By ROBERT BACAJ (Editor-in-Chief) - After a two-win inaugural season, Ohio was one of the most active teams in the offseason, making moves for a better 2013. With the first game just about two weeks away, let's break down how the team looks entering its second season.

Biggest Area of Concern: Goaltending. Ohio has a big competition in the cage. The Machine recently traded for Scott Rodgers, hoping to fix the issue. He had a rough 2012 with Hamilton, putting up the worst numbers of his career. Rodgers was splitting time with Brett Queener with the Nationals and hasn't been the regular guy in a few years. Ohio's banking on a change of scenery and the chance to be the full-time goalie bringing Rodgers to his full potential everybody noticed when he led Notre Dame within a goal of a college national championship in 2010.

If he's not the answer, the likely remaining options are Stefan Schroeder and Rob Fortunato. Last season, Schroeder was amongst the worst goalies in the league statistically, but is still probably going to be an option this season because of his local presence. He's probably the final choice for this team if Rodgers and Fortunato aren't the answer. 

Fortunato was part of a team that won a national championship at Virginia, but hasn't really had a chance to prove himself in Major League Lacrosse. He has the tools to be successful in the pros. His save percentage in college (57%) and clearing percentage (91%) speak to his quick hands, good positioning, and smart play in transition. 

Largely the concern is that these guys are unproven in the pros. Ohio's taking a chance with them, but could reap a big reward.

Biggest Strength: Offense, offense, offense. There's no doubting a team with Steele Stanwick, Kyle Hartzell, Chazz Woodson, Jim Connolly, Kiel Matisz, and Connor Martin can put up tons of goals. Add in draft picks like Peter Baum from Colgate, who won the Tewaaraton Trophy last season, and Ohio has few weeknesses on offense. It can shoot from distance to get two-point goals or dodge from X to feed inside scorers.

There are a lot of options for Coach Ted Garber. With a team this talented offensively, he can get creative with a cutting offense with tons of movement, or just rely on good shooting. 

Projected Record: 6-8. Another year, another step towards the playoffs. With the talent offensively, I expect a sweep of Hamilton, a split with Charlotte and Rochester, and at least one or two upsets of Denver, Boston, Chesapeake, or Long Island. The X-Factor is goaltending, but adding Chad Wiedmaier on D helps with ground balls and close defense. The tools are in place to surpise some teams, but a front-heavy schedule -- opening with Denver, Chesapeake, and Long Island -- could give the Machine a rough start before the team has a chance to gel and get going.

By ROBERT BACAJ (Editor-in-Chief) - It's hard to believe, but we're only a month away from conference tournament weekend in college lacrosse. Now that we're past the halfway point -- not to mention MLL play starts this month -- it's time to take a look at the top college players that weren't drafted last January. 

Andrew Scalley (A, Mt. St. Mary's) - He's tearing up his senior season for the Mountaineers. Scalley's quietly been one of the best feeding/scoring dual threats from X during his first three years at the Mount, but now he's putting up top-notch numbers. He ranks fourth in the nation in points per game (5.40), steadily reaching 26 goals and 28 dishes through ten games.

The real kicker with Scalley is he's kept up this production through ten games. The guys ahead of him -- particularly Rob Pannell -- still have tough games ahead which could diminish their numbers. Scalley's been setting up his teammates and dodging well from behind the cage all season. 

Luke Cometti (M, Syracuse) - Syracuse's senior midfielder had to play behind guys like the Ohio Machine's Bobby Eilers last season, so he never got to play on the first line midfield. Now, he's show he is one of the best cutting middies and off-ball players in the nation. That's translated to goals since he plays with strong feeders like Lizards' draft pick Jojo Marasco. 

Cometti was leading the Orange with 11 goals through seven games. His strong play -- especially against Johns Hopkins -- sparked Jays' coach Dave Pietramala to call him the best off-ball player in the country. That's high praise from a veteran coach and it seems justified. 

Jeff Froccaro (A/M, Princeton) - He brings something to the table that a lot of teams could use: a scoring touch from both the attack and midfield positions. Froccaro, who's listed as a middie for Princeton, sees starts at attack and finishes well. He's putting up big numbers for the Tigers, despite competing with five or six other strong scorers on offense.

Froccaro has 20 goals through eight games. The only thing he needs to tweak for success at the next level is his shooting percentage. Froccaro only scores on roughly a third of his shots, decently average. If he could rise that number up to around 40 or 50 percent like his fellow attackman Mike MacDonald, Frocarro would be a must-have for a lot of MLL teams looking for offense.

