Lacrosse Lounge Episode 18- Mike Cerino

In episode 18 of Lacrosse Lounge, Charlotte Hounds head coach Mike Cerino joins me to talk about the first two games in team history, guys that could be breakout players, the goalie controversy in Charlotte and what his first season in MLL is like.

"Charlotte has the right weather and the right demographic, I think, and it was an event. It was an event. I think our team was a little disappointed when the score swung because we wanted to give those fans a winner so bad, we really did right out of the gate. Those guys played so hard. It was an exciting night. I know they're looking forward to getting back against Ohio and rewarding those fans for that kind of loyalty. ... The community of Charlotte is excited for lacrosse."

Episode 18 aired live on May 7, 2012.

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Lacrosse Lounge Episode 17- Face-Off Club

In episode 17 of Lacrosse Lounge I have a roundtable discussion with the guys from the Face-Off Club: Nolan Godfrey, Greg Gurenlian, John Ortolani, Craig Bunker, Coach Andy Whitley (Fairfield University), Andrew Burnett (soon to be Sacred Heart player). We talk face-offs, preparation, training and week 1 of the MLL season.

"It's always fun. One of my pet peeves is when guys hold back information just because they think it might give them an advantage whenever you face-off against them. We really don't do any of that. We're just kind of candid about what we like to do. We teach kids so our job is to make kids better. So we don't hold things back to try and get to try and get an edge on one another in games. We're pretty confident in ourselves. ... Going against each other in games actually makes it a little more light-hearted when sometimes it can be a little too dramatic out there on the field." Greg Gurenlian

Episode 17 aired live on April 30, 2012.

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Lacrosse Lounge Episode 16- Nolan Godfrey

In episode 16 of Lacrosse Lounge Ohio Machine midfielder Nolan Godfrey talks about coming back to MLL, learning face-offs in Canadian box leagues, acting in movies and doing lacrosse choreography for MTV's Teen Wolf.

"We're out. We're tangible to the community. We're meeting people. We're introducing them not just to lacrosse but who we are. I think that's such a huge plus for professional lacrosse compared to the other sports. The four major sports, people are so star struck when people are out in public, the athletes or even the coaches. It's a manic event. In the MLL people get to know us, have us in their community and serving them."

Episode 16 aired live on April 23, 2012.

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Lacrosse Lounge Episode 15- David Gross

In episode 15 of Lacrosse Lounge MLL Commissioner David Gross comes on to talk about the state of the league: expansion, social media, technology advances, the caliber of the players and what still needs to be done to make playing in the league a full-time job.

"I want Major League Lacrosse to grow. I want it to be something that every player that's part of it is happy that they're involved. I want the fans to say, 'I can't wait for the games'. I want where those that are passionate about lacrosse say, 'I will schedule my time around my MLL team,' and not just, 'Oh, I'll go watch a game because it's convenient for me'. Those are the goals and ambitions. I truly believe in the product."

Episode 15 aired live on April 16, 2012.

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Lacrosse Lounge Episode 14- Joe Spallina

In episode 14 of Lacrosse Lounge new Long Island Lizards head coach Joe Spallina talks about the start of training camp, the Lizards many different transactions this season and lacrosse in the Long Island community.

"Lacrosse is life on Long Island, where a lot of other areas football is life or football is huge for kids. I can tell you my son and all of his friends are Lizards fans. They know all of the guys and they think it's great. We had training camp the other day for a two-hour scrimmage we had over two hundred people show up just to watch a two-hour scrimmage. That speaks volumes ... There's a large sense of pride. A majority of our team are Long Island guys. I think the guys understand that."

 Episode 14 aired live on April 9, 2012.

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Photo from Long Island Lizards website.

Lacrosse Lounge Episode 13- Trevor Tierney

In episode 13 of Lacrosse Lounge Denver University assistant coach and former MLL champion Trevor Tierney talks about substance abuse in lacrosse, concussions, coaching and playing for his father.

"It's so funny to me because if you look at websites and magazines, everyone is perfectly fine with showing the party side of things. But no one wants to talk about going out and just having a couple of beers. No one wants to talk about choosing not to drink. No one wants to talk about the dangerous things that can happen if you drink too much and some of the downsides of alcohol abuse. It was just one of these things that that whole case was one of these things where I thought it was important for us to recognize that there are tragedies out there that happen that don't necessarily have to happen and a lot of times alcohol is involved in some shape, way or form."

Episode 13 aired live on April 2, 2012.

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Photo from Major League Lacrosse website.

