Matchup of Last Two Major League Lacrosse Champions Features Potent Offenses

The Boston Cannons have possession of a piece of hardware the Chesapeake Bayhawks want back. For a year, the Steinfeld Trophy was displayed in the lobby of the Bayhawks headquarters in Annapolis. Now the trophy that goes to the Major League Lacrosse (MLL) champion resides in Beantown.

There is still a long way to go in the 2012 season, but Saturday night’s showdown between Boston and Chesapeake has generated quite a buzz. That’s to be expected when the last two MLL champions meet with first place on the line.

Chesaepake (6-1), which has won four straight to surge to the top of standings, will seek to solidify its status as the team to beat this season when it hosts Boston (5-2) at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. It figures to be a shootout as the Bayhawks and Cannons are two of the league’s highest-scoring teams with 113 and 112 points, respectively.

“Chesapeake’s probably the best team in the league,” Boston head coach Steve Duffy declared on the MLL teleconference this week. “They have a high-powered offense and a veteran defense. They have a bunch of midfield threats while the attack is as good as any in the league.”

Chesapeake beat Boston in the playoff semifinals en route to capturing the MLL Championship in 2010. The Cannons returned the favor last season, edging the Bayhawks 14-13 in a thrilling semi on the way to winning their first Steinfeld Trophy.

“Boston has been the measuring stick during the regular season for the last couple years,” said Chesapeake head coach Dave Cottle, who did not want to place too much importance on this first of two matchups between the teams. “We don’t need to be the best team in the league on Saturday night; we just need to be the best team in the stadium. Our whole goal is to continue to improve. Boston is going to be a tough test. We’ll see how good we are and how far we have to go.”

This game will feature the top two offensive midfielders in lacrosse as Boston’s Paul Rabil leads the league in scoring with 39 points while Chesapeake’s Kyle Dixon ranks third with 27 points. Long stick midfielders Dan Hostetler and Barney Ehrmann will share the task of defending Rabil, who has piled up 213 points in five professional seasons.

Rabil, a two-time MLL MVP, has been more of a feeder this season – making opponents pay for double-teaming and sliding to him by dishing off 22 assists. “Paul is an unbelievable dodger and