Hamilton Nationals 10, New York Lizards 12

(Make sure you check out Connor’s game recap, as well as the story behind Tommy Palasek’s new stick, if you haven’t already.)

Regardless of opponent, situation, or pretty much anything, when Greg Gurenlian is on (as he tends to be), the New York Lizards have a shot at winning the game. Thursday’s game was no exception, and the seemingly endless opportunities were too much for rookie goalie Dillon Ward and the Nationals’ (Brodie Merrill-less) defense to handle.

After Matt Dolente’s 13-32 performance last week against Anthony Kelly and the Denver Outlaws, Mike Poppleton was given the assignment of stopping Gurenlian, a.k.a the only guy in the league with a better faceoff percentage than Kelly. This did not go well for Hamilton; Poppleton finished 9-32, including 3-14 in the first half.

Joe Spallina shook up his attack line in the second quarter, switching out Mark Matthews for Matt Gibson, and sending Matthews out of the box for the remainder of the game. The result? Of Tommy Palasek’s game-high four goals, Gibson and Pannell had two assists each.

Time will tell if the lineup remains the same, but this appears to be the best fit for the Lizards attack. Granted he did pretty well for himself when he played attack in college, but Matthews demonstrated an ability to produce out of the box when Jim Stagnitta started playing him in this manner last season with the Outlaws. Let Pannell run things from x, have Palasek and Gibson on the wings, and send Matthews out the box, north-south, on a dead sprint. Imagine you have Seibald and Matthews on the same midfield line: which guy gets the short stick, the small one?

Ward settled in nicely and made several clutch saves in the later stages of the game, but why was he there to begin with? Brett Queener’s been saving almost 60% of the shots that come his way, and although his last outing wasn’t stellar (note: the Outlaws put 28 shots on goal in Queener’s three quarters in net, also, they’re the Outlaws), his numbers are still amongst the top of his class. Are the Nationals are headed for another timeshare situation in goal? Since Huntley tiptoes around roster disclosure like lasers in a heist movie, we may never know until it’s been done. Or not done.

Denver Outlaws 13, Chesapeake Bayhawks 9

If the Chesapeake Bayhawks sat down and made a list of tasks they needed to accomplish in order to beat the Denver Outlaws, chances are it would go something like this:

1. Hold them to fewer than 20 goals (coach Dave Cottle stated this one earlier in the week)
2. Minimize the damage done by Brendan Mundorf.
3. Keep the faceoff battle close.

Well, the Outlaws tied their lowest point total of the season, Mundorf was held to his lowest point total of the season and the teams split the faceoffs 50-50. Check, check and check, and yet they still couldn’t  snap Denver’s winning streak.

Chesapeake’s chances looked good early, as they held Denver to only two goals in the first quarter (their lowest-scoring quarter in over a month). Ultimately, they failed to capitalize on their offensive opportunities, and while only one point from Lee Zink’s assignment (in this case, John Grant Jr) is par for the course, Junior’s supporting attackmen each only chipped in one goal as well.

Denver head coach Jim Stagnitta went 2-2 on coaches’ challenges, as a Michael Kimmel goal was waived off (crease violation) in the second quarter, and Brendan Mundorf goal was, umm, waived on (initially ruled a no-goal, replay indicated the ball did, in fact, cross the plane) a few minutes later. While Kimmel’s goal would have given the Bayhawks a 3-2 lead, Denver’s Eric Law broke the tie, giving the Outlaws a lead they’d never give back.

And while we’re on the subject, it’s fair to say Eric Law officially has our complete attention. Mixing crafty off-ball work and quickness off the whistle, finishing on the crease or from ten yards out, Law has definitely earned the two rookie of the week awards he’s picked up in his two weeks in the league. And speaking of 100%, if you haven’t heard, he’s scored nine goals on his nine shots as a pro. Not absurd enough for you? How about this: dating back to the first round of the NCAA tournament, Eric Law has scored on 19 of his last 20 shots. 19. Of. 20. There’s nowhere to go from there. Paragraph over. Story over. NEXT GAME!

