6 p.m. Saturday, May 17
Harvard Stadium, Boston, Mass.
TV: ESPN3.com, FOX Sports Florida, FOX Sports South, Altitude
After opening the season with two straight losses, the Hounds broke through last week by dominating the Chesapeake Bayhawks 12-7 in a rematch of last year’s Major League Lacrosse championship game.
Meanwhile, the Cannons have backslid after beating the Bayhawks in their season opener, losing close, one-point games to the Rochester (N.Y.) Rattlers and Denver Outlaws.
The numbers work in Boston’s favor – a 4-0 all-time record against Charlotte, but last year’s games were decided by one and two goals.
Among the players on the Cannons’ roster are midfielder Stephen Berger, who led the Hounds in goals during their inaugural season in 2012, and attacker Owen Blye, a 2013 draft pick by Charlotte who was traded to Boston during the offseason. In addition, defender Ricky Pages, who was traded to the Cannons midway through the 2013 season, is on injured reserve.
The Hounds will again be without all-MLL attacker Matt Danowski (coaching commitments), but will have goalkeeper Adam Ghitelman back in the lineup after he missed the first three games. The Cannons will have pretty much their entire lineup in place, and could have first-round draft pick – defender Scott McWilliams of Virginia – activated for Saturday’s game.
Prediction: As shown by the numbers above, the Cannons are the favorites in Saturday’s game. But Boston has lost two close games after thrashing the Bayhawks in the season opener, which doesn’t help the Cannons’ momentum. The Hounds will have that in spades after their own thrashing of Chesapeake last week. So I’m picking Boston this week, but keep this in mind as well – I’m 0-3 on my picks so far. Cannons 12, Hounds 11.
