In just their second year of existence, the Charlotte Hounds had the Major League Lacrosse championship slip just through their fingers. The Hounds lost 10-9 to the defending champion Chesapeake Bayhawks in the MLL Championship game on August 25. Very few would have predicted the Hounds to make the four team playoff at the beginning of the season, let along defeat the previously undefeated Denver Outlaws in the semifinal matchup; but that’s just what they did. During their run to the championship game, the Hounds played seven rookies in their starting lineup, and got quite an output from each player.
The future is very bright for Charlotte, given the youth of their team and the leadership of their veteran players like Matt Danowski and Adam Ghitelman. The captains taught their rookie players well, which was a huge boost to the team over the course of the season. During the regular season, Mike Sawyer led the rookies with 20 points (14 goals, 6 assists) and was followed closely by Jake Tripuka (10 goals, 1 assist), Matt White (7 goals, 4 assists) and Mason Poli (6 goals, 5 assists). During the playoffs, Sawyer was second on the team for points with six goals (including a two-pointer). These young Charlotte stars will continue to grow as the seasons pass which will only make the team more and more dangerous for opponents.
Team General Manager and Vice President Wade Leaphart seems to have a knack for creating chemistry and bringing the right players in. During the offseason, he brought in veteran Peet Poillon to lead the midfielder group, and added an all-star attackman in Ryan Young from the Lizards. Leaphart and the Hounds have done a great job on draft day over the course of the previous two seasons, which is a big reason for their success. Their skill in scouting pays dividends when their rookies perform like they did this season. There’s a ton of talent coming out of the NCAA in this upcoming 2014 season, and with a great roster like they already have, the Hounds will be able to draft for depth rather than looking for immediate starters.
