Editor’s note: Thanks for joining us over Memorial Day Weekend 2020 to help you heal those lax-blues… we didn’t even get to say goodbye… LaxAllStars.com and our social outlets will be pumping out a non-stop stream of content from Thursday until Monday completely focused on some of the greatest NCAA National Championship moments from the past. We hope you stick around.

Breaking up Maryland’s long reign as the monarchs of NCAA Division I women’s lacrosse, Northwestern hit the Memorial Day Weekend scene in 2005 and didn’t slow down until after winning a seventh National Championship in 2012. Once the Wildcats made their first appearances in the finals, they repeated the visit for eight-consecutive seasons.

Like clockwork, in 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011 and 2012, the Wildcats were on top of the world.

There were a lot of unknowns surrounding Maryland lacrosse star Kelly Amonte Hiller taking over as head coach at Northwestern in 2003. Mostly that she had no head coaching experience and the team was on a skid since its strong beginning under Cindy Timchal. Committing deeper resources into the school’s only varsity lacrosse team, Northwestern tasked Amonte Hiller with righting the ship.

After two seasons of building, Northwestern made it to the 2004 NCAA Quarterfinals in the third season under Amonte Hiller. In season number four, the Wildcats were National Champions. That’s when the avalanche took off.

From 2005 to 2012 the Northwestern women claimed every title, except 2010 when they lost to Maryland in the finals. In that time, the Wildcats produced two, two-time Tewaaraton Trophy winners in Kristen Kjellman (2006, 2007) and Hannah Nielsen (2008, 2009) and another Tewaaraton recipient in Shannon Smith (2011). Five athletes also claimed seven Honda Sports Award honors for the top female athletes in lacrosse; Kristen Kjellman (2005, 2006, 2007), Hannah Nielsen (2008, 2009), Shannon Smith (2011) and Taylor Thornton (2012). The list also includes Big Ten Suzy Favor Athlete of the Year awards for Hannah Nielsen (2008) and Shannon Smith (2011) and four IWLCA Coach of the Year honors for Amonte Hiller (2008, 2009, 2011, 2012). Through 2020, Northwestern has crafted 52 USILA All-Americans and 11 IWLCA positional Player of the Year recipients.

We dug up some clips from the 2008, 2009, 2011 and 2012 NCAA DI National Championships to get through the 2020 lacrosse-less blues.

Memorial Day Weekend is forever.

Northwestern 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012 Championship Highlights

This article was originally published May 24, 2020.

Lacrosse All Stars - Grow The Game® Powered by Fivestar

Here’s what happened last week in lacrosse…

October 18-October 25, 2020

It was Dhane Smith week number one on LaxAllStars.com and we took a dive into a few aspects of his life and career including:

• Dhane Smith Turns Malice to Motivation, a Black Athlete Succeeding in White Crowds
• Multisport Family Molded Dhane Smith into Lacrosse All-Star
• ‘I Belong Here’ Says Dhane Smith, First Black NLL MVP

We worked with PrimeTime Lacrosse to come up with the Five Must-Dos when starting a box program.

We let the people decide on which NCAA DI program produced the top two players of the decade.

The Going Offsides gang talked the Boston Cannons championship, the launch of Peak Pro and more with Coach Sean Quirk.

Athletes Unlimited added women’s lacrosse at the third professional sport to its lineup.

We also asked you to answer one simple question from Signature Lacrosse for a chance at a sick prize.

Upstate product Kayla Treanor has adjusted well to becoming the face of women’s lacrosse.

High school lacrosse is making its way to the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

UMBC long stick Tony Diallo shares his experience being Black in America with immigrant parents from Guniea and Jamaica.

Former SUNY-Cortland star Lindsay Abbott has been selected as the SUNYAC’s women’s lacrosse player of the decade.

Ava Angello is hoping to follow the successful footsteps of her brother in the NHL, Anthony.

Penn’s Adam Goldner is back for a final round and improving his decision making along the way.

New American University head coach Lindsay Teeters has her immediate focus set on a conference championship, nothing less.

Former Duke Blue Devil Scott Bross turned the lessons learned from lacrosse in success in capital markets.

Arizona State made some serious upgrades to their women’s lacrosse facilities.

Listen to the Going Offsides Podcast on the LaxAllStars Network

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It can be a slog to start a box lacrosse team and get it off the ground and running, especially if you’ve never done it before. There is a lot to consider, and the resources aren’t as plentiful as in some other sports.

It can feel like an overwhelming challenge to overcome, but if you break down your big, overall goal into a few, smaller goals, you’ll find that starting a box lacrosse team can be done, and you can do it.

