Boston Cannons

The Boston Cannons are a Major League Lacrosse (MLL) professional men's field lacrosse team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They have played in the MLL since the 2001 season and won the MLL Championship in 2011. From 2006 to 2008, they were in the Eastern Conference. From the league's inception in 2001 through 2005, they were in the American Division. With the MLL contraction for the 2009 season from 10 to 6 teams (due to the state of the U.S. economy), there is currently only one division/conference. The team's home field is Harvard Stadium, but played at Gillette Stadium during the 2015 season.The Boston Cannons is one of the original six teams of Major League Lacrosse (MLL). MLL was founded by Jake Steinfeld, Dave Morrow, and Tim Robertson. The Boston Cannons Founder and President is Matt Dwyer. From their inaugural season of 2001 through 2003, the Cannons played their home games at Cawley Memorial Stadium in Lowell, Massachusetts. In 2004, they moved to Nickerson Field at Boston University where they played through the 2006 season. In 2007, they moved toHarvard Stadium in Allston, a neighborhood in Boston, Massachusetts[2] which is less than 2 miles from Nickerson Field and also less than 2 miles from the Cannons' main office in Boston, Massachusetts. The Cannons won the MLL Championship for the first time in 2011 after going 9-3 in the regular season. Boston qualified for the MLL playoffs 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2009, 2010 2011 and 2015. The Cannons won the 2004 and 2005 American Division championships.On March 20, 2007, the Cannons completed a trade with the Washington Bayhawks. In the trade, the Cannons gave up Connor Gill and Ryan Curtis and in return they acquired Michael Powell, Ben DeFelice, and a 2008 conditional draft choice. After the 2008 season, Powell left lacrosse to pursue a career as a singer with his band "Villains Trust". The Cannons selected Paul Rabil as the first overall pick in the 2008 MLL Draft.

Denver Outlaws

The Denver Outlaws are a Major League Lacrosse professional men's field lacrosse team based in Denver, Colorado. They began playing in the MLL in 2006 as an expansion team. Since joining the league, they have been one of its more successful teams, having appeared in the championship game five times, though they have lost in four of those appearances. The Outlaws regularly post the highest attendance in the league. The Outlaws won their first MLL Championship on August 23, 2014, defeating the Rochester Rattlers 12-11The Outlaws had their inaugural game on May 20, 2006, versus the Chicago Machine at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. The game was played in front of a Major League Lacrosse record crowd of 13,167 (the record was broken again later that year at another Denver home game which drew 15,981), where the Outlaws won 24-14. The Outlaws won the Western Conference championship in their first season.On June 16, 2007, the Rochester Rattlers won a game in overtime 27-26 over the Outlaws in the highest scoring game in MLL history at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. Denver hosted the 2008 Major League Lacrosse All-Star Game in front of 10,124 people, with the Western Conference defeating.the Eastern Conference 31-15. During the 2012 season, a total of 59,465 fans came out for Outlaws home games, an average of 8,495 fans per game.Historically, the Outlaws have led the MLL in attendance since their inaugural season in 2006.The Outlaws won their first MLL Championship on August 23, 2014, defeating the Rochester Rattlers 12-11.

