The first year franchise Florida Launch (2-1) are already impressing in this young season. After falling to the Denver Outlaws to open the season the Launch have won two straight, and are looking better and better. Veterans Casey Powell, Brett Queener, and Doug Shanahan seem to have a grip on the team’s success. Queener has been solid in the net, Casey remains to be the catalyst on offense, as he leads the league in points, while Shanahan continues to exhibit why he won the first ever Tewaaraton Award, back in his days with Hofstra, with his flawless stick skills.
In Florida’s back to back wins, Garrett Thul and Casey Powell were named Warrior player of the week, respectively. With wins over the Charlotte Hounds and Ohio Machine, the Launch snuck into second in Major League Lacrosse’s Power Rankings this week.
While the Launch still have a group of young guys gelled with some fresh faces since the team moved down from Hamilton last year, guys are fitting right in. Kieran McArdle joined the team after his collegiate career ended with St. Johns, Kieran wasted no time getting involved as he tallied his first MLL goal in his first game with the team. Kieran is also a 2014 Tewaaraton Award finalist this year.
Former Ohio Machine, Mario Ventiquattro, who scored a big goal last weekend to tie the game at 8-8 against his former team in the comeback win spoke about the teams’ late success, “We have a talented group and we are still building chemistry.” Chemistry is key in the game of lacrosse, and Florida is building theirs fast.
Casey Powell has emerged as one of the league’s best yet again and has been the leader for Florida, scoring five goals last week. The defense has a strong chemistry together led by Tucker Durkin and they were able to beat a very talented Ohio team by keeping the score down.
A true test awaits the Launch this weekend as they travel to Annapolis to take on the two time defending champs, Chesapeake Bayhawks (1-2). The Bayhawks are coming off a rough loss to Charlotte and look to get back to .500, while the Launch bid for three straight wins before the Memorial Day weekend break.