But to do it all on your own would be incredibly difficult. Don’t bother blindly bumbling through years of trail and error before you finally learn the tricks of the trade. With these five important steps and all the nuggets and tips inside, you’ll be way ahead of the curve and prepared to put together the team of your dreams.

1. Find A Box

It might sound obvious, and it is, but it’s a crucial first step in starting a box lacrosse team. And it can be easier said than done.

We recommend finding an indoor and outdoor facility, if possible. An outdoor venue helps keep costs down, but it is limited by weather – you can’t realistically practice in rain, snow and sleet, although shine will work. You won’t have to worry about the elements when you have an indoor facility at your disposal, but be prepared to pay a prettier penny and have to raise the price for your players.

Try looking into indoor soccer centers, roller rinks, inline hockey centers, drained hockey rinks and futsal courts to find your new home. Some of those places will already have availabilities set in for box lacrosse, while others might have never heard of such a thing but would gladly let you use their space for the right fee. This will be largely dependent upon where you are.

Keep distance in mind, too. Unless you have to, forcing a lot of your team to drive an hour to every game or practice probably won’t help with attendance. In some areas, that might be your nearest option, but if you have more choices, don’t let a long car ride or gas money be the difference between you having a dedicated, reliable player or not.

2. Stock Up On Box Equipment

It is extremely important for you to figure out your team’s equipment situation. Box lacrosse requires a lot of gear, and it can be expensive for individuals to purchase. Buying in bulk for the whole team can make a huge difference.

You can guarantee every runner will have the proper bicep pads and rib guards. You can’t leave this up to them. If you do, by the time they find out why they need them, it’ll be too late. This is box lacrosse; protection is necessary.

Outside of Canada, it can be difficult to impossible to find the right pads for box lacrosse at a local sporting goods store or lacrosse shop. Depending where you are, finding a bulk deal for your whole team could be the only way your players will get the gear they need.

Don’t forget about your goalies: if you ever want to have one on your team, you’ll need to buy a set of goalie equipment for the program. Goalie equipment for box lacrosse is too expensive to expect kids to come to you already prepared to get in net. You have to have it ready for them, so they can see what it’s like to stand between the pipes decked out in the proper pads, helmet and stick.

Try reaching out to manufacturers about deals, like Maximum Lacrosse. MaxLax is known to give great offers when buying in bulk to start programs and will have every piece of equipment needed for players and goalies of all sizes. Its equipment is also made specifically for box lacrosse with legendary goaltender Marty O’Neill behind the production.

If your budget is too strapped for new gear, look in online groups and on eBay for used goalie box equipment. As long as you keep goalie gear clean, it’ll last forever.

3. Welcome Outside Help

It takes a village.

Search for a governing body that can help you out. It could be local, it could be regional, it could be national; every place will be different. A good place to start in the United States is with USBOXLA. Founded in 2010, USBOXLA can help you get rules, resources, insurance and other things you probably didn’t even realize you needed to start a box lacrosse team. Other governing bodies or similar groups can be of use, too.

Reaching out to successful programs outside of you area that you’re familiar with can make a huge difference as well. Look north of the border for Canadian and First Nations programs with track records of success in their territory. See if program directors will give you advice on building out a practice, making plans and day-to-day operations management. If you can afford it, bring in people from successful programs to run practices and clinics in your town. Don’t limit it to only workouts for kids, though – make sure their wisdom is spread through events for adults, too. You’ll want your coaches and local officials to hear from people who have been in the sport and succeeded. The more knowledge they can absorb, the higher quality your games will be and the more your players and team will benefit.

It can seem daunting to start a box lacrosse team all on your own. That’s because it can be. Don’t be afraid to phone a friend and branch out to all your resources. There’s a lot of folks just waiting for an opportunity to talk lacrosse and share their knowledge.

4. Identify + Train Officials

You can’t play without officials, and you can’t play well without good officials.

Depending on where you are, there may or may not be an abundance of box-trained lacrosse refs. You can’t assume that field lacrosse refs will be any good at monitoring a box game. Without proper training on box lacrosse specifically, you can’t know that a ref will be able to keep everyone safe.
Therefore, we recommend you take matters into your own hands. Start training officials as soon as you begin your program by inviting them to your practices, games, events and anything else that makes sense. Teach them the game while they’re there and immersed in it. It can be a totally different thing watch a box game from afar and think you understand what’s going on compared to actually being in the box with the players and having to keep it all in check.

Having well trained officials who know what they’re doing and what they’re talking about is crucial, not only for the health and safety of the players or the sanctity of the game, but also for education. Instruction and help from officials during games can be huge for beginners when just learning the sport. A properly educated ref can explain rules to players and participants and spread knowledge through experience. This is one of the top ways for newcomers to transform to experts.

