By: Kevin S. Clancy, Beat Writer Boston Cannons
The Boston Cannons return to Harvard Stadium this upcoming season. It’s a great venue and easy to walk from the Harvard Red Line T stop. Home opener is against the new expansion team Atlanta Blaze coming in on April 30th. Season tickets go on sale soon and the price is very reasonable. This is coming from a Red Sox season ticket holder evaluating value in pricing. The World Series in 2004 of course made that decision a winner. With the Cannon’s roster filling up, it may be the year for glory! Here is Boston’s press release with all the latest information after the Supplemental Draft.
“The Boston Cannons selected 14 players in the 2016 Supplemental Draft on Wednesday December 18, 2015 and completed a trade with Charlotte to acquire defenseman Mason Poli. Midfielder Michael Rooney, Stony Brook ’15, was the Cannons first selection (6th overall).
“I am very happy with the selections we made today,” stated Cannons Head Coach Sean Quirk. “We added players who will compete for starting roles and added depth at every position.
Michael Rooney left Stony Brook as the school’s all-time leader in assists (121) and points (253). His senior year he tallied 48 goals and added 63 assists, including three goals and two assists against national champions Duke on April 15. “Rooney is a dynamic player who brings the ability to score and distribute the ball through the midfield,” said Quirk. “He will compliment our current midfielders and bring a different threat for defenses to prepare for.”
“The trade to acquire Mason Poli brought us a player who can step in and be an opening day starter for us,” said Quirk. “His size, ability to cover, and athleticism to get up the field in transition will fit in with our team play.
The Cannons next selection was the 24th overall in the third round, selecting Andrew Sellers, a defenseman who was on the Cannons for seven games in 2015. “We are excited to bring Sellers back and be a part of our defensive group for 2016,” said Quirk.
In the fourth round the Cannons selected midfielder Mike Begley, a 2015 graduate of Marist College. Begley played in 60 games for the Red Foxes tallying 76 goals and 36 assists. In each of his four seasons he increased his goals scored and assists.
The Cannons selected Tufts University grad Beau Woods in the fifth round. “Woods comes out of a great program at Tufts and is a former national champion,” said Quirk. “He will give us depth at attack and someone who can score from the crease or outside.”
Next up for the Cannons is the 2016 Collegiate Draft on Friday, January 22nd, in Baltimore, MD. The Cannons currently have eight picks including the 6th, 9th and 15th overall.
The Cannons will host an open tryout prior to training camp, which opens on April 2nd. Details on the open tryout will be announced at a later time. Boston opens the 2016 MLL season on the road against Charlotte on Saturday, April 23. The 2016 Cannons home opener will be held a week later at Harvard Stadium on Saturday, April 30 as the expansion Atlanta Blaze comes to Boston for the first time.”
Speaking of the Atlanta Blaze, I will go to the first Boston home game just to see Jeremy Boltus play. I have a great respect for his service to our country and the time and effort he puts in preparing and playing his best. Since I went to the US Naval Academy, I even appreciate Army and Jeremy beating Navy four times in the four years he played there.
“Attackman Jeremy Boltus was selected Number One overall by the Atlanta Blaze in the 2016 MLL Supplemental Draft on Wednesday, making this the fifth team in Boltus’ professional career.
Boltus was originally selected in the 2011 Collegiate Draft by the Hamilton Nationals and became the Nationals’ leading scorer with 19 goals. He went on to become the 2011 Cascade MLL Rookie of the Year. The Charlotte Hounds picked up Boltus with the 2012 MLL Expansion Draft with the 2nd overall pick. The Army graduate played the next season with the Denver Outlaws before serving a nine-month deployment to Afghanistan in 2014. Boltus joined the Rochester Rattlers in 2015 and was named the Coca Cola Player MVP for the 2015 MLL All Star Game for his six goal performance.
The Supplemental Draft, designed to strengthen teams’ rosters from 23 to 35 players, had draft pick trades between the Hounds and the Chesapeake Bayhawks in the first round. The Hounds traded their 2nd and 20th overall picks in exchange for the Bayhawks’ 4th and 13th overall selections.
Other Highlights of the supplemental draft included:
Mark Cockerton (No. 35) and Perennial Player
Matt Striebel (No. 44) to Rochester
Australian Callum Robinson (No. 20) to Chesapeake
Jeremy Thompson (No. 38) to join brothers Lyle and Miles with Florida Launch
Kevin Clancy, Beat Writer Boston Cannons
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