Phil Shore, our resident Major League Lacrosse writer, previews all nine MLL teams, in reverse order of projected finish, leading up to opening day Saturday.

Check uslaxmagazine.com/mll before and throughout the season for more analysis and stories from the premier professional outdoor lacrosse league.

Rochester Rattlers

Projected finish: 3rd
2016 record: 8-6
Coach: Tim Soudan, 6th season

Power Rankings (Scale of 1-5)

Offense: 4
Defense: 5
Faceoffs: 3
Goalie: 4

Key losses: Derek DeJoe, M; Jesse King, M; Will Koshansky, D

Top returners: Jordan Wolf, A; Joel White, D; John Galloway, G 

New arrivals: Nick Galasso, M; JoJo Marasco, M; Greg Danseglio, D

MVP Watch

Jordan Wolf, A

The fourth-year attackman missed three games at the end of the year, but still finished tied for the team lead in points (48). Wolf averaged 3.1 goals per game and scored three or more goals in six of the 11 games he played in.

Under-the-Radar Star

Drew Simoneau, FO

In his MLL rookie season, the Nazareth graduate led the team in ground balls (96) and was a boost at the face-off X, winning 53.8 percent of his face-offs. He even received two second-place votes for Rookie of the Year.

Scouting Report

Three things you need to know about the Rattlers:

1. The core will be mostly intact from day one.

In the past, Rochester has been one of the team’s most affected by the overlap with the NLL season. The start of the 2017 season won’t be as bad, however. Co-defensive Player of the Year Mike Manley will be training to become a New York State Trooper, and John Ranagan and Jordan MacIntosh will be playing box, but Joel White skipped the NLL season and the team will have new acquisitions Marasco and Galasso to improve the midfield depth. “This is the best team we will field at the beginning of the year we’ve had in a long time,” Soudan said.

2. The defense remains intact.

In 2016, Rochester allowed a league-best 167 goals, 16 fewer than the next best team. John Galloway won the Goalie of the Year while Joel White and Mike Manley were Co-Defensive Players of the Year. All three are back, as are John LoCascio, John Lade and Matt Dunn. Additionally, the team added Greg Danseglio and Brian Megill in the supplemental draft, and Soudan said 2015 third-round pick Jordan Stevens is also playing this year. “We had one of the best defensive units two years ago and we added Matt Dunn to that,” Soudan said. “He can play No. 1, and Manley can play No. 1. … John Lade is so underrated.”

3. Marasco brings a new threat to the midfield.

A big part of the Rattlers success on their trips to the MLL championship game in 2014 and 2015 was the starting midfield trio of Dave Lawson, Justin Turri and John Ranagan. In 2016, however, Lawson and Turri were on new teams and Ranagan played in only 10 games because of NLL commitments. JoJo Marasco isn’t as big as those three, but he’s an MLL All-Star who’s had two 20-plus goal seasons in his four years in the league. “He’s got an unbelievable spirit about him,” Soudan said. “I’ve wanted him on our team since he graduated from college. He loves the game, works his tail off. It’s contagious.”

Biggest Question Mark

Will the fans show up?

For the second consecutive season, and third time in the past four years, the Rattlers finished last in the league in attendance (they finished second-to-last in 2014). In positive news, the team’s total attendance did increase from 8,313 to 10,193. The team will also play its games at Wegmans Sports Complex at The Aquinas Institute, moving back into the city of Rochester. 

Enemy Lines

What the opposition has to say about Rochester:

“What Soudo does with limited resources is incredible. They’re gritty. … The thing that separates them from everybody else is they play the best defense in the league, and when they do make a mistake, they have a guy in goal that can make up for it. … They’re the most physical team in the league.”

Number of Significance

.328

Rochester finished third in the league in goals (205), and they had the league’s best shooting percentage at .328. The team had three players in rank in the top 11 of the league in shooting percentage (King, Ty Thompson, and Jeremy Boltus). While efficient, the team tied for seventh in total shots (625) and last in two-point goals (2).

Bottom Line

Rochester may not have made the playoffs in 2016, but they had the best defense in the league and the best goal differential in the league. The team is known to have a strong chemistry. With the majority of those pieces available from the beginning, they could be one of the toughest teams to play in 2017.