Michael Kraus’ hometown of New Canaan, Conn., is roughly 20 minutes from Fairfield University’s Rafferty Stadium. In a “normal” season, the Connecticut Hammerheads would call Rafferty Stadium home.

That’s obviously not the case this summer, as Major League Lacrosse’s fully quarantined and fanless 2020 season will take place at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, Md., over the course of nine days beginning July 18.

But that doesn’t mean Kraus isn’t excited to eventually play in front of a home crowd featuring a slew of friends and family.

“I think for any professional athlete, no matter what sport it is, it’s about finally being able to go home,” Kraus said. “They get traded to their team they grew up watching — obviously the Hammerheads weren’t there when I was growing up — but the stadium is 20 minutes away from where I grew up. My friends, family, they’re all right in that neighborhood and can come watch when we’re there.”

The allure of playing for his hometown team was the icing on the cake after Kraus was selected second overall. He signed a two-year deal with the Hammerheads after scoring 131 goals over 55 games for Virginia and winning a national championship in 2019. He became the fourth Cavalier in history to reach 100 goals and 100 assists this season against Lehigh.

At New Canaan High School, Kraus set the school’s points record with 108. He led the team to a 2015 CIAC state championship.

In pre-draft conversations with Hammerheads head coach Bill Warder, Kraus said he and Warder connected immediately.

“We had a few phone calls before the draft happened, and it was an instant connection right away,” Kraus said. “I think it all stems from how he likes to play and his style of coaching, and it was very similar to Coach [Lars] Tiffany at UVA. He likes to run and gun.”

And it was easy to see why Warder was interested in the hometown kid.

“From a talent perspective, he’s as good as anyone,” Warder said. “He’s a scoring, dynamic offensive player.”

The draft was held before the MLL announced anything regarding its 20^th anniversary season in a world upended by COVID-19. But because the eventual league champion will have played seven games in nine days in the potentially sweltering Maryland heat, Warder thinks Kraus and the other young players on the team give his team a leg up.

Plus, if any players are used to playing lacrosse every day, it’s those who are coming straight out of college.

“The format of it being a seven-game scenario lends itself to someone like Michael who’s coming right in,” Warder said. “I don’t think experience is going to matter. He has the fitness, talent and competitiveness to make a difference.”

Kraus, who will conveniently begin his career as an investment banker in New York City the week after the season, isn’t sure of his role. He acknowledged that it’s likely most everyone on the roster will contribute given the circumstances.

Many players return from the Dallas Rattlers, though there are also many new faces to get acquainted with each other when the two-day training camp begins July 16. Kraus said those two days will be “critical” for building chemistry.

This isn’t a traditional expansion team, however. Given the structure of the season, Warder expects to compete.

“We build our roster with the thought of, ‘Hey, it’s going to be hot. Expect the unexpected,’” Warder said. “We always tell our guys to control the controllables. I think one of the controllables is how you plan your roster from a positional standpoint.

“Our philosophy is, we have a younger, athletic, very fit roster that given the circumstances, we really like our chances at a really high level. If you look at our roster, we probably have the most defensive lineup compared to other teams.”

Indeed, Warder said he’s excited about some of the younger defensive players. The athleticism at the long-pole position is something to be excited about, he said.

Although the Hammerheads won’t have the opportunity to compete in front of home fans, Kraus and the rest of the players will be representing their new home community. For Kraus, there’s nothing better than that.

“Having a home base that you feel some connection to, that was important for me,” Kraus said.

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