It might not seem like nurturing officials in your area is your responsibility, but your program will be significantly better off in every way if you can do what you can to ensure the refs that work your games and events are top notch.

5. Pick Opponents Wisely

Your team is nothing without another one to compete against.

Depending on where you are, it may be easier or harder to find competition. You might have to travel a good distance to find a game or tournament. Knowing how far you and your team are willing to travel is vital. You don’t want to book an event only for half your team to be unwilling to cross two states and spend five hours each way in transportation.

If you just started your team, then you’ll especially want to stay closer to home. If your team has some more experience, getting on a plane could be a fine move. KYP – Know Your Personnel.

Finding the right opportunity for competition can be tough, especially from scratch. PrimeTime offers a handful of events across the country for varying skill levels, and there’s bound to be one that works for your team in distance, competition and amenities.

Two great places to start are with PrimeTime’s Virginia Beach Box Classic and Galactic Games in New England. The Virginia Box Classic, held at the Virginia Beach Field House in Virginia Beach, Virginia, from Dec. 5-6, 2020, is open to boys with graduating years between 2021 and 2028. Each squad gets two games each day with qualifying teams playing a fifth match for the championship. The massive, state-of-the-art complex allows PrimeTime to easily run four games at the same time, plus plenty of room for dining and retail options within the facility and nearby, too. It’s a USBOXLA event, too, meaning everything is real: real box, real rules and no cut corners. This isn’t a last-second amateur attempt at a jamboree; this is a legitimate, fast-paced event that offers and opportunity to propel athletes to the next level. Anyone looking for box lacrosse competition in the mid-Atlantic should be on notice.

The Galactic Games will be held at the Seacoast United Indoor Arena in Hampton, New Hampshire, from Jan. 23-24, 2021, with the boys with grad years of 2025 through 2028 competing Saturday, Jan. 23, and the 2021 through 2024 groups suiting up Sunday, Jan. 24.

Located about an hour from Boston, Nashua and Portland, this tournament is perfect for box lacrosse teams anywhere in the New England area or nearby across the border. With three floors in the facility, PrimeTime can fit plenty of action into what sounds like a short amount of time. Like the Virginia Beach Box Classic, the Galactic Games are USBOXLA-approved, so you can expect the same professionalism: real refs, real games, real box. There aren’t tons of opportunities for kids in New England to play in real box lacrosse tournaments, so PrimeTime has stepped up to bring a world-class event to the region for young athletes who take the game seriously.

Space at both events is limited, and we’re quickly approaching the opening whistles for each. Don’t miss out on your opportunity to play real box in a real tournament and provide yourself and players with one of the most educational and growth experiences they can have in the sport.

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The Virginia Beach Box Classic is definitely a can’t-miss event. If you’d like to register for the weekend, click the button below to visit the tournament page and register by hitting “Register Now.”

VB Box Classic Registration

Get locked in for the Galactic Games too, space is running out. Just click the button below to visit the tournament registration page and click the “Register Now” button.

Galactic Games Registration

Lacrosse All Stars - Grow The Game® Powered by Fivestar

You’re an adult now. So are your friends. You all still love lacrosse, but you’re just not quite at the pro level. Everyone misses playing the fastest game on two feet. So you decide to start an adult lacrosse team.

Maybe you even implement age restrictions like “Under 30” or “Over 50” to really up the ante. That’s your choice as the people who run the team – de-facto captains.

But if none of you have ever run an adult lacrosse team before, I’ll be first to tell you that you’re in for a surprise. It’s not an easy thing to do!

With some experience in that department, being adults and lacrosse lovers and all, we’ve come up with five critical tips for running an adult lacrosse squad that we suggest anyone leading a team consider.

My hope is that reading this article will help you dodge mistakes and score more wins on your journey as a self-appointed team captain!

1. Craft Your Calendar Carefully And Early

It might seem obvious, but the first place to start is your calendar.

First, you have to make it. Comb through events (check back next week for a big list of destination events) and figure out what is and isn’t worth your time, taking everything from travel costs to the local club schedule to waiting lists at tournaments into account.

Keep in mind the ratio of competition level to travel distance, too. How many miles from home is your team willing to traverse to take on the top tier, or any tier for that matter?

Make sure you know what the typical skill level for an event is before you commit, and mark your calendar immediately with those deposits and final payment due dates. You don’t want to spend all weekend picking the ball out of your net, but you also probably want a challenge to get better.

The most premier tournaments for adult lacrosse teams tend to have a waiting list you have to ride for years, while others are an open door with no red tape.

Also consider the amenities and culture of the event. Some adult tournaments are family friendly, while some are not. Some are located by fantastic and accommodating lodging. Some are not.