Rochester Rattlers

The Rochester Rattlers are a Major League Lacrosse (MLL) professional men's field lacrosse team based in Rochester, New York. They are a charter member of the MLL. From their inaugural season in 2001 to 2005, they were in the National Division. From 2006 to 2008, they were a member of the Eastern Conference.After the 2008 season, the team was dissolved. The Rattlers' staff and roster was transferred to the new Toronto Nationals franchise; however, the history, colors, and name of the Rattlers franchise remained in Rochester so that they could be used for a future MLL team. On November 23, 2010, the Chicago Machine officially announced they would move to Rochester and resume play in 2011 under the Rochester Rattlers name.Beginning with the 2015 season, the Rattlers play its home games at Eunice Kennedy Shriver Stadium on the campus of SUNY Brockport, State University of New York at Brockport. In 2001 and 2002 the team played home games at Frontier Field. They played at Bishop Kearney Field from 2003 to 2005, and moved into the new PAETEC Park in 2006. In April 2015, negotiations between thRattlers and Sahlen's Stadium in Rochester fell through, resulting in the team moving its home field to SUNY Brockport. The Rattlers made the playoffs in 2001 and 2005 as a wildcard. They were the National Division champions in 2004. On June 16, 2007, the Rochester Rattlers won a 27-26 (in overtime) game over the Denver Outlaws in the highest scoring game in MLL history at INVESCO Field at Mile High.In 2008, the Rattlers won their first and only MLL championship by defeating the Philadelphia Barrage 16-15 in overtime in the semifinals and the Denver Outlaws 16-6 in the championship game.After the 2008 season, the team was dissolved and the rights to the team were sold to a Toronto, Ontario-based group on February 19, 2009. The Rattlers' staff and roster was transferred to the new Toronto franchise, named the Toronto Nationals; however, the Rattlers' history, team colors, and name remainedRochester, thus allowing the Chicago Machine to be re-branded as the Rochester Rattlers in time for the 2011 season.

New York Lizards

The New York Lizards, originally the Long Island Lizards, are a Major League Lacrosse (MLL) team based in Hempstead, New York, located on Long Island. They are original members of the MLL and lost in the league's inaugural game on June 7, 2001 to the Baltimore Bayhawks (now Chesapeake Bayhawks), 16-13. From the league's inception in 2001 through 2005, they were in the American Division. From 2006 to 2008, they were in the Eastern Conference. In the MLL's inaugural season in 2001, the Long Island Lizards split their home games between Hofstra Stadium, now James M. Shuart Stadium, and EAB Park (now Bethpage Ballpark). For the 2002 season, they used Hofstra Stadium as their home field. As of 2003, the Lizards played all home contests at Mitchel Athletic Complex, in Uniondale, New York until 2008. The team will return to James M. Shuart Stadium for their home games in 2009. The Lizards have won American Division championships in 2001, 2002, and 2003, and Major League Lacrosse titles in 2001, 2003 and 2015. The team made the playoffs in 2005 as a wildcard despite a losing record. The team's name and logo are based on the Italian wall lizard, a small reptile that was imported to Long Island (which has no native lizards) in the 1960s and which populate areas of the team's hometown of Hempstead in Nassau County.On December 14, 2012 the Lizards changed their name to the New York Lizards.