Boston Cannons 15,  Charlotte Hounds 13

Between Lance’s game recap and Connor’s Boston analysis, these teams are pretty well covered for the week, so here’s a quick follow-up on two of Connor’s observations before we move on:

Not only did Saturday mark Will Manny’s second two-goal performance in as many games, but he seemed to possess the ball more than in his first two games combined, even occasionally relegating Ryan Boyle to wing duties and initiating the offense from X himself.

While Paul Rabil took a total of four shots (his fewest since June 4, 2010, also his last game without a point) Mike Stone took eight (tying his career-high) and scored on four, including three consecutive goals during the Cannons’ second-quarter comeback. Although Rabil leads the Cannons with 16 goals this season, Stone is only two goals behind, and he’s scored them while taking half as many shots.

Nobody’s going to say the key to a Boston turnaround is keeping the ball away from Boyle and making sure Rabil never shoots again, but if this game was any indication, the Cannons’ success throughout the remainder of the season may hinge upon head coach John Tucker’s ability to spread out the offensive duties a little more than they’ve grown accustomed to in the last two years.

Rochester Rattlers 11, Ohio Machine 13

DOUBLE DIGITS Y’ALL!

That’s right, for the first time this season, the Ohio Machine put more than nine goals on the board in a single game. Even more importantly, they snapped an 11-game losing streak thanks in part to Joe Cummings (career-high five goals) and Connor Martin, who tied a career-high five points in his triumphant return from the IR.

Martin’s return to the lineup was like your teacher coming back after you had a substitute and screwed around all week: order was restored amongst the youngsters, and it was finally time to get back to work. He  scored off the invert or up top, hit cutters in stride and picked up a hockey assist or two, by which you can correctly assume the Ohio offense is starting to run smoothly enough that three people could be directly involved in one scoring play, which seemed crazy not so long ago.

Although John Ranagan turned in another solid performance (his second hat trick in as many games), this was by no means Rochester’s finest performance – they were plagued by unforced turnovers, poor offensive cohesion (Mike Leveille registered the team’s lone assist) and questionable decision-making all over the place. But Ohio won this game; the Rattlers didn’t give it away. Frankly, the game could’ve gotten out of hand were it not for another solid performance (25 saves, including nine in the first quarter) from John Galloway. Between point-blank saves and 70 yard outlet passes, Galloway was quite possibly only three goals away from earning defensive player of the week honors for the third consecutive week.

View From 30,000 Feet

Denver stays on top as the undisputed champ for another week, but what did we learn? Anything? It seems like the week left us with far more questions than answers, but one thing’s for sure: reports of your favorite team’s demise may have been greatly exaggerated, albeit for perfectly good reasons. As week seven proved, no team’s season is over quite yet, and if they are going down eventually, they are all going down swinging.

Last week, our friends at Adrenaline, an LAS partner, hosted the 2013 Black Card Showcase in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. In it’s second year, the Black Card event featured 175 high school boys lacrosse players who are counted amongst the top one percent of uncommitted aspiring collegiate athletes in North America.

From what I’ve gathered in speaking with people close to the event, it was a total success. Players from all over the map were able to show off their talents to 75 college recruiters, including representatives from most of the top NCAA Division I programs. Organizers of Black Card are even expecting a 100% college placement success rate amongst upperclassmen following their performances.

One interesting thing I noticed was that four of the top 10 performances at the event came from West Coast players. How close is the West Coast to producing just as much talent as the East, exactly? Adrenaline’s rankings suggest it may not be too long until high school talent is neck and neck.

In the video below, we visit with three aspiring lacrosse athletes, all from unique areas, who made their way to the Black Card Showcase with a mission to prove themselves and earn an chance to play at the NCAA Division 1 level.

Phillip Goss, the goalie from San Francisco above, was listed as the #9 standout at the Black Card Showcase. According to event staff, there were many solid goal keepers in attendance, but something about Goss brightly stood out.