Make sure you prepare your teammates for what to expect. Over communicate clearly so that expectations are set well ahead of time. You’d be surprised how many adults don’t know what to pack unless you tell them.

It can be very difficult planning for a group of 15 or more adults with families. That’s why knowing what local schools and sports clubs your teammates are involved with as coaches and parents is necessary. Some clubs aim to be done by July 4 to give some summer freedom back to the families, while others play less frequently but all summer long.

Most lacrosse coaches still like to get after it themselves, but they can’t give up a weekend of coaching to feel like a kid again.

Some event operators, like PrimeTime, have that figured out, hosting adult competition right inline with youth games at destination events, such as the Lake George National Invitational. Knowing their audience, PrimeTime also booked a one-day men’s and women’s event mid-August in Nantucket for a little getaway from the amped up teenage energy.

It’s ideal to plan one year in advance up to six months early if you want to be super safe. Things can be thrown together in a week or two, but you’re going to have to be okay with wearing screen-printed tank tops and maybe adding a “local yocal” or two to the squad to get by.

2. Consider Payment Plans

On most adult lacrosse teams players have to pay to play, and collecting payments isn’t always easy.

The first step here is to understand who you’re working with. If you’re running with a bunch of 18-to-24-year-old stallions, great! Middies won’t be in short supply. What will be is cash flow. College kids and those fresh out aren’t known for having padded bank accounts ready to pay deposits and plan ahead. That’s okay, it’s the nature of things. Just plan for them.

Unless you’re comfortable putting up some hefty cash yourself, start breaking down the following and more:

• deposit for the event
• uniform expenses
• any other expenses the team may share like extra swag or lodging

We recommend building the budget, dividing amongst the team, and then coming up with a payment schedule. Let’s say you need to charge every player $150 for a weekend tournament, for example. Charge $25 a month over 6 months.

The more established crowd will likely just pay up front because it’s easier for them, and they will instantly become your favorite people.

With a good spreadsheet, you’ll keep it all straight, and while it’s more math heavy, it makes it a lot easier to budget and plan while minimizing mistakes. It will be easier for you to keep teammates accountable and avoid flake outs, too.

3. Get a Good Goalie and Face-off Man

Sometimes it’s a breeze, but other times it’s much more comparable to herding cats. It should go without saying, but you need to do your best to build your adult lacrosse team based on position. Get a goalie and a face-off person first. Those are two jobs no one wants except the people who have dedicated themselves to it.

If your roster is looking light once it gets closer to the big weekend, there are plenty of ways to attract talent to your sideline. We always recommend reaching out to the event operators to see if any stragglers have inquired about playing as a free agent. There are usually a few folk poking their heads around, and you may even catch a staff member or two who want to hop in some battles, and you can give them an excuse for the boss to do so.

You can’t always count on randoms to improve your team, though. To bank on slightly elevated talent, reach out to local NCAA DII and DIII programs, as well as college club teams. Simply find some campuses close to the venue, find the coach’s email on the team website and let them know you’ve got some upcoming opportunities for their kids to get reps. This has worked countless times in the past with coaches reaching out to the kids on campus for the summer to go for a few runs. You also have the chance at catching a coach themselves, and those guys usually come with a high IQ and won’t weigh down the team.

Remember: lacrosse people like playing lacrosse. All you have to do is ask.

4. Order Uniforms Based on Budget

This is where you have options. Remember, most uniform orders require at least six weeks lead time, if not longer, to guarantee arrival without rush charges. Custom lacrosse equipment takes even longer.

There are tons of lacrosse companies out there that have made the process as one-stop and painless as possible. But you have to consider the most important factor: your budget.

Do you want fancy sublimated swag? Do you want off-the-field leisure wear you can don after the event? Are you cool with a bunch of semi-marching thrift store Hawaiian shirts? How much you and your team are willing to spend will be a key decider in the answer to those questions.

Local screen printers can usually a graphic on the front and number on the back within a week, and if you go the cheap route, thrift stores typically stock a fair amount of pinnies, matching colors or anything else you can whip up for a wacky weekend.

If it’s a destination event, it’s always possible to ship straight to the hotel, but we recommend getting it all done early and to the team manager first to make sure the right order is there. Nothing would be as frustrating as getting to the hotel the night before gameday to find out you’ll be forced to wear youth roller derby kits or something more revealing a la Dodgeball.

5. Hold Your Team’s Hand On-Site

Get those timelines and expectations set as soon as players commit to the event. Communicating early and often is crucial because lacrosse tournaments become mini-getaways for people, and with that can come a vacation mindset.

People will wonder. They will get lost. Someone will oversleep.

Things will turn up missing. It could be anything like a wedding ring, or a cell phone, or a left glove.