Penn State was right on the cusp of an NCAA tournament appearance last season. The Nittany Lions had some impressive wins on their resume including Notre Dame and Villanova. Now, they lose their leading scorer Matthew Mackrides and top a top midfielder in Ryan Link, but bring back goalie Austin Kaut and  D-middie Jack Donnelly. Here are three things PSU can do to make that next step to the NCAA tournament in 2013.

1) Ride the Defense - Once again, the Nittany Lions will be led by their D. Kaut was fantastic in goal in his sophomore season. He allowed less than eight goals-per-game, which was better than guys like Rob Fortunato at Virginia and Dan Wigrizer at Duke. Donnelly was also a pain for opposing offenses in 2012. He had 13 caused turnovers and looks to be one of the leaders of the unit in his sophomore season.

2) Play Better at Home - Penn State was undefeated on the road in 2012 (5-0), but at home it wasn't so good. The Nittany Lions went just 4-5 and this season have less games in University Park, so they need to make them count. Out of their six home games, four should be wins. That means if PSU can pull of the W against either Notre Dame or Lehigh, it should be in good position to reach the NCAA Tournament.

3) Better Shot % - This team could not put the ball in the back of the net in 2012. It coverted just 25.8% of it's shots and averaged only 8.73 GPG. With how well the defense played, the Nittany Lions still won 9 games. However, this offensive unit has some veterns like Jack Forster and Shane Sturgis returning and with those veteren's can turn the offensive woes around. 

The Washington Stealth have announced three captains for the upcoming season. Kyle Sorensen has been given the 'C,' while Rhys Duch and Mike Grimes have been named assistant captains. Sorensen enters his seventh year with the Stealth having already been an assistant captain. 

"It's pretty special to have the opportunity to wear the 'C' for the Stealth," said Sorensen in a team press release. 

The defenseman has 390 loose balls to go along with 54 points in his career. He's replacing previous captain Jason Bloom, who retired and joined Washington's coaching staff earlier this week.

Among the plethora of unrestricted free agents in the NLL sits Anthony Cosmo. The goalie had a 12.41 goals against average with Buffalo in 2012 and played the least amount of minutes by far of any year since 2005. Part of that comes from him not playing the first five games of the season before being traded to the Bandits and the other comes from Mike Thompson taking up minutes earlier in the season. Whatever the reason, it doesn't matter, Cosmo still brings some important qualities to Buffalo and should not be let go easily.

1) Veteren Leadership - Last season, the Bandits had both Thompson and Cosmo to man the net, but now Thompson's retired. The team does have Ken Montour on its 2013 roster, but having a guy like Cosmo around doesn't hurt. The Bandits have a lot of young talent with players like Joe Critch, but a guy like Cosmo, who's played his share of indoor lax, can really help them adjust.

2) He's a Winner - I know this sounds stupid, but it's true. He's won Minto and Mann Cups and has been a big key in doing it. Cosmo was the MVP of the 2005 Mann Cup with Victoria and was goaltender of the year in the NLL in 2007. He knows what it takes.

3) He can still play - I know the 2012 numbers weren't typical of Cosmo, but if you look closer at them, he still showed plenty of signs that he's still in the game. He was the primary goalies for Buffalo in the final five games of last season and only gave up more than 10 goals once in that stretch. The game he gave up over ten was to Rochester, the future NLL champions. Oh, and his team still won. 

The upside to Cosmo far outweighs whatever negatives there might be. As long as he decides to return of the 2013 season, Buffalo should try to snatch him back up.

Team Press Release

The National Lacrosse League’s Washington Stealth made its move to the Pacific Northwest prior to the 2010 season. Over the last three seasons, only one man has donned the captain’s “C”: defenseman Jason Bloom. Today, Bloom has announced that he is retiring from the NLL after six seasons. Bloom will remain a member of the Stealth organization in a new role as an assistant coach.

“The National Lacrosse League is the pinnacle of the lacrosse world and I am so proud and thankful that I have been able to be a part of it,” said Bloom. “I’ve met so many lifelong friends through lacrosse. The game has given so much to me and I am forever in its debt.”

Bloom entered the league in 2007 as a member of the Colorado Mammoth. After two seasons in Denver, he was traded to the Boston Blazers, where he enjoyed a career year as transition player. He notched career-highs in points (23), goals (13) and assists (10). When the Stealth announced its move to Everett prior to the 2010 season, the team made the trade for Bloom, who was living in Mercer Island, allowing him to play near his family. 

