The Major League Lacrosse season starts Saturday, April 21. These team-by-team previews — in order of finish as projected by US Lacrosse Magazine contributor Phil Shore — were written before the MLL collegiate draft.

Find those results here.

1. Ohio Machine
2. New York Lizards 
3. Dallas Rattlers
4. Denver Outlaws
5. Chesapeake Bayhawks
6. Florida Launch 
7. Atlanta Blaze
8. Boston Cannons 
9. Charlotte Hounds

New York Lizards

2017 Record: 7-7
Coach: Joe Spallina (7th season)

Power Rankings (Scale of 1-5)

Offense: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Defense: ⭐⭐⭐
Faceoffs: ⭐⭐⭐
Goalie:⭐⭐⭐⭐

Key Losses: Matt Gibson, A; Greg Gurenlian, FO; Tommy Palasek, A
Top Returners: Rob Pannell, A; Paul Rabil, M; Joe Walters, M
New Arrivals: Mike Bocklet, A; Brendan Fowler, FO; Matt Landis, D

MVP Watch

Rob Pannell, A​

He may have played fewer than 14 games for the first time since 2014, but Pannell still finished tied for third in the league in points (49) while tying for the league lead in assists (26). Pannell had multiple-point games in 10 out of the 11 games he played in, was held without a goal only once, and had at least five points in six games. The final game of the season, when New York still had a slight chance of making the playoffs, Pannell stepped up, leading the Lizards with seven points (three goals, four assists) to a 20-14 victory.

Under-the-Radar Star

Kevin Unterstein, SSDM/D​

The Lizards roster is loaded with high-end talent. It can be hard to earn playing time behind guys like Paul Rabil, Rob Pannell and Joe Walters. Even the newly acquired Mike Bocklet is no longer under the radar any longer. Unterstein has been in the league since 2008, and because he doesn’t play a glamorous position, he doesn’t necessarily get the same ink other teammates do. He’s been invaluable to the team, however, as a versatile player. He’s known as one of the best short-stick defensive midfielders, but when the team needs defensive help, he isn’t afraid to pick up a long-pole. He can also take a few face-offs in a pinch. He’s a versatile piece that can help the other players around him focus on their strengths.

Scouting Report

Three things you need to know about the Lizards

1. Scoring in bunches.

Not satisfied with missing the postseason, Joe Spallina was aggressive in the offseason in an attempt to bolster the offense. In September, the Lizards acquired attackman Mike Bocklet in exchange for a collegiate draft pick and supplemental draft pick. In 2017, Bocklet scored 37 goals and added 11 assists. With the addition of Bocklet to Pannell and Manny, the Lizards have three of the five highest scoring attackmen in the league from 2017 and five of the top 17 overall scorers in the league. “He is a proven goal-scorer that brings an ability to play with or without the ball,” Spallina said in a press release after the Bocklet trade. “With all the dynamic dodgers we have, a player of Mike's ability was a must to us becoming a complete unit.”

2. Brendan Fowler replaces The Beast.

Greg Gurenlian may go down as the best faceoff specialist in the history of Major League Lacrosse, so it is natural the team would have a great void without the former league MVP. New York wasted no time picking Gurenlian’s replacement, however, trading for Fowler in October. Fowler did have the worst winning percentage of his career in 2017 (47.6), but got involved in the offense in transition, setting career highs with nine goals, four assists, and 13 points. “Brendan is one of the top guys in the sport,” head coach and general manager Joe Spallina said in a press release on the team’s website. “He is a relentless worker, a great teammate and someone whose game has grown considerably every year. He is a Long Island native and someone we feel keeps us directed toward our goal of getting the Steinfeld Cup back home.”

3. Continuously improving the defense.

In 2016, the Lizards defense struggled mightily, giving up league-highs 226 goals and 10 two-point goals. They added Ryan Flanagan and drafted Austin Pifani with their lone pick in the first four rounds of the draft; the team lowered it’s goals against total to 198. The Lizards selected Greg Danseglio and Bobby Duvnjak in the supplemental draft and traded for Matt Landis, who played 11 games for the Boston Cannons, picking up 40 ground balls and causing 14 turnovers. “We approached this offseason looking to shore up a few positions and getting another top-level defensemen, so when a big time player like Matt becomes available, you do all you can to make it happen,” Spallina said in a press release. “This is a tremendous get for our organization, and I couldn’t be happier. Finding a defenseman of Matt’s caliber is extremely difficult, so this is a big day for us.”

Biggest Question Mark

What will the Lizards get from JoJo Marasco?
 

Prior to the 2017 season, the Lizards traded Marasco to the Rattlers in exchange for a first-round pick, which they used to get Joe Walters in player movement. Marasco played six games for the Rattlers, scoring two goals and adding four assists. He was traded back to the Lizards for a fourth-round draft pick, and played six games, tallying one assist. The seven combined points were the lowest of his career, including his eight-game rookie season. The Lizards got great production from Rabil, Walters and Joe LoCascio. Marasco won’t have to lead the team in scoring, but if he can get closer to his numbers from 2014 (28 points) and 2015 (31 points), he can provide a lot of depth for the Lizards and help keep Rabil and Walters fresh.

Enemy Lines

What the opposition has to say about New York

“They come at you with lots of star power at every position. They have league leaders in every position. The biggest thing that they don’t have that’s been a real asset for them is the Beast is retired. How that hole gets filled will be interesting to see. They did bring in Brendan Fowler, who is a top faceoff man. They’ll be in the playoff hunt again this year. …  They have great players. I think they’re talented. … How they stay together physically as older kids have a tendency to get injured, that will be a big question mark. … They made some trades to shore up the defensive side. We’ll see how Fowler fits. Their offense is still pretty scary if they can share the ball. …. I think if their defensive trades pan out, and they win faceoffs, they’ll be right back in the hunt for playoffs.”

Number of Significance

2

The Major League Lacrosse community was stunned when the Lizards acquired All-Star attackman Will Manny from the Boston Cannons during the season, giving the Lizards another high-profile scoring option. The trade paid off right from the beginning, with Manny scoring five goals in his Lizards debut, a 15-14 victory over the eventual champion Ohio Machine. In addition to his high scoring, he also provided timely scoring, tying for the team lead with two game-winning goals (coincidentally enough, tying with midfielder Dave Lawson, one of the players the Lizards traded in exchange for Manny).

Bottom Line

The talent in New York is undeniable. They also added MLL veterans to provide depth at every position, anticipating possible injuries as well as the FIL World Championship. Spallina will do whatever he can to put his team into a position to win, and with the core of the team aging, there’s a sense of urgency.