Making a first start as a goaltender in the NLL is always nerve-racking, but rookie Evan Kirk was faced with more pressure than any old debut. 

For starters, his brother Mike Kirk, a defenseman for Rochester, was playing opposite of him. Then, tack on the fact that the he would have to follow up the Swarm’s starting goaltender Tyler Carlson’s brillaint 10-9 overtime victory against Edmonton on Friday night.

None of it fazed Kirk however, who stopped 46 shots in Minnesota’s 9-6 win over Rochester on Sunday, Feb. 12 at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul. 

Although he looked cool, calm, and collected on the turf, Kirk admitted after the game that he had battled some butterflies. 

“Yeah, I was extremely nervous,” Kirk said.  “I’m the type of guy that’ll get nervous before a game, but after our defense started playing solid in front of me it kind of went away.

“It feels good, but… I’m pretty bagged right now.”

Although he sat for the first four games of the Swarm’s season, coach Mike Lines had no special words of inspiration to get the goaltender pumped up.

“I just left him alone,” Lines said. “We talked enough during the week, and I just let him be himself, I didn’t wanna get him more nervous than he was.”

As it turned out, the silent treatment was just what the doctor ordered. 

46 saves on 52 shots meant Kirk saved 88 percent of shots he faced, a statistic that would put him well above the league leader in goals against average and save percentage. Not only did he limit the dangerous Rochester offense throughout the match up, he held them to just one goal in the decisive fourth quarter which allowed Minnesota to glide to a victory.

“Phenomenal, He did a great job,” Lines said. “I mean, first game ever played in the league he stood on his head and made some great saves -- made some big saves late in the game.”

Kirk was selected sixth overall by the Minnesota Swarm in the 2011 entry draft out of Hobart College. He played goaltender for four years there and then played for the Kitchener-Waterloo Kodiaks of Major Series Lacrosse. 

He is five years younger than his brother Mike, who is in his sixth season in the NLL. Evan claims that he didn’t do any trash-talking before the game because it’s not his style.

“I didn’t see him a lot because he was on the other end of the floor,” Evan said. “I was a little nervous when he was coming down here, I thought he was gonna take a shot… We’ve grown up playing the sport together and it’s kind of a privilege to play together.”

After the Swarm won however, did he at least fire a parting shot?

“Maybe a little,” he said with a smile. "I did after the game a little."

-- Walker Orenstein, MN Lax Hub staff

1.  Evan Kirk, Minnesota
Constantly facing a barrage of shots from all angles -- even stoning a point blank attempt by Rochester's Cody Jamieson who is second in the league in scoring -- Kirk maintained steady composure in his NLL debut. The rookie goaltender finished with 46 saves for his first career victory and also had an assist on Andrew Suitor's second goal.

2.  Callum Crawford, Minnesota
Crawford assisted on the first goal of the game with a perfectly timed and placed behind-the-back pass to Ryan Benesch. The six-year veteran wouldn't stop there as Crawford finished with four assists as well as four loose balls.

3.  Andrew Suitor, Minnesota
The Swarm captain is heading to the 2012 NLL All-Star Game on Saturday, Feb. 25, for good reason. Suitor made an unreal effort for his first goal working his way to the cage and scoring while falling to the turfed floor. Suitor also scored in the game's final minute on a breakaway to seal the victory for Minnesota and also had one assist.

-- Michael Murakami, MN Lax Hub staff