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

Connecticut Hammerheads

2019 regular season record: 7-9 (as Dallas Rattlers)
Last seen: Narrowly missing the playoffs after rallying from an 0-7 start

MVP Watch
Sean Sconone

Only once has a goalie won MLL MVP, Greg Cattrano in 2002. Sconone made a huge impact as a rookie, however. The UMass product led MLL in save percentage (55.8) and won MLL Goalie of the Year honors.

Under the Radar
Will Sands

When Sands was traded to the Hammerheads in the 2020 offseason, a lot of attention was paid to the other part of the trade: Boston acquiring All-Star Bryce Wasserman. Connecticut, however, received one of the top passers in the game in Sands.

He jumped out of the gates as a rookie in 2018, scoring seven goals with 10 assists in only five games. Then he broke his hand and missed the remainder of the season. Sands was back in 2019, and he played in all 17 games, including playoffs.

In the regular season, he scored 15 goals and added a team-high 32 assists, which was third-best in the league. He showed his new head coach, Bill Warder, what he is capable of when the Cannons took on the Rattlers in the second game of the 2019 season, dishing out six assists in Boston’s 16-10 win.

Losses

Craig Chick (D), Brian Kormondy (M), Donny Moss (M), Bryce Wasserman (A)

Additions

Matt Farrell (D), Michael Kraus (A), Hayden La Vangie (LSM), Ben Martin (A), Will Sands (A), Drew Schantz (SSDM)

We are excited to announce the signing of No. 2 overall draft pick Michael Kraus Kraus inked a two-year deal with the Hammerheads ahead of the 2020 season #SharkAttack | @UVAMensLax pic.twitter.com/Pkpiv6P6WF

— Connecticut Hammerheads (@CtHammerheads) May 15, 2020

Burning question
Can the youngsters pick up where they left off in 2020 and rise to another level?

The Rattlers were a young squad, but several rookies impressed. In 10 games, Bradley Voigt finished fourth on the team in scoring with 22 points, and Sconone was named Goalie of the Year with a 55.81 save percentage and 12.09 goals against average. The roster remains largely intact — save for a trade with the Cannons that brought in Sands in exchange for Wasserman — so it will be up to the second-year players to expand on their rookie seasons and keep the momentum going for a team that won seven of its final nine games.