Meanwhile, Beau Botkiss, a product of the San Diego lacrosse community, was listed as having third best performance at Black Card. The lefty long-stick midfielder is said to play an aggressive, physical brand of ball. Word is he possesses great natural instincts, too.

And while it’s all fine and dandy to raise these kids up right now, as well as bury them in sweet new gear, let’s not forget they’re in for a wild ride on the recruiting roller coaster from here. These kids are chasing their dreams, and attending events like the Adrenaline Black Card help get them discovered. Suddenly they’re hot topics on the recruiting scene.

How each player handles the attention and continues to improve his game will ultimately determine if he achieves his dream one day.

Interested in talking more about lacrosse recruiting and who’s going where? Sound off in the
boys lacrosse recruiting section in the LAS Community.

What will you do this offseason to make yourself the best lacrosse player you can be?

Are you training one on one with the best player from your area? Are you hitting the wall everyday, or hitting the gym to build up your speed and strength? Or are you lounging by your best buddy’s pool and playing video games?

Have a cool way to train? Sound off in the comments and share your knowledge with everyone!

Gentlemen, Below is the 20 Man Roster for Rochester.

Rabil. Boyle. Sweeney. Belisle. Stone. All the names one would expect from our All Star studded cast appear, as they should, in our coach’s email. A few new names have appeared the last few weeks as college seasons end and All Americans graduate to their first professional season. With my fingers crossed I scan the list twice, hoping to see my name for the chance to make my Major League Lacrosse debut. This will not be the week.

My eyes return to the top of the email. I had missed it. I was so obsessed with finding my name that I failed to notice that the team had released two defensemen. My heart begins to race. These are good poles with game experience in this league. Was there a mistake? Was my name supposed to be on there too? Had I dodged a bullet? Last I checked these guys were ahead of me on the depth chart.

After a solid conversation with our head coach (who has since been replaced), I was reassured that the coaching staff loved my intensity and attitude, and to keep it up. No promises about game time, just keep doing what I’m doing. I take a deep breath and let this announcement fuel the fire to do what I’ve done every week since the first week of training camp. Stay positive. Support my teammates. Train harder than anyone so I am always prepared for that moment when that challenge finally arrives. The Dream Is Alive.

With training camp well in the rearview, home game practices and shoot-arounds are the only opportunities left to show the coaching staff how my game is improving week to week. For those of you that know my game, you know that I always go hard and throw some big checks. After being moved from Active Roster to Practice Squad in Week Two, I made it a point to go even harder in our pre game practices… So much that I was even reeled in by a coach after throwing some heavy lumber at one of our attackmen trying to turn the corner on me at GLE. Just imagine if he was on the other team! I’ve repeated this to myself several times following that moment… Just imagine.

With limited reps to demonstrate how my 2.5 hours in the gym and 30+ minutes on the wall/shooting each day are helping me to develop, I realize that I have to show that I am a professional in everything that I do. I’ve adopted the attitude that from the moment I pull into Harvard Stadium I am trying out each week. How I carry myself in the locker room, interact with team personnel, demonstrate my understanding of our systems, even during line drills – these are all factors that can play into roster decisions.

I have to admit, I also really miss my team when we go on the road. As hard as it was to be on the sideline for our home games, I thoroughly enjoyed the experience of being a part of such a professionally run organization. From the front office, to our trainer,s to Michael Fox, the best equipment man in the game, and all of the great guys in the locker room – this team is a family.

Despite a 2-5 start (maybe the worst in Cannons’ history?) I know that the chemistry and professionalism of our team is going to give us strength down the stretch where some other teams with early success might fade. I am humbled to be a part of this thing and will keep working harder every week. If you were sitting just inches from achieving your dream, what would you do?

Our next home game at Harvard is June 21st. In the interim I will share some tips on what I did to prepare for my first MLL training camp and some background on how I got here. And who knows, maybe by the next article I will get my shot! Just imagine.

