Long Island can celebrate the Boston Cannons winning the 2020 Major League Lacrosse Championship too. Hofstra Pride alumnus Mike Skudin, Stony Brook Seawolves alumni Challen Rogers, Justin Pugal and former head coach Jim Nagle hoisted the Steinfield Trophy in the 13-10 victory over the Denver Outlaws Sunday afternoon.
Rogers scooped second-most groundballs for Boston with five. The midfielder earned points off a first period assist to John Uppgren and an exclamation point goal in the game’s closing minutes. He was sixth on the team scoring six points during the regular season.
Pugal’s two caused turnovers were the second-highest for the Cannons. His biggest contribution came off the buzzer-beater two-point score that gave the team an 8-6 halftime lead, which it would not relinquish.
Skudin manned the defensive end alongside Pugal. The veteran-defender scooped three groundballs in the victory. The defenseman led the team with six caused turnovers in 2020.
The Boston offense scored 57 times under the guidance of first-year offensive coordinator Jim Nagle. The team averaged nearly 45 shots per contest and connected for goals over 25 percent of the time. The Cannons’ goals were assisted on 29 of their scores.
The two teams were origianly scheduled to open the semifinals on Saturday, July 25. However, at least one player who would have played in the Chesapeake Bayhawks and Connecticut Hammerheads Semifinals matchup tested positive for COVID-19. The Semifinal games were canceled and both teams forfeited their playoff opportunity.
Skudin played four seasons with the Pride and was a team captain in his senior year. The defenseman was named the 2011 CAA Defensive Player of the Year and a All-CAA First Team member. He scooped up 87 groundballs during his tenure at Hofstra.
Rogers has the second-most assists in Stony Brook history with 115 and fourth-most points with 205. The midfielder was named a USILA All-American after earning 59 points as a senior. He was named to the America East First Team three times.
Pugal played with the Seawolves from 2016 to 2019. He was a member of the conference all-tournament team in his junior season. The defenseman returned to the field this season after suffering a season-ending ACL tear last September.
Nagle joined Boston after spending seven seasons coaching the Stony Brook Men’s Lacrosse program. The Ward Melville High School graduate earned over 50 victories and two conference titles in 2012 and 2015. The Seawolves made the conference postseason every season under him.
