As we get closer and closer to the season kicking
off, I am going to take a look at the Cannons roster and give you my thoughts
on the players at all positions Attack, Midfield, Defense, Long-Stick
Midfielder, Short-Stick Defensive Midfielder, Goalie, to Face-off. As of now
the Cannons have a pretty deep roster, and have the potential to make a shot at
a title run this year. Just all depends on how these players play together as a
team.
Having an elite face-off guy, can turn any lacrosse
game into a make it take it kind of game. The Cannons have three very capable
players who can make any ball game a make it take it kind of game.
The Big Three:
Craig Bunker Colby '11
Craig Bunker is one of those players
that has proved it doesn't matter what division you played in, in college if
you are a good lacrosse player you can compete against the best regardless of
Division. Bunker who attended Colby College was a two-year captain and the
first Colby player ever to earn three All-American honors and the first player
in program history to make first team All-America in 2011. Craig earned NESCAC
First Team honors for three straight years. In his final season at Colby
Bunker ranked fourth in the country in face-off percentage (71.4%,
205-for-287) and had 123 ground balls and added one goal. He finished
his career with the Mules with a 65.9% face-off percentage (689-of-1045), with
412 groundballs, and added 7 goals, and dished out 8 assists. Bunker did not
get a chance to play in the MLL till the 2012 season. The Rochester Rattlers
selected him in the 14 round (107th overall) in the 2012 Supplemental draft.
The 2012 season the Rattlers really did not have a true face-off guy and used
different guys to try and figure out who that star face-off player could be.
Bunker struggled in his first season, he did appear in 6 games for the
Rattlers but wasn't a good year for him, he struggled at the dot going 51-131
(38.9%). That is not a good year for a face-off man Bunker did pick up
17 ground balls on the year, and he also scored 2 goals on 3 shots and
only 2 were on goal. The following season Bunker was added to the Cannons
roster by way of the 2013 Supplemental draft. In the 2013 season Buckner did
not see much time playing 1 game that year scooping up 2 ground balls and
went 7-12 from the face-off dot in that one game. The 2014 season saw him get
more time playing in 5 games, in those 5 games he did well going 60-124 from
the dot, and picked up 22 ground balls. He also added a goal on the
season. Last year Bunker was really called upon to step up after Chrick Eck
retired, and boy did Bunker step up. Bunker played in 13 games last season
before suffering a late season injury that prevented him from playing the last
2 games of the season. When Bunker did play he was solid 165-356 (46.3%) and
picked up 76 ground balls and added 2 goals on the year and dished out 2
assists. Bunker was also chosen to the 2015 MLL All-Star Game, he played
well going 10-22 on the day and picked up 2 ground balls. It will be interesting
to see what happens if Bunker comes back and is the guy or we see him in a
different role.
Joe Nardella Rutgers '15
Joe Nardella was selected in last years MLL
Collegiate Draft in the 5th round 36th overall by the Cannons. The pick made
total sense after the Cannons former star face-off man Chris Eck decided to
call it a career. Nardella had, an excellent career at Rutgers and the Cannons
thought that he could be there go to face-off guy and it is possible he might
be. Nardella saw action right away when he got to Rutgers starting every game
as freshman at the face-off dot. He lead the team in grounballs that season
with 52 and had a winning percentage of 52.9% on the year. Nardella's sophomore
year was the year he really made his name known finishing the season 4th in the
country in face-off winning percentage at 62.2%, not only that but he also
picked up 126 ground balls on the year and scored 2 goals and dished out 9
assists. Nardella had a solid junior year as well finishing with a winning percentage
of 63.2 good for 5th in the Nation, and picked up 137 ground balls and
scored 5 goals and had 7 assists. For the second straight season Nardella was
named to the All-Big-East Second Team. Nardella's final year at Rutgers was
another great year for him, he finished the year with a winning percentage of
67% good for third in the nation and lead his team in grounballs with
125. At the end of the season Nardella was named to the Big-TenAll First Team
and was named the Big Ten Specialist of the Year. Nardella then following his
senior season arrived in Boston ready to go. Nardella arrived as Buckner was
having such a good year the Cannons felt like they had no reason to use
Nardella so he, did not play any games until the last two games of the regular
season. Nardella made his first appearance against the Chesapeake Bayhawks and
played well going 9-11 of from the dot and picked up 2 ground balls. In the
final game of the regular season Nardella was given the opportunity of being
the only one to take a face-off that game. Nardella played well going 21-35
against the Ohio Machine, he also scored 2 goals in the game and picked up 12
ground balls. Once again Nardella was given the chance and was the only player
to take a face-off in the Cannons playoff game against the New York Lizards.
Nardella went 14-33 on the day going up against Greg Gurenlian who was the MVP
last year. Nardella put up a great fight and played well picking up 4 ground
balls in the game and added a assist as well. I think Nardella makes a great
case that he should be the guy the Cannons look to be there face-off man this
season.
Peter Vlahakis Fairfield '04
The Cannons recent addition from the open-tryout
has really added an interesting dynamic to the Cannons face-off position. As I
said before to be honest I had never heard of him, until I looked his name up,
and let me tell you this might be one of the game changing addition for the
Cannons. Vlahakis had a great career at Fairfield as a tremendous face-off guy,
in his four years with Fairfield he always finished in the top 10 in face-off
percentage every year. In his junior year he broke and finished 7th in the
country with a face-off percentage of 63.3% and then his senior year he
finished with a winning percentage of 65.4%. In his senior season he also led
the Stags in groundballs and was eighth in the nation averaging 5.93
groundballs per game. In his career at Fairfield he was also a two time All-New
England selection. Vlahakis also had a great MLL career but it just came at the
beginning of Major League Lacrosse. In 2004 he was selected in the fourth round
by the New Jersey Pride (no longer exist). Vlahakis might not be a big name to
many people to this day but if you look at the numbers in his career, he is
arguably one of the most dominating faceoff men in
Major League Lacrosse. He holds four MLL All-Time faceoff
records. Vlahakis holds the MLL career face-off wins (1,053), career
faceoff percentage 56.6%, single game faceoff wins and single game faceoff
percentage records. He was also selected to participate in the 2007 and
2008 MLL All-Star Game. In that 2008 season he set the league record for
faceoff wins and percentage by winning 35 of 48 or 72.91% of his faceoffs in a
single game. In 2012 he was selected in the Supplemental draft in the 12th round
90th overall by the Hamilton Nationals (No longer exist).
Entering the 2013 MLL season (his 10th) he ranks fourth in faceoff
attempts (1,861) and eighth in ground balls (352). At the end of the 2013
season the Nationals were dissolved and that was the last we heard until
the Cannons gave him the invite to training camp. I think Vlahakis could
provide the Cannons with another great face-off guy along side Craig Bunker and
Joe Nardella, now that's scary.
The talent the Cannons have at the face-off
position is scary. They have Vlahakis who if you look at the numbers could be
one of the best face-off guys in MLL history. Then you have Craig Buckner who
had a good season for the Cannons last year and was selected to the All-Star
game last year. Then you have Nardella who came on strong at the end of the
year when he was given the chance to play. This is really a tough choice the
Cannons will have to make, and it will most likely be a choice the make game by
game of who will be the guy at the Face-off dot. But if had the choice here is
my depth-chart. Before I name my depth chart in all honesty would not surprise
me to see all of them see some time in games this year.
Depth Chart:
Starter: Joe Nardella
Back-up: Craig Bunker
3rd: Peter Vlahakis
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