Malcolm Chase is a member of the 2013 Boston Cannons. He played in the North American Lacrosse League for the Boston Rockhoppers and the Rhode Island Kingfish this past season and ran on the LXMPRO Tour in 2012. He founded Long Stick Middie, the first and only nationwide specialized clinics for long stick midfielders and defensemen. Check out the 2013 Summer Schedule on the site, and more details including the LSM Instructional DVD SPEAK SOFTLY AND CARRY A BIG STICK at LongStickMiddie.com

That was actually a very cool answer to a somewhat silly question… my, how the circle of life (and lacrosse) comes around!

CW saw these guys playing in person over at the Ales Hrebesky Memorial in the Czech Republic, and they are definitely picking up the game quickly, and with vigor. It’s exciting to think where Scotland box lacrosse could be in just a couple more years.

US Lacrosse HS Top 25

1. Ward Melville (N.Y.) 22-0, 200 (8), State Class A champion
2. Loyola-Blakefield (Md.) 13-8, 185, MIAA champion
3. Garden City (N.Y.) 19-3, 176, State Class B champion
4. Boys’ Latin (Md.) 19-1 175, MIAA runner-up
5. Gonzaga (D.C.) 19-2, 161, WCAC champion
6. Malvern Prep (Pa.) 16-2, 148, Inter-Ac League champion & Invitational runner-up
7. Culver Military (Ind.) 18-2, 147, Season complete
8. La Salle (Pa.) 23-2, 143, PIAA champion
9. Niskayuna (N.Y.) 21-1, 140, State Class B semifinalist
10. Jamesville-DeWitt (N.Y.) 20-2, 138, State Class B runner-up
11. McDonogh (Md.) 14-4, 114, MIAA semifinalist
12. Hereford (Md.) 19-2, 104, State Class 3A/2A champion
13. Chaminade (N.Y.) 15-2, 104, CHSAA champion
14. Gilman (Md.) 12-4, 95, MIAA quarterfinalist
15. Haverford School (Pa.) 15-7, 93, Inter-Ac third place & Invitational champion
16. Calvert Hall (Md.) 11-6, 73, MIAA semifinalist
17. Salesianum (Del.) 17-2, 59, DIAA champion
18. Cazenovia Central (N.Y.) 22-2, 52, State Class C champion
19. Ridge (N.J.) 20-3, 47, ToC champion
20. Episcopal Academy (Pa.) 15-6, 41, Inter-Ac League runner-up
21. St. Stephen’s & St. Agnes (Va.) 18-6, 41, VISAA & Co-IAC Champions
22. St. Paul’s (Md.) 15-5, 37, MIAA quarterfinalist
23. Yorktown (N.Y.) 17-3, 27 Season complete
24. Delbarton (N.J.) 17-1, 21, Season complete
25. St. Ignatius Prep (Calif.) 21-1, 20, WCAL champion

Others receiving votes:

West Genesee (N.Y.) 15-6, 16
Paul VI (Va.) 20-4, 13
Shoreham-Wading River (N.Y.) 18-2, 9
Fayetteville-Manlius (N.Y.) 17-1, 9
Bronxville (N.Y.) 22-2, 6
Conestoga (Pa.) 15-11, 3
St. Anthony’s (N.Y.) 11-5, 2
Ithaca (N.Y.) 15-3, 1

Ok, now let’s take a look at the other growing high school poll:

The IL/Under Armour Top 25

1. Ward Melville (N.Y.), 22-0
2. Boys’ Latin (Md.), 19-1
3. Gonzaga (D.C.), 19-2
4. Garden City (N.Y.), 19-3
5. Culver (Ind.), 18-2
6. Chaminade (N.Y.), 15-2
7. La Salle College (Pa.), 23-2
8. Loyola Blakefield (Md.), 13-8
9. Deerfield Academy (Mass.), 15-1
10. Malvern Prep (Pa.), 16-2
11. Niskayuna (N.Y.), 21-1
12. Jamesville-DeWitt (N.Y.), 20-2
13. Yorktown (N.Y.), 17-3
14. Delbarton (N.J.), 17-1
15. Hill Academy (Ont.), 18-4
16. Haverford School (Pa.), 15-7
17. McDonogh (Md.), 14-4
18. St. Ignatius Prep (Calif.), 21-1
19. Massapequa (N.Y.), 15-2
20. Gilman (Md.), 12-4
21. St. Stephen’s & St. Agnes (Va.), 18-6
22. Cazenovia Central (N.Y.), 22-2
23. Ridge (N.J.), 20-3
24. Upper Arlington (Ohio), 18-2
25. Salesianum (Del.), 17-2