Chesapeak Bayhawks

The Chesapeake Bayhawks are a Major League Lacrosse (MLL) professional men's field lacrosse team based in Annapolis, Maryland. They have played in the MLL since the 2001 season. From the league's inception in 2001 through 2005, they were in the National Division and from 2006 to 2008, they were in the Eastern Conference. After the MLL contraction for the 2009 season from 10 to 6 teams, there is only one conference. The team was based in the Baltimore, Maryland metro area as the Baltimore Bayhawks from 2001-2006. From 2007-2009 they were called the Washington Bayhawks and were renamed the Chesapeake Bayhawks in 2010 to encompass the entire Chesapeake Bay area.The Bayhawks have played two seasons at Homewood Field on the Homewood campus of Johns Hopkins University (2001 and 2003) and played its home games during the 2002 season at Ravens Stadium now called M&T Bank Stadium in downtown Baltimore, currently the home of the Baltimore Ravens. They played their home games at Johnny Unitas Stadium on the campus of Towson University from 2004 to 2006. The Bayhawks have won National Division championships in 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2005. They made the 2004 playoffs as a wild card. The Bayhawks were the only Major League Lacrosse charter team to have a winning season in each of the first five years of the league.The Bayhawks are the MLL's second winningest franchise of the league. The franchise has won five MLL Championships and four division titles throughout their history in the league.In 2001, the Bayhawks won the National Division crown, but fell short in the championship game to the Long Island Lizards. The following year, the Bayhawks repeated as National Division champion, and this time avenged their title game loss with their first MLL crown. In the MLL's third season, the Bayhawks continued their National Division dominance with their third straight title, but again came up just short in the MLL Championship against the Lizards. The Bayhawks made the playoffs in 2004 but were eliminated in the semifinals.The 2005 Bayhawks squad is regarded as one of the greatest lacrosse teams ever assembled. Led by veterans such as Gary Gait and Tom Marechek, the Bayhawks dominated the MLL and set several scoring records throughout the year. The team capped the season with their fourth National Division title and their second MLL crown.The 2006 season was a transition year for both the MLL and the Bayhawks. BT Lax Operating purchased the Bayhawks from the prior ownership group led by the Pivec family. The Bayhawks missed the playoffs for the first time in 2006. Following the season in November, the Bayhawks announced the team would be renamed the Washington Bayhawks and play in Washington, DC. The 2007 season found the team at Georgetown for their home games, and in 2008, the team called George Mason in Fairfax, VA their home. In 2009, the Bayhawks returned to Maryland, and signed an agreement with the US Naval Academy for their home games. The agreement lasts through the 2012 MLL season.In March 2010, the Bayhawks announced the new ownership group: Hometown Lacrosse, LLC led by Bayhawks owner Brendan Kelly. The Bayhawks also announced that the team name would be changed to the Chesapeake Bayhawks to include all areas of the region from Northern Maryland to Virginia and Washington, DC to the Eastern Shore. The Bayhawks continued to play at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, MD. With Kelly's leadership as head coach, the team finished the 2010 MLL season 6-6 and made their first trip to Championship Weekend since 2005. The team defeated the Boston Cannons 13-9 in the semifinals, and won the Steinfeld Trophy for the third time with another 13-9 victory, this time over their archrivals, the Long Island Lizards.After a rollercoaster season in 2011, the Bayhawks were defeated by the Boston Cannons in a close match-up during the playoffs at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. In the off-season, the team made some major changes when Kelly stepped down as head coach and promoted Dave Cottle from assistant coach to head coach. Immediately after, Cottle brought in Tony Resch to serve as his defensive coordinator. In 2012 they recaptured the Steinfeld Trophy, defeating the Denver Outlaws 16-6 in the final.The Bayhawks repeated as MLL champions in 2013, defeating the Charlotte Hounds 10-9 in the final.

Ohio Machine

The Ohio Machine is a Major League Lacrosse (MLL) professional men's field lacrosse team based in Columbus, Ohio. They began play in the 2012 MLL seasonalong with the Charlotte Hounds as part of the league's plan to have 16 teams by 2020.In January 2011 MLL voted to grant expansion franchise to Columbus and Charlotte, North Carolina for the 2012 MLL Season.The league announced on April 12, 2011, the team name will be the Ohio Machine, continuing the team previously located in Chicago. The Chicago Machine played the 2010 season as a traveling team playing their home games at neutral sites where the MLL did not have franchises. The Chicago Machine franchise that existed from 2006 to 2010 was moved to Rochester, New York and was re-branded as a continuation of the Rochester Rattlers franchise that moved to Toronto, Ontario in 2009. This franchise brought back the light blue and black colors of the Chicago franchise. On May 19, 2012 the Ohio Machine got their first win and first home win in their franchise history against the Rochester Rattlers.On June 24, 2013, two days after a 19-5 loss to the Denver Outlaws, Ted Garber was fired as head coach and replaced by Bear Davis. Garber had led the expansion franchise to a 3-19 record through its first 22 games and a 1-7 record in 2013.

