Cannons, Hammerheads will play condensed 10-day MLL season

Mark Cockerton (41) and the Boston Cannons will play a condensed, 10-day season later this month in Annapolis, Md. (MLL photos)

The Boston Cannons and Connecticut Hammerheads will get a 2020 season, but it will be an abbreviated one.

Major League Lacrosse announced Thursday that the entire 2020 league season will be played over a 10-day period at Navy-Marine Corps Stadium in Annapolis, Md., from July 16-26. Games will be broadcast on the ESPN family of networks.

The season will begin with a two-day training camp and conclude with a final four playoff the weekend of July 25-26.
Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium is home to the Chesapeake Bayhawks, who are the reigning MLL champions, and the games will be played without fans due to COVID-19 concerns.

The Cannons will play each of the league’s other five teams one time over the course of the first week of the 10-day event, with the potential to play in the four-team playoffs.

The 2020 season will mark the 20th anniversary season for both the Boston Cannons and for Major League Lacrosse. Their first game will be Saturday, July 18, against the New York Lizards. In addition to national availability on the ESPN family of networks, Cannons games will be available locally on NBC Sports Boston.

“The Boston Cannons organization is excited to get on the field for our 20th anniversary season,” said Cannons president Ian Frenette in a statement. “While we’re disappointed that we are not able to play in front of our hometown fans at Veterans Memorial Stadium, we’re thrilled to be able to play in 2020, during this unprecedented time.”

The Hammerheads, playing in their first MLL season after relocating from Dallas, will open against the Denver Outlaws on July 18.

Under the guidance of a team of medical professionals, MLL developed this strategy to ensure the health and safety of all players, staff and personnel on-site. The league has an established COVID Safety Protocol Officer, who will oversee the adherence and execution of the safety plan.

In the spring, the Premier Lacrosse League announced plans to play 20 games in 16 days at a fully quarantined site (Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman, Utah.) starting later this month.

The PLL’s seven teams will each play four games (drawn at random) from July 25 through Aug. 2. From there, teams will be seeded determined by their win-loss record (with aggregate point differential serving as the first tiebreaker), with the top seed earning a bye in the first round. The teams will play in a tournament with the championship game scheduled for Aug. 9.

Here is the full schedule for the region’s two MLL teams:

BOSTON CANNONS

July 18 vs. New York Lizards

July 20 vs. Chesapeake Bayhawks

July 21 vs. Philadelphia Barrage

July 23 vs. Connecticut Hammerheads

July 24 vs. Denver Outlaws

CONNECTICUT HAMMERHEADS

July 18 vs. Denver Outlaws

July 20 vs. Philadelphia Barrage

July 22 vs. New York Lizards

July 23 vs. Boston Cannons

July 24 vs. Chesapeake Bayhawks

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