Phew, that was a lot to take in. I’ll now look for some basic takeaways:

State Representation – New York is represented 21 times between the two lists. Maryland is hit up 11 times. No matter who is counting, these states clearly still reign supreme. Pennsylvania impresses with 8 spots between the two polls, and New Jersey has 4 spots. Other states (or districts) rarely have more than one school on either list, and in most cases, the same schools show on both lists.

It is interesting to note that the Hill Academy shows up on the IL/UA poll, but is not looked at for the US Lacrosse poll. Deerfield also shows highly in the UA poll, but is not a US Lacrosse worthy team it seems. The closest New England schools to inclusion were likely Fairfield Prep (CT) and Lincoln-Sundbury (MA).

Culver Academy (IN) – Culver is in Indiana. Let’s take a look at their roster, and see where these guys are from: 9 of these guys are actually from Indiana. That’s pretty cool, and bodes well for future development in-state. There are 3 players from Ontrario, one from South Korea, and get this… NONE from Maryland or New York. In fact. the biggest lacrosse states represented are probably New Jersey and Pennsylvania, and each has a whopping one player. Illinois, Ohio, Wisconsin… these kids come from everywhere.

California – It’s still the land of potential out there. Top players are moving out there, competition is picking up, and it’s only a matter of time before we start to see two or three CA schools gracing the Top 20. Within 10 years, I predict we’ll see 3 or more pretty consistently. The game is exploding out there, and reaching new levels. Continue to keep an eye on that!

Takeaways

While the pack is still located back East in an area stretching only a couple hundred miles, it seems like lacrosse is still very much an “East Coast” sport, but as we’ve seen above, that would only scratch the surface. Once submerged, we can see that there is a true undercurrent at work, and it’s pulling West. We will continue to see more Chase Carraro type players coming from non-traditional areas, and as we are seeing with Culver, when they pull together, they are up there with the best.

New York and Maryland are still the Kings of the Heap, but the others are coming… it’s only a matter of time.

West Australia defeated Victoria last week 11-8 at Footscray Lacrosse Club in Melbourne in the Australian National Championships. West Australia’s, Tim Stoner was named MVP for the match.

Victoria had defeated Western Australia in the round robin match previously by a goal (score was 7-6), but in the final, West Australia led from the outset, and took home the victory. Knowing that they had only gone down by a goal in their previous meeting with Victoria, the game plan seemed to be predicated on getting in front early, which WA did, enabling then them to start the second quarter a goal up on Victoria.

When the game was on the line in the second quarter West Australian goal-keeper, Warren Brown had a couple of huge saves on Victoria’s Aaron Lawman, which set the tone and boosted WA’s confidence. It has been great to see Warren back in between the pipes. WA Defender, Callum Robinson (from Stevenson, the D3 NCAA champ), was also able to generate possessions and turnovers through on-ball pressure.

It was in the third quarter that WA really broke away from Victoria with a strong showing, and the score was suddenly 10-4. During this period Western Australia just kept possession of the ball and maintained pressure on Victoria’s defense. Victoria struggled to clear the ball against West Australia’s ride, and the weight of possession time provided Western Australia with some great scoring opportunities.

Throughout the game in the face-off Miles Blair and Jesse Bowland-Curtis were able to get on top and begin possessions early. Tim Stone and Thomas Graham were both outstanding on both sides of the field. They played exceptional short stick defense, and were able to cause turnovers and force bad shots from Victoria, then generate offence for West Australia going the other way.

West Australian Captain, Glenn Morley said, “It was a great team effort with all 20 guys playing their roles throughout the championship. The ground conditions were very tough and foreign to most of our players – who would have never played in genuine mud before, and it was a credit to the team to adjust to the conditions, then outperform the locals, to walk away as National Champions.”

