The 2013 Major League Lacrosse All-Star game will be played in Charlotte, NC this Saturday (July 13) and is expected to be a huge hit. 38 players have been selected to the game, representing all eight of the league’s teams. Four players from the Charlotte Hounds were selected to the roster – defensemen Ryan Flanagan and Brett Schmidt, midfielder Peet Poillon and attackman Ryan Young. Young and Schmidt will be playing in their first all-star game, while this will be Flanagan’s second appearance and the fourth for Poillon.
Young was traded for during the offsesason in a move that sent Stephen Berger back to the New York Lizards and has been an offensive star for the Hounds since. Through seven games Young has scored 19 goals and added 5 assists for a 24 point total (good for eighth in the league). In week 3 Young set a new franchise record for the Hounds by scoring seven goals in one game in a loss to the Rattlers.
For Schmidt, his first all-star game appearance comes in his third season in the league. He currently leads the Hounds defense in groundballs with 26 on the year. Schmidt has been a defensive force, and coupled with Flanagan the Hounds defense has given opponents a hard time all year. When asked about playing in front of the hometown Charlotte audience, Schmidt had this to say; “Being able to play in front of the home crowd in Charlotte will be awesome. They have been such great supporters of the Hounds since our inception last year, and we are excited to be able to bring them a fun weekend of great lacrosse.”
This is Flanagan’s second full season in the league and also his second all-star game appearance. He was part of the “Young Guns” team last year in Boca Raton. He is the unquestioned leader of the defense for the Hounds and has proven why several times this year, including holding perennial all-star Paul Rabil to a shutout in their Week 6 matchup. Flanagan has 16 groundballs in 6 games this season and will undoubtedly try everything in his power to lead this second-year Hounds team to their first playoff appearance.
Poillon, like Young, is also new to this Hounds team; the Hounds received him in a trade that sent former Rookie of the Year Jeremy Boltus to Denver during the offseason. This will be the fourth consecutive all-star selection for the midfielder who has had a huge impact on the Hounds offense. Poillon has been the go-to midfielder this year, dropping multiple 2-pointers and scoring multiple goals per game. So far this season, Poillon has scored 16 goals (three 2-pointers) and dished out three assists.
The Queen City seems ready to host the all-star game and the fans are more than ready. There will be an on-field clinic for youth players before the game, a skills competition at halftime and a post-game party all for the fans. Get your tickets now if you haven’t already, and head to Charlotte this Saturday the 13th for a great lacrosse experience!
