2019 Dallas Rattlers season

2019 Dallas Rattlers
LeagueMajor League Lacrosse
2019 record7-9
General ManagerBill Warder
CoachBill Warder
ArenaFord Center at The Star
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The 2019 Dallas Rattlers season was the seventeenth season for the Rattlers franchise of Major League Lacrosse, and second season playing in Frisco, Texas since relocating from Rochester, New York.

The Rattlers finished a league-best 11-3 in 2018, but fell short to the Denver Outlaws in the 2018 Steinfeld Cup, 16-12 in Charleston, South Carolina. It was the Rattlers' second loss in five years to the Outlaws in the championship game, and third overall Steinfeld Cup defeat in five years.

Long-time Rattlers assistant and 2018 Coach of the Year winner Bill Warder returned for his second season as head coach. After starting the season a league-worst 0-7, Warder and the Rattlers orchestrated a six-game win streak (four wins on the road) that had Dallas on the doorstep of the playoff picture. However, two one-goal home losses to New York and Atlanta on August 31 and September 7 officially eliminated the Rattlers. The team finished 2019 with a record of 7-9.

Transactions

Offseason

  • September 18, 2018 - Midfielders Ryan McNamara and Brian Kormondy agree to contract extensions.[1]
  • September 21 - The Rattlers signed six players to contract extensions: Christian Carson-Banister, Jordan Dowiak, Chris Keating, Hunter Moreland, Jake Pulver, and Cody Radziewicz.
  • October 5 - Attackman Nate Lewnes is acquired from the Ohio Machine in exchange for a conditional draft pick.[2]
  • October 15 - Defensive midfielder Joe Gillis is resigned through 2019.[3]
  • October 24 - In the first supplemental draft, the Rattlers drafted ten new players in: JD Colarusso, Eli Salama, Blake Boudreau, Jack Trask, Max Gustafson, Zach Rusch, Zach Henkhaus, Danny Fowler, Nick Steinfeld, and Christian Trasolini. The Rattlers also signed undrafted free agents Kris Alleyne, Mike Diener, Wilkins Dismuke, Joe Fiorino, and Ryan Fournier.[4]
  • January 21, 2019 - The Rattlers agree to trade attackman Randy Staats back to the Atlanta Blaze in exchange for third and fourth round picks in the 2019 Collegiate Draft.[5]
  • April 24 - Following the suspension of the Charlotte Hounds, Florida Launch, and Ohio Machine, the Rattlers pick up eight players in the resulting dispersal draft. This includes Dallas native attackman Bryce Wasserman, who played his rookie season with Ohio in 2018.[6]

In-season

  • July 2 - Midfielder Ryan Keenan is traded to the Chesapeake Bayhawks in exchange for southpaw midfielder Adam Osika.[7]
  • July 19 - Shawn Evans (attack) is acquired from the Boston Cannons in exchange for a third round pick in the 2020 Collegiate Draft.[8]
  • August 8 - The Rattlers trade a fifth round draft pick in the 2020 Collegiate Draft to the Bayhawks in exchange for faceoff specialist Noah Rak.[9]

Collegiate Draft

The 2019 Collegiate Draft was held on March 9 in Charlotte, North Carolina at the NASCAR Hall of Fame. Inside Lacrosse gave the Rattlers an "A" in their team-by-team draft grades, better than every team except the Chesapeake Bayhawks.[10]

The Rattlers announced the signing of five players on May 21: Craig Chick, Jack Jasinski, Joe Saggese, Lucas Wittenberg, and Landon Kramer.[11]

Round Overall Pick Player School Position Signed
1 8 Chris Sabia Penn State Defense No
2 17 Craig Chick Lehigh LSM Yes
3 22 Isaac Paparo UMass Midfielder No
4 31 Teddy Hatfield Richmond Attack Yes
4 35 Jack Jasinski Ohio State Midfielder Yes
5 44 Joe Saggese Sacred Heart Attack Yes
6 48 Lucas Wittenberg Georgetown Midfielder Yes
6 54 Fleet Wallace Cornell Defense No
7 62 Landon Kramer Sacred Heart Defense Yes

Schedule

Date Opponent Stadium Result Attendance Record
June 2 Chesapeake Bayhawks Ford Center at The Star L 11-14 6,112 0-1
June 9 Boston Cannons Ford Center at The Star L 10-16 3,412 0-2
June 21 at Atlanta Blaze Grady Stadium L 11-13 2,078 0-3
June 27 at Denver Outlaws Sports Authority Field at Mile High L 9-15 2,134 0-4
June 29 at New York Lizards James M. Shuart Stadium L 9-13 4,237 0-5
July 7 Boston Cannons Ford Center at The Star L 11-15 2,773 0-6
July 14 Chesapeake Bayhawks Ford Center at The Star L 11-13 3,102 0-7
July 21 at Denver Outlaws Sports Authority Field at Mile High W 11-8 3,752 1-7
August 3 at Atlanta Blaze Grady Stadium W 16-14 2,163 2-7
August 10 New York Lizards Ford Center at The Star W 15-11 4,011 3-7
August 17 Denver Outlaws Ford Center at The Star W 17-12 4,712 4-7
August 24 at Boston Cannons Veterans Memorial Stadium W 13-10 4,251 5-7
August 25 at Chesapeake Bayhawks Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium W 14-13 6,814 6-7
August 31 New York Lizards Ford Center at The Star L 11-12 4,217 6-8
September 7 Atlanta Blaze Ford Center at The Star L 14-15 5,146 6-9
September 21 at Boston Cannons Veterans Memorial Stadium W 16-15 5,025 7-9

Standings

2019 Major League Lacrosse Standings
W L PCT GB GF 2ptGF GA 2ptGA
Chesapeake Bayhawks 10 6 .625 - 211 3 186 5
Denver Outlaws 9 7 .563 1 206 15 205 3
Boston Cannons 9 7 .563 1 217 8 211 5
Atlanta Blaze 8 8 .500 2 227 2 228 9
Dallas Rattlers 7 9 .438 3 192 7 202 7
New York Lizards 5 11 .313 5 195 2 216 11
Playoff Seed


References

  1. ^ "Rattlers sign McNamara and Kormondy to extensions". Archived from the original on 2019-01-24. Retrieved 2019-01-23.
  2. ^ "Rattlers acquire attackman Nate Lewnes". Archived from the original on 2019-01-24. Retrieved 2019-01-23.
  3. ^ "Rattlers extend Joe Gillis through 2019". Archived from the original on 2019-01-24. Retrieved 2019-01-23.
  4. ^ "Rattlers add 15 players". Archived from the original on 2019-01-24. Retrieved 2019-01-23.
  5. ^ "Rattlers send Staats back to the Blaze". Archived from the original on 2019-01-24. Retrieved 2019-01-23.
  6. ^ "Rattlers add eight in player relocation including Wasserman". Archived from the original on 2019-04-28. Retrieved 2019-04-28.
  7. ^ Rattlers acquire Adam Osika[permanent dead link‍]
  8. ^ Shawn Evans traded to Dallas for 2020 MLL draft pick[permanent dead link‍]
  9. ^ Rattlers acquire Noah Rak
  10. ^ 2019 MLL draft team-by-team draft grades
  11. ^ Rattlers sign five draftees[permanent dead link‍]