In continuing with our coverage of the upcoming MLL Championship Weekend, we were fortunate enough to get a chance to sit in on a conference call with all of the coaches from the teams that will be vying for the Steinfield Cup this weekend. Coach Mike Cerino of the Charlotte Hounds, Coach Dave Huntley of the Hamilton Nationals, Coach Dave Cottle of the Chesapeake Bayhawks and Coach Jim Stagnitta of the Denver Outlaws all gave their thoughts on what should be an exciting weekend in Philadelphia.
Charlotte Hounds head coach Mike Cerino
Q: Will you be dressing both faceoff men for the Saturday’s game?
A: We were successful down the stretch by dressing both faceoff men so yes.
Q: What is special about Denver’s team this year?
A: It starts in the goal with Jesse Schwartzman and the fact that they play tremendous team defense. They are also a deadly team in transition and you have to pick your poison with whom to stop on offense.
Q: How has Matt Danowski changed his game?
A: Danowski has worked with so many of the younger guys and he is a true pro’s pro. He is willing to do whatever it takes to win and it really showed when we really needed a goal or a key ground ball. He is the guy making those plays, especially, against Long Island and Hamilton when we needed to win in order to stay in playoff contention.
Q: How much has the college coaching experience of guys like Matt Danowski and Adam Ghitelman helped this team out?
A: These guys have a great sideline demeanor and a calming effect in the locker room. They also have an understanding that in order to be successful we need everyone to be on same page. However, having guys like Ryan Flanagan and Brett Schmidt who don’t have coaching experience but are penciled in everyday and play great defense and pick up ground balls is also huge for us. They are nothing but professionals and true Charlotte Hounds.
Hamilton Nationals head coach Dave Huntley
Q: What was the key to Kevin Cunningham coming into his own this season?
A: He was a great pickup in the supplemental draft and a perfect guy to play at the X position on attack. He helps move the ball side to side and has a lot of fun playing with the guys on the team.
Q: How do you plan to neutralize Kip Turner in goal and Adam Rand at the faceoff ‘X’?
A: Mike (Poppleton) has to do job at the X and our wing guys have to play well also. Their wing guys were better than ours in previous matchups and ours have started to play better recently. Relative to Kip, he is a great goalie with championship pedigree at all levels of competition and we need to get shots from good locations.
Chesapeake Bayhawks head coach Dave Cottle
Q: What was the reason you guys succeeded this year?
A: We have had a lot of close calls as we played in four overtime games, two one goal games and a couple two goal games as well. We were in a battle every week. Offensively, we are starting to get to know each other better and share the ball better, whereas defensively, we made one change that has helped us. We were playing our defense with our goalie towards the beginning but now we are playing defense with our players.
Q: Problems that Hamilton boasts?
A: They are great in transition, improving at the faceoff ‘X’, have a tremendous goalie and one of, if not the, best ground ball guy in MLL history. They also have two of the best rookies on defense but has played like an All-Pros. Finally Kevin Crowley and Joe Walters are two of the best players in the MLL.
Q: What is the team mindset as defending champs?
A: For us in our locker room, we are confident that we have a lot of guys who have won multiple championships between the NCAA and MLL and we are confident in what we can bring to the table. We are confident but not arrogant as what you did yesterday has no bearing on tomorrow.
Denver Outlaws head coach Jim Stagnitta
Q: Preparing Anything different for Saturday’s game against Charlotte?
A: No. We will be focused and paying attention to what we do and focusing on how the Outlaws and how we are executing.
Q: Denver been to playoffs every season since coming into the league but hasn’t won a championship. What do you attribute that to?
A: I don’t know, I haven’t been here when they didn’t win as this is my first season. History doesn’t mean a lot to me and we only have two guys on the team from that period of time, but most guys were just on last year’s team. It doesn’t bother me and is not an issue with the guys in the locker room.
Q; What is it about Charlotte that causes your team problems?
A: They are athletic and dangerous in unsettled situations and Mike Cerino is very good coach who prepares his team well. They have gotten better as the year has gone on and the team that most resembles us in the league. They are also very athletic going form the defensive end to the offensive end as well.