Charlotte Hounds

The Charlotte Hounds are a Major League Lacrosse (MLL) professional men's field lacrosse franchise that began play in the 2012 MLL season. The team's home games are played at American Legion Memorial Stadium ]In January 2011 the MLL voted to grant expansion franchise to Charlotte and Columbus, Ohio for the 2012 MLL Season. The team is headed by Jim McPhilliamy, a former Charlotte Bobcats marketing executive. The team names had been narrowed down to the Hounds, Legion, and Monarchs with the Hounds eventually winning the fan vote by a mere 21 votes over the Legion. The Name the Team Campaign was heavily supported by OrthoCarolina, the official team physician of the Hounds, and was heavily run via Facebook. First, fans pitched in ideas for the team name and location identity (Charlotte, Carolina, Queen City, etc.) Then, fans voted on the location ID, choosing Charlotte easily over Carolina. The next stage was mostly on the team staff, in choosing 6 finalists for team names and logo prototypes. Fans then voted on those, narrowing it down to the final three, Hounds, Legion, and Monarchs. A final vote was held, and Hounds won. On June 21, 2011 the team name was announced to be the Charlotte Hounds and their colors to be navy blue and tan. On September 29, 2011 the team announced the hiring of head coach Mike Cerino. On February 10, 2012, the team announced the hiring of assistant coaches J.B. Clarke, Chris Phenicie, and Brad Touma.The Hounds announced on February 7, 2012 that they had signed a landmark deal with WMYT (MyTV12) Charlotte to broadcast 7 of the 14 scheduled games. The TV broadcasts will alternate with the Radio games on WFNZ, with the exception of the home opener and season finale, which will be covered by both stations. WFNZ will air all home games, while WMYT will broadcast the away games as well as the home opener and season finale. The local TV deal with WMYT is the first of its kind in major league lacrosse, as WMYT will be the only local broadcast station in the nation to offer Major League Lacrosse Broadcasts.On May 12, 2012 the Charlotte Hounds beat the Ohio Machine 18-15 at American Legion Memorial Stadium to earn their first win in franchise history. On August 3, 2013, the Charlotte Hounds clinched a playoff spot in just their second season after defeating the Hamilton Nationals, 14-11. On August 24 in the semifinals, Charlotte defeated top seed Denver, 17-14 for their first playoff win and championship berth in team history. Before that, the Denver Outlaws were the first team in league history to complete a perfect 14-0 regular season. On August 25, 2013 the Hounds took on the Chesapeake Bayhawks in the MLL Championship game, in just their 2nd season of existence and 1st playoff appearance. In a close game the young Hounds lost 10-9. The Hounds struggled out of the gate in 2014, however, starting 1-4. But on June 7, the Hounds defeated the Outlaws again, 18-15 at home. The loss for Denver snapped a 25 regular season game win streak for the Outlaws.

Florida Launch

The Florida Launch is a professional men's field lacrosse team based in Boca Raton, Florida. They joined Major League Lacrosse (MLL) as an expansion team for the 2014 season. The team plays its home games at Florida Atlantic University Stadium.In November 2013, MLL granted an expansion franchise to Palm Beach County, Florida for the 2014 MLL Season. The formation of the Launch coincides with the dissolution of the Hamilton Nationals, and former National players have become members of the inaugural Launch squad. Former Denver Outlaws assistant Stan Ross was named as the new team's first coach.Ross faced his former team in the Launch's inaugural game on Saturday, April 26, 2014 in their home opener. The Launch lost their first game to the Outlaws 14-10. Josh Amidon scored the first goal in franchise history. The team's first victory came in their second game, an 11-8 win over the Charlotte Hounds.

Atlanta Blaze

The Atlanta Blaze is a professional men's field lacrosse team based in Kennesaw, Georgia. They will join the Major League Lacrosse (MLL) league as an expansion team for the 2016 season. The team will play its home games at Fifth Third Bank Stadium, located in Kennesaw, Georgia.In August 2015, MLL granted an expansion franchise to Atlanta, Georgia for the 2016 MLL season. The league had held several games there before including the 2014 and 2015 championship games which drew 8,149 and 8,674 people (the latter is a Steinfeld Cup record).