Prior to the start of the season, Charlotte Hounds head coach Jim Stagnitta expressed concern about the start of the season. He was confident about the abilities of his team, but he wasn’t sure how available certain individuals would be at the start due to other commitments. He also remembered how much the team’s 0-3 start in 2017 hurt the team.

In fact, Charlotte typically struggles in its first game of the year. From the Hounds inaugural season in 2012 through the 2017 season, Charlotte was 1-5 in season openers.

The 2018 season opener, however, was a record-breaking one for the Hounds. Charlotte drubbed Boston 25-7, setting a franchise record for goals scored in a game and tying a franchise record for fewest goals allowed.

Charlotte stepped on the gas immediately thanks to a Ryan Brown goal 30 seconds into the contest, and the Hounds took a 6-1 lead at the end of the first quarter that they only increased from there.

In addition to a strong start, Stagnitta in the preseason identified two areas in need of improvement: goaltending and faceoffs. Goaltender Charlie Cipriano had a 14.04 goals against average in 2017 (eighth in the league among eligible goaltenders) and a 48.8 save percentage (also eighth). The Hounds as a team ranked seventh in the league in faceoff winning percentage (45.5), then traded Brendan Fowler to the New York Lizards.

Neither goaltending nor faceoffs were an issue in the 2018 opener.

In 45 minutes of action, Cipriano allowed just four goals, making 13 saves, including eight in the second quarter. At the faceoff X, Kevin Massa got his first look as the starter and didn’t disappoint, going 21-for-34.

“It’s a game of runs, and once we had the momentum, it was hard for them to stop us,” Hounds midfielder Kevin Cooper said on the team’s website. “We were playing confident, winning faceoffs, and getting the ball back after goals. We continued to play unselfish and that’s what set us apart.” 

Old faces in new places

April 21 brought the advent of a new MLL season, and many familiar faces stepped back on the field. A number of them, however, did so in new uniforms and new locales.

The New York Lizards, who missed out on the playoffs in 2017, made several additions to the roster prior to the 2018 season. Mike Bocklet scored four goals in his debut, helping the Lizards beat the Denver Outlaws 19-15. Brendan Fowler is New York’s new faceoff man after Greg Gurenlian’s retirement, and he won 12 of 36 faceoffs.

In addition to Bocklet, many other players made good first impressions for their new teams. Tommy Palasek and Matt Gibson each had a goal and an assist in their Atlanta debuts, Kyle Denhoff scored two goals in his Boston debut, and Josh Hawkins scored in his first game as a member of the Outlaws. Unfortunately, unlike Bocklet, all those players lost their first games with their new teams.

Individual players weren’t the only ones to switch locales, however. The Rattlers played their first game since relocating to Dallas and defeated the Bayhawks 15-9. Nine different players scored for the Rattlers, and in place of an unavailable John Galloway, Blaze Riorden made 32 saves in his first career start.

“Blaze played great. He’s just so poised,” Rattlers head coach Bill Warder, the only first-year head coach in the league this season, said on Lax Sports Network after the game. “Last week in training camp, Johnny was leading the team and said, ‘Hey, this is Blaze’s team. It’s his start.’”

No sophomore slumps here

The 2017 rookie class enjoyed a lot of success in year one. Chesapeake Bayhawks head coach Dave Cottle said that the second year — the first year you’re without your college team, having to train on your own during the week — is the toughest. Many of the second-year players, however, enjoyed successful 2018 season openers.

In Florida’s 13-10 victory over Atlanta on Sunday, the Launch got 10 goals from second-year players: one from Ryan Drenner (who also had two assists), two from Dylan Molloy (who also had two assists), two from Nick Mariano, three from Sergio Salcido, and two from defenseman Jarrod Neumann.

The Charlotte Hounds got three goals and an assist from second-year pros Matt Rambo (one goal and one assist) and Adam Osika (two goals), but the Hounds’ big second-year performer was John Crawley, who scored four goals and tallied three assists. Colin Heacock scored two goals and added an assist for the Bayhawks, while at the other end of the field, Ryan McNamara scored two goals and added three assists in Dallas’s 15-9 victory over the Bayhawks.

Noteworthy

New York’s starting attack of Rob Pannell (two goals, six assists), Will Manny (five goals, two assists), and Mike Bocklet (four goals) combined for 19 of the team’s 29 points. … Joe Locascio scored two 2-point goals. … Despite the loss, Denver’s Thomas Kelly was strong, winning 24 of 46 faceoffs. … Matt Kavanagh and Jeremy Sieverts each scored five goals for the Outlaws, accounting for two-thirds of the team’s goals. … Atlanta’s Brent Hiken won 17 of 25 faceoffs, putting him first in the league in winning percentage after Week 1. … Austin Kaut made 20 saves on 29 shots on goal in Florida’s 13-10 win over the Atlanta Blaze. … Jordan Wolf led the Rattlers with five points on four goals and one assist. … Brian Phipps made 22 saves for the Bayhawks.

Player of the Week

Kevin Cooper, M, Charlotte

The Hounds acquired Cooper last June in a trade with the Bayhawks. The midfielder from the University of Maryland played in only two games for Charlotte, however, scoring one goal. He erupted in the first game of the 2018 season, however, scoring a career-high seven goals and adding one assist, helping Charlotte to a 25-7 victory.

“We had Kevin in and out of the lineup towards the end of the last year. He’s a really versatile player,” Jim Stagnitta said on the team’s website. “He can play attack, he can play midfield, he's as good of a feeder as he is a scorer. A lot of his goals came from other guys being unselfish and making plays.”