A new home deserves some shiny new additions. That is exactly what has the Washington Bayhawks, the city’s entry in Major League Lacrosse, looking forward to their inaugural season in Washington, D.C.
The Bayhawks will play the majority of their home games at Georgetown University after six years in Baltimore as a charter member of the MLL, a 10-team professional lacrosse league that began play in 2001.
The team, co-owned by team president Jeff Harvey and head coach Scott Tiller, hopes its new digs allow it to become a regional franchise that can tap the growing lacrosse market in Northern Virginia while still representing its original base in Baltimore.
Whether that plan succeeds remains to be seen. But the product on the field should be better after a slew of high-profile trades, including one that brought in former University of Virginia stars Conor Gill and Ryan Curtis.
“We feel like the players are there now for us to make the playoffs,” said Bayhawks attack Matt Ward, an All-American at Virginia and a 2002 Landon Prep graduate. “To add guys like Conor and Ryan who can change games and who buy into a team concept, too, is a big luxury.”
The Bayhawks won MLL championships in Baltimore in 2002 and 2005, before slipping under new ownership last season with a 4-8 record. But Gill, who led Virginia to the 1999 NCAA title, brings instant credibility. He was the league’s most valuable player in 2004 and its points leader last year with 62.
Curtis, a 1996 Landon graduate, was a two-time All-American defender at Virginia and part of the 1999 title team. He likely won’t join the Bayhawks until a few games into the 12-game schedule while concentrating on his duties as the head coach at the University of Vermont. Curtis and Gill were acquired in March from the Boston Cannons for former Syracuse star attack Mikey Powell, midfielder Ben DeFelice and a 2008 draft pick. On Friday, the Bayhawks made another key trade with the Cannons for veteran goalie Chris Garrity, the MLL goalie of the year in 2005.
Those additions to a team that included Ward, the MLL rookie of the year in 2006 and veteran attack Mark Millon (team-high 28 goals) should be enough for a playoff berth.
“I grew up in Northern Virginia so this is a homecoming for me,” said Ward, who was second on the team with 33 points last year. “Hopefully, we can give fans in this area a chance to watch some great lacrosse. We have the tools to do that.”
Bayhawks notes
» The Washington Bayhawks begin their first Major League Lacrosse season in Washington, D.C. on Saturday night at George Mason University in Fairfax, Va. The Bayhawks play the Boston Cannons at 7 p.m. The final five home games will be held at Georgetown University’s Harbin Field.
» Bayhawks Matt Ward and Kyle Dixon both helped Virginia to NCAA titles in 2003 and 2006. Dixon makes up a young midfield along with Bill McGlone and Brendan Healy, both 2006 Maryland graduates. Healy, a Great Falls, Va. native, also played at Landon.
» The MLL has a four-team Western Conference and a six-team Eastern Conference. Top two teams in each qualify for the playoffs after completing a 12-game regular season.
