The Launch moved from Canada, as the Hamilton Nationals, to Florida prior to the summer of 2014. In five seasons in Canada, the Nationals made the playoffs three times, going to the championship game and winning it in 2009.
While the players moved with the team, they left their winning ways behind north of the border.
The team finished in the penultimate spot in the standings its first two years in Florida and earned the worst record in the league in 2016.
The start of the 2017 season has been a different story. After coming from behind to defeat the Rochester Rattlers 9-8 in overtime – the team’s second victory over Rochester this season – the Launch are 2-2. This is also without stars Casey Powell (retired), Lyle Thompson (traded) and Kieran McArdle (NLL commitments).
Last year, it took seven games for Florida to earn its first victory. The team hasn’t had this strong a start since 2014, when they started the season 3-1 before losing seven of its final eight games.
“I’m good at helping the players believe in themselves and each other,” Launch coach Tom Mariano said prior to the start of the season. “Richard Branson says, ‘Everyone talks about how it’s the customer, and it’s really about the employees.’ My employees are the players. If we treat them the right way, they’re going to respond, and that’s going to make it better for the fans and the organization.”
One player who has benefitted from Mariano’s presence is veteran Chazz Woodson.
The attackman hadn’t played in the league since 2014, but he leads Florida in goals (seven), assists (five) and points (12). He scored two goals in the game against Rochester, including the game-winner in overtime.
“I keep telling people, I didn’t really go away,” Woodson said in a post-game interview on Lax Sports Network. “Nobody called me for three years. When Coach Mariano called me back in, I think it was December maybe, I told him I didn’t know what I have. I’m certainly a step slower than I was before, but I said I’d be ready when training camp came. If I made the roster, I made it. If I didn’t, I didn’t. I just wanted to get a fair shake, and you know, it’s worked out.”
Evans debuts
Shawn Evans is one of the most accomplished lacrosse players in the world.
He’s won the Minto and Mann Cup championships (junior and senior box lacrosse championships, respectively) in Canada. He was the MVP of the 2015 FIL World Lacrosse Championships while helping Canada win the gold medal. He’s a former NLL MVP and NLL champion. In April of 2017, he became the eighth player in NLL history to reach 1,000 points.
Despite all the success and accolades, there was still one thing Evans had to do.
At 31, he made his Major League Lacrosse debut May 19 in a 13-11 victory over the Atlanta Blaze. Not only did he debut, he did so in dominating fashion, scoring three goals and adding three assists.
“It was a great first opening game with these guys here,” he said in a post-game interview on Lax Sports Network. “When I came here, I didn’t know what to expect, my first game in the MLL. It’s been great. They welcomed me with open arms. They’re excited to have me here. It was a great team win.”
The last time Evans played field lacrosse was when he suited up for Bellarmine in 2005. In his only year with the program, he scored 52 goals and added 23 assists.
Although the box game has a number of differences compared to field lacrosse, including the fact there are no long-pole defenders in box lacrosse, it didn’t take Evans too long to shake the rust off. He had one goal and two assists in the first quarter.
“The long poles, they cover ground a lot quicker, so you’ve got to move that ball, move your feet and it’s faster,” he said. “You’ve got to be quick and you’ve got to be ready. It was a lot of fun today. I enjoyed every minute of this and I’m hoping to continue it.”
Gately out of nowhere
You won’t see Conor Gately’s name on the Rochester Rattlers roster on the team’s website, but you will see his contributions on the team’s stat sheet.
The 13th pick in the 2017 supplemental draft, the former Marquette starter is showing he has a nose for the goal. In his league debut against the Boston Cannons in Week 4, Gately had two goals and an assist. In the overtime loss to the Florida Launch in Week 5, he scored a game-high three goals.
The success should come as no surprise. A four-year starter at Marquette, Gately is first in program history in points (140) and assists (63), while finishing his career second in goals (77).
Noteworthy
The Charlotte Hounds traded midfielder Deemer Class to the Atlanta Blaze for midfielder Colin Dunster on Thursday. Neither player was active for his new team in Week 5. Class was originally drafted by the Blaze in the second round of the 2016 collegiate draft and was traded in October after his rookie year to Charlotte in exchange for attackman Dylan Donahue. … Will Manny scored three goals and added three assists to aid the Cannons in earning a much-needed victory over the Lizards after losing three straight games. After New York scored three goals in the fourth quarter to close the deficit to one goal, Manny assisted on scores to Joe LoCascio and David Emala to seal the victory. Max Seibald once again had a big night against his former MLL team, scoring four goals – including two two-pointers – in Boston’s 16-13 over New York. …
Player of the Week
Brendan Fowler, Charlotte Hounds
The Hounds broke a seven-game losing streak against the Ohio Machine by beating their 2012 expansion-mate 10-8. Fowler was a big reason why Charlotte won the game, winning 16 out of 20 face-offs, picking up 12 ground balls, and scoring two goals. It is the second consecutive game he has scored two goals.