thanks to Megan Danner of the Launch for this preview   What: Game #5 Who: Denver Outlaws (2-2) at Florida Launch (1-3) When: Saturday, May 16 – 7 PM Where: FAU Stadium How: TV: www.espn3.com (Live)   Game #5 Preview The Florida Launch concludes its two-game home stand with a visit from the 2014 MLL Champions Denver Outlaws on Saturday, May 16, at 7 pm. The Launch welcomes Denver after earning its first victory of the season last week while the Outlaws lost to Rochester over the weekend.   Launch vs. Denver Series In the inaugural series, Denver bested the Launch in both contests, going on to win the Championship. The Outlaws were the first opponent the Launch ever saw, falling 14-10 in its first contest on April 26. The Launch were held to one goal in the first half, but outscored its opponent 9-3 in the second half. Casey Powell recorded the first hat trick in Launch history in the loss. In the rematch on July 20, the Launch kept up with the opponent in the first quarter and even went into halftime with an 8-5 lead, but four goals in both of the final quarters by Denver ruined the Launches chance at the upset. Kieran McArdle led the Launch in the loss with five goals and an assist for six points.   Game #4 Recap The Launch earned its first victory of the 2015 season versus the Ohio Machine in Week 4. After David Earl scored the first goal of the contest, a weather delay postponed play for an hour. After the unexpected break, the Launch added another goal to its lead but Ohio scored two goals a minute apart to tie the game. The Launch took a two-point lead again in the second quarter after a Casey Powell goal and kept the lead until the final goal of the half tied the score at 8-8. Fresh after the intermission,   Ohio took its first lead of the game 54 seconds into the third quarter, but back-to-back goals from Kieran McArdle and Steven Brooks put the Launch up three. Kevin Cunningham added two more goals in the final quarter while McArdle scored his season-high fifth to secure the victory.   Coach’s Corner  

  First Win – “The big thing we finally got our hands on was movement. We got a lot of off ball movement and players getting in the right positions to do something when we had possession. It was an overall good win for the team.” Denver – “Denver will be a completely different team than what was seen on the field last weekend and we’ll have our hands full with them. We need to be able to figure out how to guard Snider, Pennington and Sieverts on top of the Bocklets. This game will be a good battle for both teams.” New Face in Goal – “Charlie played very well in goal. He had a solid first half and even better second –  all-around it was a good day for him. There were a few mistakes made that will be addressed but those are simple fixes that will help him in the long run.” Rookies Rule – “The rookies played very well for just coming off the college field. Frazier stepped up in his second game and played extremely well. He is an athletic player who can get up the field for us and make a difference. He’s a good addition to the defensive unit and will help us moving forward.”   Launch Together Sophomore Pick Up: The Launch may have a 1-3 record compared to this time last season where they were 3-1 but in their sophomore season they have improved on many fronts including groundballs. Last season, the Launch were at the bottom of the ladder with only 105 groundballs in four games but this season have improved to 129 in four games and sits in the middle of the pack. May is Player of the Week Month With the announced that Kieran McArdle was named Warrior Offensive Player of the week; the Launch adds another weekly accolade to its best month of the year. Along with the four victories the team has posted in five games during May, the Launch has now four offensive players of the week nods. Garret Thul was the first Launch to earn an award after Week 2 in 2014, followed by Casey Powell keeping the award in Boca Raton during Weeks 3 and 4. McArdle earned Cascade Rookie of the Week honors in Week 3 of last season.   Noteworthy Players #1 PT Ricci (D) – Along with the improvements in his offensive game, PT Ricci has also stepped up defensively as well. In week 2, Ricci collected nine groundballs, the second most in a game in Launch history. With 18 thus far, Ricci is on pace to top his 2014 total of 35. He currently ranks eighth in the MLL in groundballs.  

  

  #6 Kieran McArdle (A) – Kieran McArdle’s seven-point outing last week was crucial for the Launch, who earned its first victory of the season. McArdle’s stats are balanced between home and away contests, as the second year star has 12 points at FAU Stadium and eight points on the road.  

  #11 Roman Lao-Gosney (M) – With only four games into the season, Roman Lao-Gosney is on his way to breaking his career high of six points and four goals. Lao-Gosney has three goals and two assists for a total of five points in only four games. His career high of six points from four goals and two assists happened in the Launch’s inaugural season.  

  #22 Casey Powell (A) – For the first time in 2015, Casey Powell showed signs of his 2014 self. In the victory over Ohio, Powell had two goals and four assists for a season-high six points. Playing in three games so far this season, Powell has four goals with five assists for nine points.  

  #44 Steven Brooks (A) – After Ohio scored the opening goal of the second half to take the lead this past weekend, Steven Brooks and Kieran McArdle responded to retake the lead and create separation between the Launch and its opposition. Following back-to-back goals from McArdle, Brooks scored two goals of his own less than a minute apart to put his team up three. In 2015, Brooks is second on the team in goals with eight and points with 11.  

    Up Next: The Florida Launch hits the road for three games to mark the halfway point of the 2015 season. The Launch first takes on the Ohio Machine in Columbus on Sunday, May 24 before they head to Boston on May 30 and New York on June 5. Games will all be live on ESPN3.com.