In 2010, Bloom achieved his dream of hoisting the Champion’s Cup as an integral part of the Stealth’s run to its first NLL title. He appeared in all 19 games the Stealth played that season, posting a career-high 111 loose balls in a new role as a defenseman during the regular season. It was the highlight of his career and a moment he will cherish forever.

“Being a part of the 2010 team that won the Cup was an experience I will never forget,” he said. “It was a special group of guys on and off the floor and doing it so close to where I’ve made my home was incredible.”

In his three seasons with the Stealth, Bloom played in 51 of a possible 54 games, posting 27 points (4g, 23a) and 215 loose balls. As the only captain the team has known since coming to Washington, his presence was felt both on and off the floor.

“We are very appreciative of the efforts Jason has made on behalf of the Washington Stealth and thankful for the hard work, dedication and passion that he has shown both on and off the floor for the past three seasons,” said Stealth General Manager Doug Locker.  “He has poured his heart and soul into the Washington Stealth and the growth of lacrosse in our area: his efforts have been an inspiration to all of us.  Words cannot effectively reflect the thanks of our entire organization to Jason for all that he has done representing our team.  He’s a talented player, great leader, superb role model and a trusted friend to all of us.”

Off the floor, Bloom has been a constant in the local lacrosse community, serving as a coach and mentor for many local athletes. He has also played a major role in the Stealth Lacrosse Academy and the team’s efforts in the community with local non-profit organizations.

“Jason exemplifies the ideals of a team captain; tireless work ethic, selflessness, and heart of a lion. As captain, he was the first to lift the Champion’s Cup at the Comcast Arena in 2010, an honor he earned for the team and Washington’s fans. Jason has also been a behind-the-scenes leader for Washington’s lacrosse community, and gives his time generously and without fanfare to numerous local non-profits. Fortunately, his desire to remain involved with the team post-retirement means the team, fans and our community will continue to benefit from Jason’s leadership. “

Bloom will continue his contributions to the Stealth in his new role as an assistant coach. Bloom’s primary responsibilities will be in working with the defense and with the team’s younger players. He is a welcome addition to the coaching staff for Head Coach Chris Hall.

“It's an incredibly difficult decision for any professional athlete to 'hang 'em up' especially when you still have the physical and mental capacity to continue playing,” said Hall.  “I sympathize with Jason in coming to terms with the realization that he will no longer be suiting up to play this game he has been so passionate about since he first picked up a lacrosse stick as a young boy. He can be forever proud however, of the fact that he climbed to the pinnacle of the game as our captain, leading us to the ultimate goal of winning the 2010 Champions Cup - a symbol of the world's best team. It also gives me great pleasure to know that Jason will continue to be able to contribute to our great sport and the success of the Washington Stealth NLL franchise by agreeing to stay with the organization in a coaching capacity. In this way he will be able to remain close to the game he loves and will be able to pass on his considerable knowledge and leadership skills to our veterans and new stars alike.”

Bloom is also looking forward to the next chapter of his career and experience a new kind of competitive nature that comes with being a coach instead of a player.

“I know our team and this league very well,” he said. “I’ve learned from some great coaches in my career and I feel like I’ve picked up a lot from them. I look forward to passing that along to the younger guys within the Stealth organization and continue to fuel my competitive fire as a coach.

“I leave the game with no regrets,” Bloom added. “Of course I will miss the competition, the camaraderie and the ‘weekend warrior’ mentality, but I am excited to spend more time with my family and further my growth as a coach in the sport that means so much to me.”

Bloom will get his first taste of coaching when the Stealth begins training camp in December. The 2013 regular season is slated to begin on January 5, when the Stealth plays host to the defending NLL Champion Rochester Knighthawks at the Comcast Arena.

This weekend, the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame inducted eight new members to its exclusive group. While all eight have achieved tremendous individual success in their careers, four have more in common than just a love for lax. They are products of the University of Maryland. Here's a look at each of their contributions to Terps lacrosse.

Jen Adams-She's a living legend for Maryland. She helped the team win four straight national championships from 1998-2001. The Austrailian was a three-time national player of the year and is the all-time leading goal scorer in Terps history. 

Kelly Amonte-Hiller-Before there was Adams, Amonte-Hiller was the star in the Mid-Atlantic. She won two national championships and was a four-time All-American. Not to mention, she followed up winning the national defensive player of the year award in 1995 by winning the national offensive honor in 1996. 