Some of these occurrences will make hilarious stories down the road, but in the moment they may be crazy frustrating.

So, remember when you went to camp as a little kid? You loved summer camp because of the community element and organization of it all. Treat your teammates the same way camp treated you.

Make a packing list for them. Distribute instructions about hotel check-in, field locations, restaurants, etc. Include all the information for how folks can get around town once arrived. And don’t forget to have a group text thread rolling while you’re all on-site!

Do your best to plan meet up spots and times for going anywhere – games, dinner, nightlife – and set the times so that there’s ample room in there for the latest arrival to show up “on time” too. People will run late, but if everyone can beat the first whistle, then you’re going to be A-OK as a team.

Good luck building your adult lacrosse team!

Oh, you’ve assembled your squad already?

Get the gang signed up for a summer with PrimeTime Lacrosse.

Lake George National Invitational

July 24-25, 2021

Men’s Divisions | Over 18, Over 30, Over 45
Women’s Divisions| Over 18

Info & Registration

Nantucket Lacrosse Festival

August 14, 2021

Men’s Divisions | Over 18, Over 30
Women’s Divisions| Over 18, Over 30

Info & Registration

Lacrosse All Stars - Grow The Game® Powered by Fivestar

Nothing is going to help forget the mess that has been the year 2020 like a good crosscheck on a Saturday morning or a full-speed crease dive to win the game in OT. Box lacrosse can provide us that escape and luckily PrimeTime Lacrosse has a pair of USBOXLA sanctioned boys box lacrosse tournaments on the horizon for winter.

Why Box Lacrosse?

We don’t want to wear out the record. Everyone and their brother is finally endorsing box lacrosse as a crucial pillar in lacrosse development.

A game of finesse, box lacrosse instills soft hands when catching in tight spaces, but it also forces players to pick the ball up quicker in traffic, to think offensively and defensively in transition and the value it brings to a shooter’s arsenal is unparalleled.

Here’s the best part: it’s wicked fun. Like, a whole new world of an experience if you’ve never been a part of it.

From the shot clocks forcing quick decisions to the boards immediately returning errant passes and shots, a box lacrosse tournament is the most rapid-fire, head-spinning weekend you can have in lacrosse. Whether you’re playing or watching, you’ll spend the next week month thinking about it.

Kicking Off in Virginia!

The 2020 Galactic Games were just too exciting to not add a second box event to the winter calendar and PrimeTime found the perfect spot to end 2020 on a good note. The Virginia Beach Field House provides the perfect meeting place for teams all over the eastern seaboard and the competition at the Virginia Beach Box Classic is going to be worth any team traveling in for.

A two-day event on December 5-6 for boys with grad years 2021-2028, each squad gets two games each day with qualifying teams playing a fifth match for the championship. The massive, state-of-the-art field house will be able to run four games simultaneously with ease. Fit with dining options of its own, the facility is also seated at the edge of countless of other restaurant and retail options to pass the downtime. Inside the box the competition is the real deal. USBOXLA events mean real box, real rules and no cut-corners. This isn’t some make-it-take-it modified field lacrosse jamboree, this is hard-nosed, fast-paced excitement ready to propel athletes to the next level.

The Virginia Beach Box Classic is definitely a can’t-miss event. If you’d like to register for the weekend, click the button below to visit the tournament page and register by hitting “Register Now.”

VA Beach Box Classic Info & Registration

Meet Us in New England!

After a successful first run in February, the Galactic Games have returned and are ready to launch 2021 on a high note. Regardless of age group, the Galactic Games pack three games into one day of action to give a full tourney experience without the hassle of committing an entire weekend. Boys with grad years of 2025-2028 will compete on Saturday, January 23rd and the 2021-2024 groups on Sunday, January 24th.

The Seacoast United Indoor Arena in Hampton, NH, proved to be such a great host for year one it was an easy choice to return to. Roughly an hour from Boston, Nashua and Portland, the complex is able to give the full box experience on three floors at once to all of New England in one easy day. Just like the last event, this is a full-on USBOXLA showdown. Real refs. Real games. Real box. The opportunities for kids to play in a real box lacrosse tournament in New England are slim to nonexistent and PrimeTime has stepped in to not only fill the void, but offer a world-class event for young athletes to take the game seriously.

Get locked in for the Galactic Games now, space is running out. Just click the button below to visit the tournament registration page and click the “Register Now” button.

Galactic Games Info & Registration

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Rochester Griffins: We Hardly Knew Ye

They were the champs, then they were gone. After the inaugural season of NLL action in 1974, the Rochester Griffins were World Champs. Through the season, they were at the bottom of the league in attendance and interest. Owned in majority by Pittsburgh Penguins operators Tad and Tom Potter and led on the floor by Buffalo Sabres winger Rick Dudley, the original team had a heavy NHL influence.

