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  Alison Henry

  - Alison Henry

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  Alison Henry

  - Alison Henry

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The Charlotte Hounds is the newest professional sports team to play in the Queen City, established as part of the expansion of Major League Lacrosse. Attackman Matt Danowski was a four-time college All-American at Duke University and is the all-time NCAA Division I leader in total career points. Lacrosse runs in the family, as Matt’s father, John Danowski, has been the Duke men's lacrosse head coach since the summer of 2006. Danowski works for Duke’s varsity club on top of playing with the Hounds. To check out the Hounds’ schedule for the remainder of their opening season, visit www.charlottehounds.com.

What makes major league lacrosse so exciting is the fact that it’s the game at its highest level. These are the best players in the world playing in the same league; you can’t get better than that. Add the 60-second shot clock and the two-point goal line and now we are cooking with gas.

Having my father as my lacrosse coach at Duke was unbelievable; it truly was a great experience. Being able to share all those different emotions with my dad was something I’ll never forget. The hardships, the laughs, the wins, the losses … all of them were memorable in their own way.

When I'm not practicing or playing, I like to relax mainly! I’m Polish so I can’t get a real good tan but I do enjoy hitting the pool or the beach in doses. I also enjoy movies and cooking. My mom and I watch a lot of Food Network, Cooking Channel and Travel Channel.

Being part of a team has taught me so many things, and I’m so grateful for all of my different team experiences. Some of the most important things that I have learned being part of a team would have to be how to be a leader, how to think analytically and not react on emotion, how to compromise in certain situations and most of all realize that what you do has an effect on 30 other guys – you have to take responsibility for your actions. It has also taught me to value the bonds that we create; being part of a team is something special and should never be taken for granted.