Lacrosse Lounge Episode 12 - Kip Turner

In episode 12 of Lacrosse Lounge, Chesapeake Bayhawks goalie Kip Turner talks about his move to the Bayhawks, winning the MLL championship and what it takes to be a goalie.

"I really just tried to stay focused and think, 'Hey, they might need me at any certain point throughout the season and I gotta be ready.' It doesn't matter if it's the championship game, you have to be ready. It's your job. You get paid to do this, so you have to do your job."

Episode 12 aired live on March 26, 2012.

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Photo from In Lax We Trust.

Charlotte Hounds Claim Eric Lusby Off Waivers

The Charlotte Hounds continued to add to their offensive arsenal Wednesday morning when they claimed Loyola attackman and 2012 NCAA men’s lacrosse championship most outstanding player Eric Lusby off waivers.

Since the team started making roster moves, management has been aggressive in getting familiar names and known-talent, especially on the offensive-side of the ball.  This transaction continues that trend.

Lusby wasn’t drafted to the league, but part of that could be due to the fact that unlike other drafts the MLL Collegiate Draft is held before a player’s senior season not after it.

Before this collegiate season Lusby was a player that had missed all but the first two games of the 2011 season because of an ACL injury and no one had seen him on the field since then.

Had the draft been after the season, teams would’ve seen a player who played and started all of a championship-winning team’s games, a team that won a record-tying 18 games this season. They would’ve saw him score a team-leading and school record 54 goals as well as putting up team-leading 71 points, the most since for a Loyola player since the school joined Division 1 in 1982.

Teams would have seen a player that got hot at the most important time of the season. Lusby scored 17 goals in the four games of the NCAA men’s lacrosse championships, an NCAA record, including four in the final game.

Prior to this season Lusby was known as a dangerous outside shooter, but possibly a one-trick pony. Lusby improved his dodging and stick skills however and proved to be able to create his own shot and finish.

He finished his collegiate career with 89 goals and 26 assists for 115 points.

The biggest concerns on the Hounds roster are at goalie and face-off. Lusby does not address either of these issues. But he does add another weapon off the bench and a team can never have too many players that can make plays and score.

What helps him is that he will back-up players like Matt Danowski, Billy Bitter and Jeremy Boltus so there isn’t as much pressure to perform immediately. He can take time to develop and continue to grow into an even better.

Does adding Lusby turn the one-win Hounds into sudden championship contenders? No.

But he does give them more depth, another scoring option and makes them even more exciting to watch and interesting to follow.

Photo credit.

AP Photo/Gretchen Ertl

Lacrosse Lounge Episode 11 - Chris Eck

In episode 11 of Lacrosse Lounge, Boston Cannons midfielder Chris Eck talks about dealing with diabetes, taking face-offs and The Office.  

"I think it's kind of my nerdy side that made me like facing-off.It's very one-on-one so that competitive side of me likes it. It's very obvious who's winning and who's not. There's not a lot of discretion. It's not about if the two-slide got there ... It is a thinking man's position. You really need to outsmart guys, not just run them over."

Episode 11 aired live on March 19, 2012.

 

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Photo from the Boston Cannons' website.

Lacrosse Lounge Episode 10 - Matt Smalley

In Episode 10 of the Lacrosse Lounge, Matt Smalley of the Boston Cannons talks about being a defensive midfield specialist, what it takes to be good at picking up ground balls and facial hair.  

"You have to play tough and you can't be intimidated by the big names. You just gotta' do your job and keep them from getting a good quality shot or possession. But other than being in shape you have to play with a chip on your shoulder. Everyone is good at that level but what are you going to do to set yourself apart? For me it wasn't going to be scoring goals from 15 yards out or making a spectacular play on the crease. It's about getting dirty and getting over the ball and doing a lot of the things a lot of people aren't very fond of."

Episode 10 of Lacrosse Lounge aired live on March 12, 2012.

 

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Photo from the MLL website.

Lacrosse Lounge Episode 9

In Episode 9 of Lacrosse Lounge I review Casey Powell's career, the Hamilton Nationals outlook for the 2012 season, rookies that can make an impact and which players have renewed their contracts.

Episode 9 aired live on 3/5/12.

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Lacrosse Lounge Episode 8 - Brett Hughes

Brett Hughes of the Ohio Machine joins the Lacrosse Lounge to talk about the LXM Pro Tour, coming back to Major League Lacrosse and bringing a team to his hometown, Lacrosse the Nation and what it was like to play in New Jersey.  

