The 23-man protected roster was released recently and Rochester seems to be on the path to building off prior successes.

The Rattlers slithered their way to Atlanta this past season to compete against the Outlaws, you took home their first championship. Rochester kept the heat on that game for the majority of it, but unfortunately fell short.

From the Rattlers website, here is their protected roster:

Mark Cockerton – Attack

Kyle Denhoff – Midfield

John Galloway – Goalie

Dan Hardy – Attack

Stephen Ianzito – Midfield

Will Koshansky – Defense

John Lade – Defense

Dave Lawson – Attack

Mike Lazore – Midfield

John Locascio – Defense

Jordan MacIntosh – Midfield

Michael Manley – Defense

Mark Matthews – Attack

Matt Miller – Defense

Donny Moss – Midfield

John Ortolani – Midfield/FO

John Ranagan – Midfield

Jeremy Thompson – Midfield

Miles Thompson – Attack

Ty Thomspon – Attack

Justin Turri – Midfield

Joel White – Defense

Jordan Wolf – Attack

Rochester protected 6 of their top 10 points contributors:

Justin Turri – 34 pts

Jordan Wolf – 33 pts

Dave Lawson – 32 pts

Jordan McIntosh – 28 pts

Mark Cockerton – 24 pts

Miles Thompson – 19 pts

They also protected John Ortolani. If I ever had a lacrosse-man-to-man “man crush” it’s Ortolani. The guy is a powerhouse at the draw, and whenever he sees himself losing a battle makes it even harder on the opponent with his maneuvers. Ortolani is 5’7” 180lbs, which is ideal for face offs in my mind combining size and weight for optimal advantage.

I believe John Galloway is still far from his prime. He’s a fantastic goalie, always performing pretty consistently and will continue to develop into an even better goalie. Any MLL teams looking to win the championship this year should have an eye on Galloway as he will challenge their efforts.

Something I notice on the Rattlers protected roster is a quality mix of young and experienced MLL players. All the young players are extremely promising, such as Miles Thompson, Ty Thompson and Jordan Wolf. With leaders like Ortolani, Galloway and Will Koshansky still on the team, Rochester is bound to continue their growth into a championship team.

WHAT TO WATCH FOR

Leadership – Many older players will still participate with the team but try to transfer some leadership down the vine to younger players. This is effective in creating commeradery, future players, and fluidity.

Communication – The Thompsons changed the lacrosse plain with their abilities to communicate silently through passing and playing. Watch for older players to take that from their play books and try to advance the Rattlers to an unpredictable level.

Sweet 17 – There are 17 more positions to fill in the draft. Look for Rochester to take the drafts and surplus acquisitions to not only create a deadly roster but also provide competition within the team for a better outcome.

SUMMARY

Overall, Rochester continues on the rise. They will be a big threat in the 2015 season, and will benefit from some players playing NLL. I foresee the Rattlers making it to the postseason again, along with Outlaws, Launch and Hounds.