a win. I’m super proud of him,” said 14-year-old Kye MacDougall.

Seeing him play Saturday was inspiring to the youth he has coached.

“To see someone go to the highest level, it makes that pathway real, and something they can do themselves,” said MacNeil.

The McGrath family came out in full force to support their son. His mom Dawn said messages started coming in early in the day.

“There were lots of congratulations and good wishes for him. Everyone is just really happy for him,” she said.

“It’s a dream come true for him, and our whole family. He’s been working really hard for this for a really long time. We are proud, and happy for him.”

His grandparents were also in the stands watching him play.

“This isn’t just a lacrosse parent’s dream come true, but also a grandparents’,” said his grandfather Doug Begg.

McGrath greeted family, friends and fans after the game at the Scotiabank Centre. It was hugs and congratulations all around on this momentous occasion.

The Georgia Swarm will meet the Halifax Thunderbirds again March 20 for a rematch in Duluth, Georgia.

For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page