Morley also said that after the disappointment of West Australia’s performance in last year’s nationals he was extremely satisfied to lead a very young team into Melbourne and hold up the trophy. “It was an experience I was able to share with a great group of guys and am very proud of.”

For Stevenson University’s, Callum Robinson it was the chance to live the ultimate lacrosse dream. Returning to Australia from Maryland, he met the West Australia team in Melbourne and played in the tournament only weeks after becoming a D3 NCAA champion at Stevenson.

Western Australia’s Thomas Graham, Matt Diver and goal-keeper Warren Brown were named in the Australian Allstars team. Brown was also named MVP for the tournament.

In the women’s National Championship game, Victoria 12 defeated South Australia 8. Lydsey Paton (Victoria) and Bella Pickett (South Australia) were named MVP’s for the game. Both women will be representing Australia in the women’s up and coming World Championship in Canada.

The following day after the championship, the Australia men’s squad preparing for Denver were back out on the park. Australia played the Japanese squad and defeated them 10-7.

The Australian women’s team were also in action, defeating New Zealand 21-5 in a World Cup teaser.

“Now the Brine Edge looks like a shovel…” Classic! I also love how Crowley only gets a sponsor shout out in at the end, and really focuses on the key aspects of stick tech. Well done to all involved!

And so 1000 Ways To Train For Lacrosse continues…

What is Isometric Training?

84. Flex Arm Hang

85. Iso Push-Up

86. Isometric Emphasis DB Bench

87. IE Pull Up

88. IE Rope Pull Ups

89. Iso Explode KB Squat to Jump Squat

90. Iso Explode RFESS to RFESS Jump

For more isometric exercises, check out EliteFits,com!

Until next time, only 910 to go!

An important note about training: You should always consider your own goals and decide what you want to accomplish during training. Most importantly though, always learn how to properly do an exercise before you start doing it. As very few of us are experts in Sports Science or Medicine, we always recommend doing your own research and finding credible trainers to teach you how to train. Train smart, train safe, train hard, lax on.

1,000 is a big number. Please share your favorite lifts and exercises in the comments section (or email us at info@lacrosseallstars.com) so we can add them to our list and reach the big 1-0-0-0.

This week’s POTW comes to us from our usual suspect, Tommy Gilligan, who stood tall through these same elements to capture this great shot that just speaks to the competition going on in front of the lens.

Pure determination and dedication no matter what the element.

Have a photo you want to share with the lacrosse world? Drop it in our Tipline!

Photo Credit: Cecil Copeland

Sure, I can see how one win doesn’t mean that the Cannons are “back”, but if you look at the way they did it, you too may become a believer.

The Cannons have long had excellent leadership on the team, and their veteran players definitely brought it against Rochester. Ryan Boyle, Mitch Belisle, Paul Rabil, Matt Poskay and Kyle Sweeney all played with passion, and toughness, and their desire to win shone brightly when Charlotte got close late in the game, 9-7. Boston had been letting teams back in to games, but here they buckled down, and stuck it out.

Will Manny continued to look good, and his movement down to attack provided instant offense, and another dimension to their scoring. Manny should continue to put pressure on defenses, and this will only open up other players more, as the second half of the season rolls along.

Rabil played a lot more midfield, and even though his scoring went down, the TEAM looked much more dangerous. Drawing two defenders up to him allowed for the rest of the guys to get good looks, and Rabil was often assisting the assist. Mike Stone showed up in a big way, and that is not a coincidence. Stone is very talented, and becomes a huge threat when he is not the primary concern of the other team.

Defensively, the Cannons looked much better. They still extended out, and got burnt for goals at times, but more often than not, they were able to force dodgers into more predictable shots, and this resulted in some fantastic saves by Jordan Burke.

