Last season the Charlotte Hounds were one of the expansion teams into Major League Lacrosse. They struggled at points in year one, but they shook things up for 2013. I spoke with their head coach Mike Cerino about the upcoming season.
MI: How Tough is it losing Stephen Berger?
MC: Losing Berger is going to be tough on the field and around the locker room. You don’t replace his production with just one player. That’s why the trade may end up helping us in the short term and long term, as we get back Young an experienced attack and a 2nd and 3rd round pick, so 2 top 25 college players next season. Stephen was a great resource to me as a new Coach in the MLL, so I really owe him a a debt of thanks.
MI: Thoughts on acquiring Ryan Young?
MC: Young brings versatility and experience on attack. I am really looking forward to working with him.
MI: More comfortable in the second season of the Hounds?
MC: Yes more comfortable, confidence comes from demonstrated ability. Now we are looking to become consistent this season. I am lucky to have the front office support and fan support in Charlotte.
MI: How do you feel about a full season from Geoff Snider?
MC: Snider is a very experienced and uniquely talent lacrosse player. He is not just a Face off specialist but an all world level player. The thing that makes him so special for us is his tremendous competitiveness which is contagious in our locker room.
MI: You added Carter Bender. What will his role be?
MC: Bender can bring an inside scoring threat as off ball player. His size and indoor experience will be a great help to our still evolving offensive system.
MI: How do you feel about adding Shayne Jackson after his great NLL season?
MC: Obviously I am familiar with his level of play just watching him on the Limestone campus but watching him continue to grow in the NLL is exciting to watch. He brings a very unique skill set to the Hounds!
MI: You’re getting Eric Lusby for a full year, how big is that with Mike Sawyer added as well from Loyola?
MC: Lusby was fun to watch last season and added a level of instant offense to the Hounds. A very strong shooter and underrated dodger. At some point, the possibility of getting Lusby and Swayer on the field together could be interesting.
MI: Are you worried about chemistry with an entirely new attack unit?
MC: Chemistry is a over used word in the MLL- if we have talented , smart players in a system that suits their skill set – success will happen and we will call it good chemistry. What I hope to continue is that our veteran players continue to support our rookies as they enter the MLL.
MI: How much do we see Mark Manos this season?
MC: Manos really worked hard to improve last season in practice and really won the respect of his coaches and teammates. Expect Mark to get some early season action as we work our way though some early May games. I expect him to preform well.
