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 inaugural 2001 season and have won two Steinfeld Cup championship games. The team's home field is Veterans Memorial Stadium in nearby Quincy.[1]

Boston Cannons
SportLacrosse
Founded2001
LeagueMajor League Lacrosse
Based inBoston, Massachusetts
StadiumVeterans Memorial Stadium
ColorsNavy blue, red, silver, white
                   
OwnerRob Hale
PresidentIan Frenette
Head coachSean Quirk
Championships2 (2011, 2020)
Division titles2004, 2005
MascotBoomer
Websitecannons.majorleaguelacrosse.com
Uniforms

Franchise History

The Boston Cannons is one of the original six teams of Major League Lacrosse (MLL), and the only team from the MLL’s inaugural 2001 season to still exist today in the same market, without having folded or moved elsewhere. 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 their inaugural 2001 season, the Cannons finished with a record of 3-11 but still qualified for the playoffs finishing in second place in the division. In 2004, they moved to Nickerson Field at Boston University where they played through the 2006 season. In 2007, they moved to Harvard 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. Boston qualified for the MLL playoffs 2001-2006, 2009-2011 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.[3] 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.

2011 championship season

The Cannons won the Steinfeld Cup for the first time in 2011, defeating the Hamilton Nationals 10-9. Boston went 9-3 in the regular season, their best record since going 10-2 in 2005. After losing to Chesapeake 13-9 in the 2010 semifinal, the Cannons avenged the Bayhawks by defeating them 14-13 in the 2011 semifinal with a goal from Max Quinzani. Boston became the fifth charter franchise to win a championship. By 2011, the Cannons were one of four charter franchises still in the league that started with six teams in 2001. The other three remaining charter franchises (Lizards, Bayhawks, and Rattlers had all previously won at least one Steinfeld Cup (The defunct Barrage had won three). Head coach Bill Daye stepped down a month after winning the Steinfeld Cup, citing he wanted to spend more time with his family.[4] As of 2016, Daye is still the franchise's all-time leader in coaching victories with 43 and the only head coach with multiple playoff victories.

2013–2018

The Cannons in 2013 and 2014 finished 5–9 and 6–8. This included a 1–5 start in 2013 leading to Steve Duffy's firing on June 10.[5] John Tucker took his place and played .500 for the rest of the season. After the Cannons missed the playoffs for the fourth time in franchise history in 2014, Tucker led the team back to the postseason in 2015 as the 8–6 fourth seed. They played the New York Lizards and lost 16–15 in overtime. The Lizards went on to win the Steinfeld Cup.

John Tucker left the Cannons after the 2015 season to become the first head coach and general manager of the expansion team Atlanta Blaze. On October 8, 2015, Sean Quirk was announced as the sixth head coach in franchise history.[6] In an odd 2016 year in which seven of the league's nine teams, including the Cannons, finished with identical 8-6 records, Quirk's team was not rewarded with one of the four playoff spots after tie-breaking procedures. On December 20, 2016, it was announced that John Tucker would be returning to the Cannons as the team's offensive coordinator in 2017.[7] Tucker was fired mid-season by the Blaze after a 3-7 start.

Despite a Week 1 win in 2017, the Cannons season turned around. At 3-6, the Cannons traded away captain Will Manny and Joe LoCascio to the New York Lizards for Dave Lawson and Chris LaPierre on June 27.[8] On July 14, the Cannons announced that neither Lawson nor LaPierre would suit up for the team that season. Dave Lawson informed team officials that he would be retiring from the league while Chris LaPierre decided not to report to the team.[9] The Cannons finished the season on a six-game losing streak. At 3-11, the Cannons posted the worst record in the league and tied their franchise-worst record from 2001, their inaugural season.