Kyle Sweeney and Brian Farrell continued to produce points with the longstick, and Scott Ratliff was tenacious when he played down low. His quick feet and active stick make him an exciting option for the rest of the year, and he fits the Cannons aggressive defensive system to perfection. Sweeney’s jumping takeaway on Matt Danowski was the best of the year. I re-wound the DVR and watched it at least 8 times.

But the biggest difference for Boston? Brent Adams. Holy smokes! He gave up one or two goals, and got beat for good shots one or two more times, but other than that, Adams was lights out for a guy getting dodged on so much. He scored a great goal in transition, and gives Boston a short stick D-mid with legit offensive potential. Adams is insanely quick, and while a bit light, he reminds me of Matt Abbot, and I think he could be a true difference maker the rest of the way.

Overall, the Cannons didn’t change all that much. They still played aggressively on defense, and gave up some goals because of it. They got offense from their longsticks, but also from a SSDM. The O looked more fluid, and the midfield was dangerous. Cam Flint saw more time, and joined the man up unit, where he made an immediate positive impact.

Most importantly, the Cannons played a full game, and never let up, or got into a slump where a lack of passion hurt them. Guys seemed excited to play again, and they circled the wagons nicely. Of course it’s easy to do that when you’re 1-5, and have a brand new coach. But what happens now?

With New York coming to town, the Cannons will have to do it all over again. NY is looking great after playing an intense game with Hamilton, and this is going to be a true test for Boston. It’s two teams, both bent on playing passionate lacrosse, as they know it’s their key to success. Who wants it more? This weekend, it pretty much just comes down to that.

Photo Credit: 24 Seven Lax

There was a whirlwind of news surrounding Charlotte this week, whether it related to Jake Tripucka, or the Hounds’ impressive win last week, it was some pretty big news.

There was also big speculation over who would win this week in the Charlotte vs. Boston game, as both teams really wanted to get that W. In an earlier story, LAS named this match-up to be one of the most interesting of the year, due to the talent and also the trash talking between the teams’ fans.

In this case, Boston earned bragging rights, and got their second win of the year. Saturday the Cannons beat Charlotte, at Charlotte, with a final score of 15-13. The loss puts Charlotte with an overall record of 3-4, dropping them below the all-important .500 win percentage.

Charlotte only beat Boston in two categories, shots on, and shots off, goal. Charlotte only managed to snag 24 ground balls and 13 face-offs. Even though Charlotte had less points in the end, they had more heart in my opinion, and this was the only reason the score was as close as it was.

Ryan Young and the rest of the team’s spirit, to never give up bodes well for the future. Other than Young’s efforts, Danowski, Sawyer, Fallon, and Flanagan were also big parts of the Hound’s great effort. Danowski stepped up and put up 3 goals and 1 assist, although he could have had a lot more points, as he hit pipe at least 4 times. He has proven himself consistent player in attributing points and has earned his spot as one of the top dogs on the team.

As I had mentioned in last week’s piece, you’re going to want to keep your eye on Sawyer, and he showed us why again a couple nights back. Sawyer netted one goal and also got an assist, but he had two shots on goal and three off. In the near future I’m expecting a 3+ goal game out of him, along with a consistent season long scoring pattern. It’s just a matter of time.

Going back to face-offs now, Fallon had a good game. The only reason he didn’t excel in stats was because Chris Eck was on fire. Fallon did manage to create points off of face-off wins by scoring 2 goals in a quick transition-like form. He managed to get 3 shots on goal along with 7 ground balls.

In a nut shell, Charlotte’s offence was on fire in the first quarter scoring 6 goals total. They lost momentum and didn’t score in the second as Boston’s D really tightened up, and Jordan Burke made some big saves. The Hounds came out hungry in the third, but thanks to Jordan Burke’s AMAZING tending they were held to only 2 points.

In the fourth they gave it all they had, putting up 5 goals, but by then Boston was already too far ahead, and controlling the game. Defensively, the Hounds were slow to double team which the Cannons found out early and used it to the fullest advantage. Ghitelman had his moments where nothing could get past him, and he BLASTED Will Manny at one point, but more than that, there were a few things in the net that didn’t belong there.