Alongside Potter, local professional soccer team owner John Petrossi of the Rochester Lancers would serve as minority owner. The group focused on Rochester as a home location for the team citing the lack of exposure to field lacrosse in Pittsburgh compared to Rochester and its surrounding areas. [1]

In its home debut against the Syracuse Stingers a crowd swelled over 6,000 for a Griffins win. Like the neighboring Stingers, crowds dwindled through the 40 game season. By the time the playoffs rolled around, the attendance was falling below 1,000. Reports from the time accuse the lack of community engagement as the reason for the decline in attention. With a Canadian-focused roster, the team trained north of the border and allegedly were only in Rochester for games.

Out of the Rochester Griffins existence came one of the greatest box lacrosse descriptions of all-time.

“The box game combines the best features of outdoor field lacrosse with elements of basketball, hockey, soccer and thermonuclear holocaust.” – Ron Reid of Sports Illustrated, covering the 1974 NLL championship series between the Rochester Griffins and Philadelphia Wings. [2]

The Griffins finished the inaugural season 22-17-1, 8-4 in the playoffs, to earn a spot in the seven game title series with the Philadelphia Wings. Griffins would close out the finale with the Wings after six games. You can watch the full game for yourself below.

Although Dudley was the star of show, scoring a team-high 81 goals with 28 assists and a whopping 181 penalty minutes in the 28 games he played, he wasn’t alone on the floor. The roster included six national hall of fame inductees, including offensive weapons Jan Magee (49g, 56a), Kevin Parsons (53g, 70a), Dave Wilfong (78g, 38a), six-time Team Canada defenseman Tom Phair on the backend, American lacrosse legend Bill Tierney for eight games, and six-time Minto Cup champion Merv Marshall in net. Marshall was not only known as one of the best ball stoppers of his era, but also as an offensive threat. In more mobile equipment than today’s goaltenders, Marshall (65a) was known to push the ball in transition with his teammates. Brian Wilson (40g, 74a) was another hot stick for the Griffins helping to lead their run-and-gun offense. 

Another Canadian Lacrosse Association Hall of Famer led the team behind the bend. With experience as a founder of the Ontario Lacrosse Association, Morley Kells helped establish the NLL and lent his hand as a coach for the Griffins. The accomplished lacrosse player found himself in a role as creative director for Hockey Night in Canada before focusing on lacrosse for a matter of years. After a tremendous contribution to the game through his service, Kells turned to a career in politics. Kells was twice a Progressive Conservative member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1981 to 1985 and from 1995 to 2003. He was inducted into the CLA HOF in 1976.

After the first season the operation was packaged up and sent south to become the Long Island Tomahawks. The Potters sold the Griffins to Detroit Red Wings owner Bruce Norris who envisioned Long Island as a proper market for box lacrosse.

Rochester Griffins Roster – 1974

• Barry Bartlett
• Rick Bisson
• Brian Bowman
• Gomer Conner
• Rick Dudley
• Bill Foote
• Graeme Gair
• Al Gordaneer
• Charlie Henderson
• Bill Hoculik
• Ted Howe, Jr. – CLA HOF
• Brian Keegan
• Carl Krebbs
• Jan Magee – CLA HOF
• Merv Marshall – ON HOF
• Larry McCormick
• Glen Neuman
• Kevin Parsons – CLA HOF
• Tom Phair – CLA HOF
• Len Powers
• Ray Rostan – IMLCA HOF
• Bill Tierney – USL HOF
• Joe Timpson
• Gary Van Shagen
• Paul Warden
• Dave Wilfong – CLA HOF
• Brian Wilson

Rochester Griffins: Lacrosse History

Via Justin Skaggs, WoodLacrosseSticks.com

Hey guys, Justin Skaggs here. Lead stick maker at Skaggs Wood Works and curator of WoodLacrosseSticks.com. I’ve been collaborating with Lacrosse All Stars to bring out some limited edition old-school NLL designs. These are teams that don’t exist anymore. And today, we’re going to give you the Rochester Griffins.

This is Lacrosse History.

The debut of the NLL happened in the summer of 1974. There was a significantly lower amount of teams than what we’re used to today, and unfortunately, most of them didn’t survive. Some of them didn’t even survive the initial season, such is the tale for the Rochester Griffins. This fact is made even more interesting because they actually won the championship. They beat the Philadelphia Wings in Game 6, which, by the way, we actually found that game on YouTube, so we’re gonna put the link (above).