2019 to present: New pro lacrosse landscape and second title

Following the 2018 season, Paul Rabil launched the Premier Lacrosse League, baiting over 140 MLL players to migrate over. However, the Cannons maintained more of their roster than other teams like the Dallas Rattlers or Rabil's New York Lizards.[10] Two months prior to the start of the 2019 season, the league cut the team roster from nine to six when the Ohio Machine and Florida Launch folded and Charlotte Hounds suspended operations for two seasons.[11] Taking this to their advantage, the Cannons posted a 9-7 record in 2019, good enough for the third of four postseason seeds and gave Boston its first playoff berth since 2015. Boston faced the Denver Outlaws in the semifinal, who were also hosting Championship Weekend. The Cannons got off to a hot start and led by as many as six goals, but ultimately fell, 17-15, ending their season.[12]

2019 was the Cannons' first season in Quincy. During the offseason they announced a move to and $1.5 million renovation of Veterans Memorial Stadium.[13]. The Cannons announced two sellouts in their first season in the updated venue.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 season was shortened to five regular season games in seven days, all to be played in front of no fans at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, Maryland. The Cannons finished fourth place out of six teams with a 3-2 record, and were the only team to defeat the Denver Outlaws in the regular season. Heading into the postseason, the Cannons were scheduled to play the Outlaws in the semifinal. However, after a player from the Chesapeake Bayhawks experience symptoms of COVID-19 and eventually tested positive, the two other postseason competitors, Chesapeake and Connecticut, withdrew from the tournament. The Cannons' semifinal game with the Outlaws was pushed back a day and would be played as the championship. Boston defeated Denver for the second time in two days, the latter in 13-10 fashion for the franchise's second title, first in nine years.[14] Newcomer attackman Bryce Wasserman, who played for the Dallas Rattlers the season before, was named league MVP for 2020.

General Managers
  • David Gross (2001–2005)
  • Jason Chandler (2006–2007)
  • Mark Kastrud (2008–2011)
  • Kevin Barney (2011–2017)

Current Coaching Staff
  • Head Coach - Sean Quirk
  • Assistant Coach - John Klepacki

All-Time Head Coaches
# Name Term Regular Season Playoffs
GC W L W% GC W L W%
1Mitch Whiteley200214311.214101.000
2Scott Hiller2003–2005503218.640514.200
3Bill Daye2006–2011724329.597624.333
4Steve Duffy2012–2013201010.500101.000
5John Tucker2013–2015361818.500101.000
6Sean Quirk2016–632835.444211.500

Roster
2020 Boston Cannons
# Name Nationality Position Height Weight College
1 Nick Marrocco (C) G 6 ft 0 in 180 lbs Georgetown
2 Bryce Wasserman A 6 ft 3 in 190 lbs Monmouth
3 Kyle Weber M 6 ft 2 in 200 lbs Bates
4 Dom Madonna G 5 ft 11 in 180 lbs Syracuse
5Cal DearthM6 ft 3 in215 lbsBoston University
9 Ben Spencer M 6 ft 4 in 215 lbs UMass
12Zach Goodrich (A)M6 ft 2 in200 lbsTowson
13 John Uppgren A 5 ft 11 in 190 lbs Tufts
17 Jason Brewster D 6 ft 0 in 190 lbs UMBC
18Tim EdwardsM6 ft 2 in195 lbsCanisius
23Challen RogersM6 ft 4 in220 lbsStony Brook
26 Scott Corcoran LSM 6 ft 0 in 180 lbs Merrimack
32Kevin ReismanFO5 ft 11 in210 lbsLimestone
36 Nate Farrell FO 5 ft 10 in 190 lbs RIT
41Mark Cockerton (C)M5 ft 10 in185 lbsVirginia
42 Charlie Ford D 6 ft 2 in 205 lbs Georgetown
47Kyle JacksonA5 ft 9 in166 lbsMichigan
55Scott HooperD6 ft 1 in200 lbsVirginia
75 John Yozzo-Scaperotta M 6 ft 2 in 215 lbs Brown
77Justin PugalD6 ft 2 in230 lbsStony Brook
81 Matt Gilray LSM 6 ft 4 in 205 lbs Bucknell
83 Randy Staats A 6 ft 2 in 200 lbs Syracuse
88 Frank Brown M 6 ft 3 in 210 lbs Hobart
92 Mike Skudin (A) D 6 ft 2 in 205 lbs Hofstra
95 Bryan Cole M 6 ft 3 in 190 lbs Maryland
  • Roster as of 7 July 2020
  • (C)- captain
  • (A)- assistant captain
  • Source:[15]

MLL Award Winners
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