Keeping in mind that there’s no such thing as an easy save in the MLL, Ghitelman had some slip past him that should’ve been in his stick. I’m sure you have heard the saying ” A goalie is only as good as his defense”, well in Saturday’s case Ghitelman did not get much help, which showed up on the scoreboard.

Despite all the above, Ryan Flanagan managed to completely shut down Paul Rabil. Rabil is one of the fastest, smartest, and best players of all time, and Flanagan set out tonight to prove otherwise. Rabil was held to only 4 shots. Rabil is a key part of the Cannons’ team, and Flanagan’s ability to hold him down tonight definitely was a key reason the game was within two points.

After this tough loss you can expect the Hounds to go back to the drawing board. I think they’ll come out next week as explosive as they came out this week. The key for them will be to score in the second and keep it going throughout the game. A full four quarters is key for this franchise right now.

Charlotte should come out with a chip on their shoulders next week against the Bayhawks. The season is still is still young, and it’s anybody’s guess right now to who will be crowned champion. Even with this loss Charlotte’s chance is still as good as ever to go all the way this season. If the Hounds want to make that happen, they will definitely need to test the Bayhawks this weekend. At the very least, they just need to put together a full game.

This isn’t the official video, but it should be. Love all those old school dance moves!

That’s Nile Rodgers slaying it on the guitar.

Of course you’ve probably heard this song already, as it’s gained traction quickly:

The rest of the album winds down compared to the above, but it’s still really good. If you’re looking for a driving Daft Punk song of old, the closest you’ll probably come is this:

Just what I needed today to get my morning started right!

Dillon Ward, G, Nationals

The former Bellarmine keeper was picked up by the Nationals this week. He was immediately put into action, making 11 saves in his debut performance. The Nationals lost to the Lizards 12-10, but it was a solid debut.  Ward is now the fourth goalie on the roster, so the Hamilton staff will have some decisions to make on who to keep. Brett Queener has been great this season, and backups Brett Herbst and Evan Kirk have played well also. It will be interesting to see how the goalie situation plays out at the end of the year for the Nats.

Ryan Snyder, F/O, Outlaws

The Outlaws boosted their roster on thursday when they picked up former Lehigh faceoff guy Ryan Snyder. Snyder has super quick hands and loves to push the ball off the faceoff. Snyder is also one of the few faceoff men with the ability to take the ball to the cage off the faceoff. He scored eight goals in his collegiate career. Snyder could be an immediate impact player in relief to Anthony Kelly.

Mike Noone, D, Machine

The Ohio Machine have been making lots of roster changes lately in an attempt to find something that works. After waiving Anthony Biscardi and Tim McCormack, the Machine added Mike Noone to their practice squad. The former Lehigh defenseman has the ability to now make the active roster with his aggressive style of play and crafty takeaway checks.

Thomas Keith, D, Lizards

Keith is a New York native who played his college ball at Cornell, alongside his Lizards teammate Rob Pannell. Keith was the starting LSM for the Big Red, and will play with current Lizards LSM Brian Karalunas. Keith is a strong defensive player, whose speed will pay him dividends in the professional ranks.

Danny Henneghan, F/O, LXM PRO

Henneghan was not selected by and MLL team, and has signed on to play with this year’s LXM PRO team Maverik United. I’m including him because he is a baller! He played in the first LXM event, winning 24-31 faceoffs. His strong senior season at Penn State may have also gained him attention from MLL teams, so it will be interesting to see where he ends up playing next season.

Luke Cometti, M, Rattlers

Cometti, a former Syracuse middie who may have flown under the radar due to the star power of Jojo Marasco. However, after a solid senior season, he joins the Rochester Rattlers, a team that likes to draft Syracuse players. Cometti is currently on the practice squad, but may get moved up later in the year.

There is still plenty of young talent available in the player pool, and MLL GM’s are starting to help their rosters with these undrafted seniors. For those like Henneghan who were not selected by an MLL team, many will end up playing on the LXM Pro Tour. Either way, it is neat to see these players getting a shot in the big leagues, so keep your eyes peeled for signings around the league.