Cindy Timchal-It's fitting that Hiller and Adams were elected this year, because they had a chance to enter alongside their coach. Timchal is a huge reason why Maryland is one of the powerhouses of women's college lacrosse. She won eight national championships there, including seven straight from 1995-2001.

Brian Dougherty-How about a little love for the men's program too? Dougherty was the two-time goalie of the year for the Terrapins and was national player of the year in 1995. In the same year, he was named the NCAA tournament's most outstanding player even though he didn't win the championship. 

Saturday was a good day for lacrosse, but a better day for Maryland.

The wait is over. Former UNC Attackman Nicky Galasso has chosen Syracuse as his new home. A lot has been made about how the move affects Syracuse, but what about North Carolina? Well, Tar Heel fans, no need to worry. Your team will be just fine.

First of all, UNC returns all three of its leading scorers from last season. Oh, and they're all attackmen. Marcus Holman, Joey Sankey, and Jimmy Bitter combined for 169 points in 2012, which was more than a quarter of the team's offense.

With that kind of production returning, the Tar Heels are in great shape offensively going into the 2013 season. Galasso is a fantastic player, but there's a surplus of players on this team that can make it seem like he never left. Especially with a guy like Holman.

Sankey and Bitter are sophomores and will lead the team in the future, but right now, this is Holman's team. The senior's a team captain for 2013, after ranking in the top-two in the ACC in points, goals, and assists per game. Holman has the potential to make a run at conference player of the year with another output like that.

This is no knock on Galasso. He's a great addition for Syracuse and will be very productive. But in UNC's case, the loss of the attackman hurts a lot less with all the talent they have at the position.

The Orange are just four years removed from back-to-back championships, but now are in one of the worst slumps in the program's history. They haven't made the Final Four in three straight years and didn't win the regular season Big East title for the first time ever last season. Now, the senior class might be the first to leave Syracuse without a national championship since the 1970s.  Here's a look at the group that has talent to make a tournament run this year.

The Attack

Syracuse had its biggest losses on offense. Tommy Palasek moved on to the MLL and Tim Desko graduated. But the Orange have added two big transfers in Mike Daniello and Nicky Galasso. The former Johns Hopkins and North Carolina  stars, respectively, can provide tons of athleticism and scoring  prowess to go along with creaseman, captain, and last year's leading scorer Derek Maltz. If the unit gels quickly, it's going to  be a good one.

The Midfield

The Orange struggled with midfield performance last season. Hakeem Lecky didn't live up to expectations with seven points.  Jojo Marasco had people questioning the 22 on his chest after  only scoring 12 goals as a middie. Now, Syracuse needs Marasco to have a huge year to fill the void left by Bobby Eilers  graduation (22 goals). Luke Cometti stepped up with 11 goals in his first year on campus. He's a candidate to move onto the first midfield line and provide some scoring.

The Defense

Syracuse is just fine here. Brian Megill was amongst the NCAA leaders with 37 caused turnovers last year. Matt Harris wasn't shabby with 14, David Hamlin had 14 as well, and Brandon Mullins forced 13 as a freshman. That whole unit is back, plus stud short-stick middie Steve Ianzito. There isn't much weakness here.

Goaltending

This is an area of improvement for the Orange. They didn't decide on a goalie until halfway through last season. Syracuse rotated Matt Lerman and Dominic Lamolinara before eventually settling on true freshman Bobby Wardwell in the cage. He was their only goalie to stop more than 50% of the shots he faced and has a goals against average of 8.85. Now that Wardwell's seen game experience and has a full year to prepare for his sophomore campaign, expect bigger and better things from the goalie that helped guide Syracuse beat Princeton in his first career game.

Face-offs

It all falls on Chris Daddio now. Ricky Buhr isn't listed on the fall roster, Ralph D'Agostino is gone after a decent freshman year, and using Megill at the X isn't desirable. Daddio was excellent on the clamp last season, but he struggled on the ground balls for a unit that only won 46% of draws. With his great wingman Kevin Drew now playing in the MLL, the GBs are going to fall more on Daddio than ever. He has to be better than his 49% from last year or else Syracuse has to turn to a freshman like Conor Pequigney for help.

Final Thoughts

Overall, there are two X-factors for Syracuse. The midfield has to step up to replace Drew and Eilers. Daddio has to be successful at the X. If each of those wind up being successful, it's not far-fetched to see a Final Four run in the Orange's future.