"Putting a great product out in a very professional manner is obviously what I want for Ohio lacrosse and for the Ohio Machine. But for me and my teammates, we're here to knock some heads and win. All the games we're in we expect to win."
Episode 8 aired live on February 27, 2012.

 

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Photo from the MLL website.

Lacrosse Lounge Episode 7 - Grant Catalino

In episode 7, Grant Catalino comes on the Lacrosse Lounge to talk about his rookie season, getting traded to the Long Island Lizards and long hair.

"Just like I'm gonna' start fresh with them, I think everyone else is starting fresh. From the e-mails that have been going around I think the dynamic of the team is pretty good. People are ready for training camp to start and ready for the season to get going. I think the fresh look to the Lizards is good and I'm looking forward to it."

Episode 7 aired live on February 20, 2012.

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Photo from Long Island Lizards website.

Lacrosse Lounge Episode 6 - Drew Westervelt

In episode 6, Chesapeake Bayhawks attackman Drew Westervelt comes on the Lacrosse Lounge to talk about the growth of lacrosse in Denver, his move to the Bayhawks, Twitter and keeping your pads smelling fresh.

"What's mutually beneficial for both organizations, for yourself and the organization? Obviously a lot of organizations understand the travel schedule associated with it and some other obligations you have whether it's with your professional career or what have you."

Episode 6 aired live on February 13, 2012.

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Photo from the MLL website

Lacrosse Lounge Episode 4- John Algie

In the fourth episode of Lacrosse Lounge, Ohio Machine President and GM John Algie talks about what it's like to build a team and organization from scratch. Also, Joe Spallina talks to Marisa Ingemi about becoming the new head coach of the Long Island Lizards.

"Just looking at the different markets and then places where we could potentially put a team, Ohio is by far and away the best choice. There's just so much lacrosse going on here, really throughout the whole state, not just in Central Ohio where we're located."

Episode 4 aired on January 30, 2012.

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Photo from the Ohio Machine website

Charlotte Hounds Making an Immediate Presence in Major League Lacrosse

The Charlotte Hounds are entering Major League Lacrosse with a bang.

In putting its inaugural roster together the expansion club is sparing no expense at making a splash. Management has been aggressive in putting together an offensive minded roster with plenty of big-time names.

The biggest move the team made was during the expansion draft, when they traded with the Long Island Lizards for perennial MVP candidate Matt Danowski.

“We decided to make a move that would provide us with MLL-ready players for training camp at the start of the season,” Hounds Director of Sales and Marketing Wade Leaphart said in an interview with MLL.

Danowski, a four-time All-American at nearby Duke University (where his dad also coaches), comes back to the state of North Carolina with an impressive professional career resume. He was an All-Star his first season in the league (2008) and has been every year since.

Last season Danowski finished fourth in the league in points, first in two-point goals and tied for second in game-winning goals continuing to show every week how dangerous he is on offense. He had at least two points every game. Danowski is also a starting attackman for the U.S. national team.

Charlotte scored big time in getting Danowski. The team acquires a player that is extremely talented, has a high profile and can bring in fans (he’s the star of Warrior’s “Manchine” commercials) and is a guy with local ties that will help with community relations. He’s also only 26-years-old so he can be the cornerstone of the franchise for a number of years to come.

The Hounds didn’t stop with Danowski though. In the deal to bring the attackman to Charlotte the team also received All-Star midfielder Stephen Berger. Berger has been a staple in the Lizards midfield since 2005 and was in the top-15 in points last season.



Another name joining the former Lizards is attcakman Billy Bitter, traded to the team from the Denver Outlaws. Bitter is another collegiate star from the state of North Carolina as an alumnus of the Tar Heels. He scored 12 goals in his rookie season to go along with four assists in only nine games.

“I’ve basically been down in North Carolina the past five years. I’ve grown to love the state a lot,” Bitter told MLL. “I have a lot of close people down here so I’m real excited…to be part of this organization.”

Rounding out a pretty talented and deep attack is 2011 MLL Rookie of the Year Jeremy Boltus. He was selected away from the Hamilton Nationals with Charlotte’s first selection in the Expansion Draft. Boltus scored 19 goals in 12 games last season and had a total of 30 points.

As the roster continues to fill out there is plenty here for Charlotte lacrosse fans to be optimistic about.

Much like the team has been aggressive in acquiring talent they have the makings of a dynamic offense that should not only be entertaining to watch but that could help make the Hounds a very competitive team, even as an expansion club.