So, even though they won everything, they still failed to bring in the crowd that kind of justified their existence for Tad and Tom Potter, who owned the team at the time. The Potters owned the Pittsburgh Penguins, and they were already talking about moving the team before the season closes out. But, the Potters sold their vested interest to the Red Wings, so the Red Wings were like, “no brainer, we have to move this team and get a bigger crowd,” so they moved the team to Long Island, where it was rebranded, and the championship Griffins, who only got to play one single season, were no more.

I wanna bring this back real quick and tell everybody to watch that game, because I found it online and ended up sitting down for an hour and a half and watching the whole thing. John Grant, Sr. (Philly) is in that game, you can hear his name every five seconds. It’s a real blast, and also, I really love this project. We have a bunch of videos on the history of lacrosse, specifically box lacrosse, and we go through the NLL quite a bit, so if you want to learn more about that, I suggest you check out our previous Lax History videos.

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Credit [1] CrosseCheck.com and [2] FunWhileItLasted.net for digitizing the game’s history to share with the community. For more on the Rochester Griffins and the teams of lacrosse’s past, dive into their archives

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What, you thought I was only going to pop in and annoy the other crowd? No, ladies and gentlemen, I am an equal opportunities mock draft-er. With the MLL having wrapped up its COVID-shortened season (tournament? Not sure what the official name is), we now have the draft order for the 2021 MLL Draft.

As both leagues are vying for the same talent pool, things will inevitably get complicated, but that’s an issue for both parties. In the past two college drafts, two of the top five draft picks for the PLL have opted to go the MLL route instead. Anything and everything is possible.

Also worth noting: MLL rules, unlike PLL rules, guarantee players drafted in 2020 who return to college have their rights retained by the drafting club. So, you won’t be seeing Michael Sowers or Jeff Teat on this list. If they opt to play in the MLL, they both belong to Boston.

2021 MLL Draft Order

1. New York Lizards
2. Philadelphia Barrage
3. Chesapeake Bayhawks
4. Connecticut Hammerheads
5. Denver Outlaws
6. Boston Cannons

2021 MLL Mock Draft

Pick No. 1

New York Lizards select Chris Gray | Attack | North Carolina

Lizard’ rookie Colin Burke had a great tournament for N.Y. in his first pro action, and looks to be a good building block for the offense. Connor O’Hara also continued his breakout in a big way, finishing third in goals-per-game for 2020. Those two, plus Dylan Molloy, form a solid nucleus for their offense, but the Lizards could still use a boost, especially with more consistency. The lizards finished 0-4 and had some of the lowest output in the league. Considering they also gave up the most goals, the defense could probably use some help, but we’ll go ahead and address that in round two. With the top overall pick, the Lizards snag a legitimate superstar in the making in UNC’s Chris Gray. An attack trio of Gray, Molloy, and O’Hara would give New York one of the strongest units in the MLL.

More importantly, Gray gives them the quarterback-type attackman that they’re missing right now. O’Hara and Molloy are both great scorers, but they could use someone to run the X and distribute the ball to their various scoring threats. This would allow Molloy to move out to the right wing, where he played some of his best pro ball earlier in his career. The Lizards clearly missed having that type of playmaker at X, and Gray is one of the best there is at the NCAA level. He’s a tremendous passer with top-tier vision, and more than capable of chipping in his own goals too. With Sowers and Teat off the board in this funky draft scenario, Gray is the best attackman available. Also, he’s a New York native, so this would just be fun.

Pick No. 2

Philadelphia Barrage select Tre Leclair | Attack | Ohio State

More box dudes, please. I mean, sure, Brendan Sunday was their leading scorer in goals-per-game, but this is an offense already featuring 2020 NLL MVP Shayne Jackson and former NLL MVP Mark Matthews. Field lacrosse is starting to take more and more concepts out of the indoor game and translate it to the outdoor game. A smart offense could jump on that trend early, and use it to start confusing opposing defenses. Oh, did I mention they also have the NLL Rookie of the Year in Tyson Gibson? The Barrage are sneakily stacked with box talent, and I would love to see them just commit to the bit and become the MLL’s premiere box-style offense. What do they have to lose, after tying the Lizards for the lowest goal total in 2020?

Enter Tre Leclair. He’s a versatile, bruising righty that would give Philly a matchup weapon all over the offense. He’s got legit two-point range, and could run out of the midfield to take advantage of the pro game’s rules. He can move down to attack, where his big boy frame can smash towards goal. He’s also more than capable of running some extremely entertaining two-man game situations with guys like Jackson and Matthews. Draft Leclair, lean into the positionless box lacrosse revolution on offense, and see what happens. Hint: good things.

