The Boston Cannons were coming off of their first MLL Championship in 2011. But 2012 wasn’t exactly as they expected. Boston started out the season 4-0 before a stunning OT loss to Rochester. They lost two of their next four as well as they struggled to score late in games, and ultimately finished with the last playoff seed and lost in the playoffs to Chesapeake.
In 2013, their roster isn’t very different. They added Colin Briggs and Mike Gabel and lost Martin Cahill who struggled last season. They also lost midfielder JJ Morrissey to retirement and Jack Reid in a trade with New York.
However, the big guns for the Cannons are still there. Paul Rabil, Matt Poskay, Mike Stone and Ryan Boyle, along with their depth that has Kevin Gould, PT Ricci, Kevin Buchanan and Ari Sussman.
Sussman was last season’s surprise of the year after just three career games with Rochester. He came out with a hat trick opening night for the Cannons and became a valuable attackman. He will be relied on more so this season.
Who could be that player who emerges this season? Jeff Colburn is a midfielder who played two games with Ohio last season and 12 career games with Rochester with 22 career points. Meanwhile, the Cannons traded for Brent Adams in the early off season from Chesapeake who had two points with the Bayhawks in six games last season.
Mike Gabel is someone to watch after he had a pretty good 2012 season as a backup goalie to John Galloway in Rochester and is one of the more coveted backup goalies in the league. Jordan Burke struggled at times at the end of last season, allowing some questionable goals in the last two games of the regular season.
The MLL is improving with Ohio and Charlotte stronger this season and New York looking very dangerous, along with the defending champion Bayhawks. Can the Cannons contend for a championship? They have the talent, but is the depth there in some of their thinner positions?
