Major League Lacrosse season is less than a month away. That means the off season is coming to a close and teams are starting training camp with their new rosters.
Some teams have made some strong moves while others have been questionable. Today, we take a look at the winners of the off season, but remember, who looks the best on paper does not guarantee they look the best in August.
Ohio Machine
The Machine finished in last place in MLL last season with a 2-12 record. As an expansion team, it was not unexpected. However, as they head towards their second season, improvement seems imminent. They will have former Virginia Cavaliers star Steele Stanwick for the full season and they also drafted Colgate’s Peter Baum to create a dynamic attack unit. They are also adding youngsters Chase Carraro and Marcus Holman, and they traded for goaltender Scott Rodgers and defenseman Chad Weidmaier. Could the Machine be a team that contends in 2013? They made their best efforts in the off season to.
New York Lizards
The Lizards lost in the semi finals last season blowing a ten goal lead to Denver. They are not going to forget that easily. And as the Lizards brand towards New York this off season, they also added some key pieces; Stephen Berger is back from the Charlotte Hounds after one stint away from Long Island. Mark Matthews, the dynamic Canadian attackman, was added from the Denver Outlaws. Backup goaltender Joe Marra, who started in Charlotte, is in along with midfielder David Earl. The Lizards should be one of the favorites heading into this season with the roster they have compiled.
Chesapeake Bayhawks
The Bayhawks didn’t have to do much this off season to improve upon their 2012 roster that won them an MLL Championship. Yet, they did just that. Attackman Jay Card is in, midfielder Josh Sims and attackman… Casey Powell? No, Powell probably won’t play in a Bayhawks uniform, but with a roster like theirs, it was okay for the Hawks to take some risks. Jesse Bernhardt, one of the top players with Maryland, was also added in the draft along with Terps midfielder Kevin Cooper. Going into 2013, Chesapeake might have the best team in the league.
