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

Florida Launch

2017 Record: 8-6
Playoff Finish: Lost in semifinals
Coach: Tom Mariano (2nd season)

Power Rankings (Scale of 1-5)

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

Key Losses: Will Gural, FO; Benny Pugh, G; Chazz Woodson, A
Top Returners: Tucker Durkin, D; Kieran McArdle, A; Dylan Molloy, A
New Arrivals: Tom Moore, A; Kevin Reisman, M; Andrew Sellers, D

MVP Watch

Kieran McArdle, A

For the third consecutive season, McArdle led the Launch in scoring, as well as earning another trip to the MLL All-Star Game. He played in only 10 games, his lowest total in his career, but still managed 46 points on a team-high 32 goals and 14 assists.

Under-the-Radar Star

Ryan Drenner, A

Other Launch rookies may have gotten more attention, but Drenner was just as important to the team’s success in 2017. In eight games, he scored nine goals and added seven assists. In only one game – a 17-4 loss against Atlanta – did Drenner not score a single point. He also played in the team’s playoff game, scoring one goal and assisting on another. With McArdle starting the season in the NLL and Chazz Woodson retired, Drenner could get a lot of opportunities from the start.

Scouting Report

Three things you need to know about the Launch

1. Home-field advantage.

The Launch may have finished in the bottom half of the league in attendance, but they still were the only team in the league to win five home games. Every game in the league is important, but Florida will need the same success this year at home, with the three other playoff teams from 2017 visiting Boca Raton. Last year, Florida beat the Rattlers at home, but lost to the Outlaws. “It’s great,” Mariano said. “We saw last summer, the more time we spent together, the better we got. It allows us to learn and grow together as a team and a franchise.

2. Hole to fill at the faceoff position.

The Launch selected faceoff specialist Will Gural with the first pick in the 2017 supplemental draft and he had a solid season for Florida, winning about 49 percent of his faceoffs last season. According to Mariano, Gural will not play in the league this season, however. That leaves Chris Mattes and the newly acquired Kevin Reisman to battle for faceoff opportunities. Mattes is a solid fifth-year veteran, but he played in a career-low three games in 2017 and won only 39.2 percent of his faceoffs last season, also a career low. Mariano said Mattes should be more available this summer, and he has won nearly 48 percent of faceoffs in his career. In regard to Reisman, Mariano said, “He has a ton of ability and potential to be really good in this league.”

3. How improved is the defense?

Tucker Durkin was the 2017 MLL Defensive Player of the Year. Austin Kaut gave the team consistency between the pipes, starting all 14 games. Rookies Jarrod Neumann and Alec Tulett impressed in small sample sizes. Despite all this, the defense still finished at the bottom of the league in goals allowed for the third time in the past four seasons.

Biggest Question Mark

Are they more present-day Ohio Machine or circa-2014 Charlotte Hounds?

The Florida Launch surprised many in MLL last year, going from the worst record in 2016 to playoff team in 2017. Florida really caught fire after the collegiate draft, when it added key roster pieces such as Dylan Molloy, Sergio Salcido, Nick Mariano, Ryan Drenner, Alec Tulett and Jarrod Neumann. Building a team through the draft can create a strong core, similar to how the Ohio Machine built their eventual championship-winning team. Another team from recent MLL history to surprise the league with a handful of rookies was the 2013 Charlotte Hounds. After reaching the championship game with rookies such as Mike Sawyer, Jake Tripucka, Josh Hawkins, John Huas, Michael McCormack and Mason Poli, the team – with many of the same players – had the worst record in the league the following season. “We have to continue to evolve,” Mariano said. “If you look at Ohio, Denver has been consistent, they evolved as a group. Denver adds pieces every year, but the core is intact. We want to keep the core intact, but add players to grow as a team.”

Enemy Lines

What the opposition has to say about Florida

“[Mariano] brought them to the next level. They made the playoffs. They were right there. They’re sitting in the locker room saying, ‘We got a taste of it. Why not us?’ They built the team with picks. They’re probably sitting around saying, ‘Why not us this year?’ … They’ll be dangerous. Playoff team last year. They’re young. They’re buying into what they’re doing. It will be interesting to see how they answer faceoffs. They’re good in the cage. They’re loaded at all spots with young guys playing, and they have arguably the best defensive player in the world. That makes them pretty dangerous. They’re drinking the Kool-Aid. … Tommy’s done a great job. He’s building culture down there. Their young attack is excellent. With McArdle and Molloy, they’re dangerous through the attack. Their middies are weak and they have holes in their defense.”

Number of Significance

.657

Despite all of their talent on offense, the Launch actually scored the fewest goals in MLL in 2017. They did lead the league in shooting percentage for shots on goal.

Bottom Line

The Launch went into 2017 with a new coach and very few expectations from the outside. Mariano helped develop a winning attitude, however, and the team learned to play together on the fly. Expectations will be much higher this season. Florida has the talent to be a playoff team. It will be important to see how the young players develop in their second seasons.