Photo Credits.
Matt Danowski (top): Rick Stewart/Getty Images
Billy Bitter (right): Jim Rogash/Getty Images

Boston Blazers Suspend Operations, Leave a Hole in the Boston Lacrosse Scene

The professional lacrosse teams in Boston are at opposite ends of the spectrum.

The fact that one plays the field version of the game in Major League Lacrosse and the other was part of the indoor National Lacrosse League isn’t the only thing that separates the two teams.

Four days after the Boston Cannons won the MLL championship—their first in franchise history—management for the Boston Blazers announced that the team would suspend operations for the 2012 season. While not participating in the league, management will look for a place to relocate the Blazers for the 2013 season, in a local and national search.

In both leagues the Boston franchises were top draws. This past year the Cannons finished the regular season with a league-best record of 9-3 in addition to their championship. They had a total attendance of 51,971 and an average of 8,661 fans per game, both good enough for second-best in the six-team league.

The big draw for the Cannons is midfielder Paul Rabil, who is arguably the best lacrosse player in the world today and is also the most marketable. The Johns Hopkins alumnus and is a two-time MLL MVP.

Joining him on the field is local-product Max Quinzani, who grew up in nearby Duxbury, Mass. and was a familiar face to lacrosse fans playing his college ball at Duke.

The championship was long overdue for the Cannons, a member of MLL since the league’s inception in 2001. In the past two seasons the Cannons, although a favorite to win it all, lost in the semifinals both years. They’ve made the playoffs nine seasons out of 11 (including this season) however they only reached the championship twice, finally winning it all this year.

Watching Rabil lift the championship trophy was a joyous moment for Boston lacrosse fans. It is unfortunate for such a passionate fan base that darker winter days lay ahead.

In three seasons since joining the NLL, the Boston Blazers never were able to make it out of the first round of the playoffs, losing in round one all three years. Despite the lack of success in comparison to the Cannons the Blazers were still a big attraction in the league.

In the 2010 season they averaged 8,712 fans per game which was 51 more fans than the Cannons and an increase from the 2009 season, where the Blazers had an average attendance of 6,620 fans.



The Blazers made headlines last year when they added star power to their lineup. The team already had Dan Dawson, the 2009 league MVP, and All-Star goalie Anthony Cosmo. They then went out and acquired Josh Sanderson, an NLL veteran who eclipsed the 1,000 point mark this past season, and 2010 MVP and lacrosse legend Casey Powell.

Powell, Dawson and Sanderson—nicknamed “The Big Three”—all finished in the top three in voting for the league MVP in 2010 making it the first time in professional sports history that the top three candidates for league MVP one season were teammates the next.

Expectations were high and ultimately the team disappointed, unable to break .500 during the regular season (8-8) and not winning a championship. Fans still came out and supported the team however and were excited to see what would happen in 2012 when the players would have even greater chemistry after playing a full season together.

The Blazers fans now face a lose-lose situation, in addition to missing out on the upcoming NLL season.

A major reason for the team’s financial woes is because they rented space from the TD Garden (where the Celtics and Bruins play) at a high cost but did not see any of the money made off of parking and concessions. So team president and general manager Doug Reffue will conduct a six-month search to evaluate potential new venues that are more economically beneficial to the team.

The search could mean that the team moves outside of the Boston or New England area all together. This would leave the fans with no team at all, which is never a happy thing.

The Blazers could also potentially stay local to Boston. However, while lacrosse fans would still have the team it wouldn’t be THEIR team, the one they made personal connections with so many players, the one that made headlines.

All players on the current roster will not be retained by the Blazers; rather they will go into a dispersal draft and spread around the league. That means no Dawson, who has been with the team all three years of its existence and been a fan favorite with his series of YouTube videos dubbed “The Danger Zone”.

That means no Powell, Sanderson, and Cosmo. They’d be without Kyle Rubisch, the team’s 2010 first round draft pick that was named to the NLL All-Rookie team last season.

The fans would also miss Kevin Buchannan, Greg Downing and Jack Reid, all prominent Blazers that also play for the Cannons.

It’s a better option than losing the team all together, but it won’t be the same.

So while the Cannons rejoice after finally lifting the trophy, the other side of Boston professional lacrosse will go dark with the long Boston-winter nights.

Happy days for Boston lacrosse fans have come to a stop in such an abrupt fashion. But maybe that will make them yearn for the Cannons even more come May and help them avoid the same fate as the Blazers.

2011 Boston Blazers Video Introduction from YouTube.



Photo Credits.
Dan Dawson: photo from the New England Lacrosse Journal, www.laxjournal.com
Paul Rabil: Larry French/Getty Images