Though no date has been set for the beginning of the 2020 Major League Lacrosse season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, several coaches expressed to US Lacrosse Magazine prior to the collegiate draft that a July 4 start could be feasible.

Through the end of this week, US Lacrosse Magazine will release previews for each of the six teams, going alphabetically by city. Check back each day to learn about another team.

These previews appeared in the May/June edition of US Lacrosse Magazine. Don't get the mag? Subscribe today.

MLL Team Previews

Boston Cannons
Chesapeake Bayhawks
Connecticut Hammerheads
Denver Outlaws
New York Lizards
Philadelphia Barrage

Chesapeake Bayhawks

2019 regular season record: 10-6
Last seen: Celebrating as MLL champions

MVP Watch
Lyle Thompson

MLL fans finally got to see what Lyle Thompson was capable of in a full season, and they were not disappointed. Thompson led the league in points (73) and goals (46), was a captain in the All-Star Game and helped Chesapeake win the 2019 MLL championship. He also was the league’s most exciting player, creating SportsCenter-worthy highlights every week.

Thompson and fellow attackmen Steele Stanwick and Colin Heacock showed a great deal of chemistry on offense, and all three return in 2020, so expectations for Thompson should remain high.

Under the Radar
Warren Jeffrey

He was only a sixth-round pick in the 2019 collegiate draft, but Jeffrey was impressive in his rookie season. He finished fourth on the Bayhawks defense with 11 caused turnovers in the regular season, and his 16 caused turnovers in 16 games, including playoffs, was ninth-best in the league.

He was most notable in his rookie season for his physicality and fearlessness. In an August 4 game against the Lizards, Jeffrey held Dylan Molloy to one goal and one assist, and teammates Jesse Bernhardt and C.J. Costabile gave credit to Jeffrey for the defense he played on John Grant Jr. in the MLL championship game. Jeffrey helped hold Grant Jr. to one goal and two assists, and the Outlaws scored only nine goals.

Losses

Jesse Bernhardt (LSM), Sean Mayle (LSM)

Additions

Luke Anderson (M), Joe Cinosky (D), Callum Crawford (A), Dan Lomas (A), Grant Maloof (M), Nate Solomon (A), Will Weitzel (LSM)

We're proud to announce the signing of our first-round pick Will Weitzel#FlockYeah @YaleLacrosse | @YaleAthletics pic.twitter.com/3eA4ZSFfMG

— Chesapeake Bayhawks (@TheBayhawks) May 13, 2020

Burning question
Will the faceoff game improve?

Kenny Massa had a nice 2019 season, winning 55.0 percent of his faceoffs. In the 121 faceoffs the team took without him, Chesapeake won less than 30 percent, causing the Bayhawks to finish fifth in the six-team league in faceoff winning percentage. The team also finished last in the league in ground balls.

They won the MLL championship despite this, but an improved faceoff game would ease any worries heading into 2020.