The 2013 Major League Lacrosse season is upon us at last! After a long winter, the quest for the Steinfeld Trophy began anew. And though the season is only one day old, it is never too early to start speculating about who the league MVP will be this year. Can Brendan Mundorf repeat as Bud Light Season MVP or will he be knocked off by a familiar face like Paul Rabil? Only time will tell. The following are an early look at five potential MVP contenders.
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Brendan Mundorf – Attack, Denver Outlaws
Mundorf is coming off of a monster season that saw him tally 59 points on 32 goals and 27 assists en route to season MVP honors. But the season ended on a bit of a sour note for Mundorf, as he was injured during practice prior to the Outlaws semifinal game against the Lizards. Without their star, the Outlaws were blown out by the Bayhawks in the championship game 16-6. Mundorf will be hungry to avenge that loss and try to improve on his MVP campaign that saw him finish second in the league in points. Mundorf tallied at least one point in all 12 games that he played last season.
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Paul Rabil – Midfield, Boston Cannons
Rabil was a familiar site atop the MLL leaderboard in points last season, scoring an outrageous 72 points on 27 goals and 38 assists in 14 games, shattering the MLL record. Rabil was named Warrior’s Offensive Player of the Year last year and it came as a surprise to many that he didn’t also take season MVP honors. It was Rabil’s third Offensive Player of the Year Award and second consecutive honor. As teams schemed to stop Rabil from scoring last year, he adapted by setting a career high in assists (his previous high was 18) and shooting from distance, netting 7 two-point goals. If Boston is to get back to the playoffs, it will be on the back of their superstar.
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Ned Crotty – Attack, Rochester Rattlers
A year after tying for the MLL-lead with 50 points, Crotty struggled a little bit to stay healthy last season. The Rattlers made a surprising run at the playoffs last year, falling just short after a last place finish in 2011, and they did so without the production they were expecting from Crotty. But the skills are still there. Crotty is a dangerous finisher who demands a double-team almost every time he touches the ball. Expect a big bounce back year from Crotty as he looks to re-establish himself among the game’s elite.
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Matt Danowski – Attack, Charlotte Hounds
The Hounds came into last year boasting, on paper, one of the best attack’s in the league. However the team really struggled for much of the year and much of that came right from their best player, Danowski. While he still managed to tally 43 points, he did so shooting a woeful 16.5 percent on 115 shots. Danowski came out of the gate slow for the expansion Hounds. Now with a retooled offense, look for Danowski to come roaring back in a big way. The Hounds will go as far as Danowski carries them this season.
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Steele Stanwick – Attack, Ohio Machine
Despite only playing in 9 games last season, Stanwick really impressed in his rookie campaign. The number 2 overall pick out of Virginia, there were some questions about Stanwick’s ability to handle the physicality of the MLL. But after his first year, he seems to be answering those quite nicely. He had 28 points on 11 goals and 17 assists and Machine really had a different feel after Stanwick’s debut. He was their quarterback and really steadied a Machine attack that was so dominant in transition and so stagnant in half-field sets. Stanwick brought a new element to the attack and it showed. Look for the Machine to make a big leap forward in 2013 thanks in large part to the contributions of Stanwick and this year’s number 1 overall pick Peter Baum, who will give Stanwick another weapon.