Pick No. 3

Chesapeake Bayhawks select Bailey Savio | Face-off Specialist | Loyola

It was an extremely rough 2020 for the Bayhawks at the face-off stripe. They finished dead last in the MLL in win percentage. CJ Costabile had to take ten draws and was actually the most successful guy they had. This team has a ton of talent, but they’re inconsistent. What might help them become more consistent? More possessions. They had the fewest turnovers-per-game in 2020, so getting more possessions could easily translate to better scoring. It can also ease off the pressure on their defense to keep things close, as they showed throughout 2020 that they start slow.

So, how do we fix their faceoff woes? TD Ierlan, the best faceoff man in the NCAA by a wide margin, would be ideal here, but he went No. 1 last year to the Lizards, who maintain his rights. So, instead, the Bayhawks swing for Bailey Savio, the Loyola Greyhound. Savio finished 2020 with the fifth-highest win rate in DI, with 68.7 percent. He’s gotten better every single year in college, and could build on a very promising start to 2020 in 2021. Getting more possessions would help both the offense and the defense, and seems to be the biggest need that Chesapeake has left.

Pick No. 4

Connecticut Hammerheads select Jamie Trimboli | Midfield | Syracuse

Raise your hand if you scored the least amount of goals in the MLL this summer. That means you, Connecticut. There were some great individual bright spots on this offense. Ben Martin broke out in a major way for 2020, and Bradley Voigt was second in the MLL in goals-per-game. Will Sands led the MLL in assists-per-game. That’s a lot of good individual accolades, but it also shows me that the Hammerheads are relying way too much on three guys to carry the offensive burden. Still, it’s hard to blame the attack. Voigt, Sands, and Martin all had fantastic seasons, and 2019 first round pick Michael Kraus is capable of a lot more than he showed in 2020. So, let’s go about fixing the midfield instead.

Jamie Trimboli was leading all NCAA DI midfielders in goals-per-game when the 2020 was prematurely ended. He’s been at least an honorable mention All-American every year he’s started, and was a First Team guy for 2020. Also important for a team that needs more goals: Trimboli was shooting a hair under 50 percent in 2020, a mark that shows remarkable efficiency for a big-time scorer. Two games with four goals in 2020 hint that he can absolutely dominate, and he’s got a lot of dynamism to his game. He was also already teammates for multiple seasons with Voigt, which could produce some instant chemistry that could lead to a quicker impact as a rookie than he might have had on another team. He’s returning to ‘Cuse for the spring, but pairing him back up with Voigt for the 2021 MLL season would be great for them, the Hammerheads, and lacrosse fans in general.

Pick No. 5

Denver Outlaws select Brendan Curry | Midfield | Syracuse

Talk about a luxury pick. Sure, Denver lost the title, but there are simply no obvious holes on this roster. Max Adler is a face-off god. Their defense allowed the fewest goals in 2020, and their offense only missed the scoring title by a single goal. So, for me, this pick came down to figuring out what part of the Outlaws to make even scarier for 2020. Considering that their defense and face-off units are already elite, I decided to give them more offensive weapons, because why not? Ryan Lee and Rookie of the Year Daniel Bucaro were No. 1 and No. 2 in shot attempts for 2020. They both had fantastic seasons, so I don’t mean to point that out as a knock, but I do feel like they could benefit from having another top-tier weapon to help ease that offensive burden. Chris Aslanian has done a great job at replacing the X production and feeding of John Grant Jr. (not that anybody can truly replace him), so we’re going to go midfield here.

Back-to-back ‘Cuse midfielders! Look, the Syracuse first midfield line is just incredibly stacked right now. They were having the best season for an Orange midfield since the Gait brothers before they got shut down by COVID. Tucker Dordevic would’ve been in one of these mocks had he been eligible. Here the Outlaws add a nasty speed element by selecting Brendan Curry. For Curry, this might be the ideal landing spot. With teams forced to throw their LSM at Bucaro for the majority of games, Curry would potentially find himself with a ton of short-stick matchups. I wish all the luck in the world to any SSDM who has to try and keep up with Curry’s blistering speed. He’s also run some attack in the past, which could benefit the Outlaws by giving them another guy who, like Bucaro, can be a threat from multiple spots in the offense. Curry also has remarkable consistency, as he’s registered at least one point in 21-straight games for the Orange. He doesn’t even have to change the color of his gear.

Pick No. 6

Boston Cannons select George Baughan | Defense | Princeton

The following two statements are both somehow true: the Cannons are the 2020 MLL Champions. The Cannons had a negative goal differential.

By a whopping one goal, but still, it’s worth pointing out. There are, obviously, two ways to fix that. The first is to score more goals, but the Cannons already sealed that up in the 2020 Draft, by selecting both Michael Sowers AND Jeff Teat in the later rounds. Should either of those players choose the MLL route, Boston gets to bring in a top five player in this draft class for the price of a later-round lottery ticket. Drafting a third offensive guy is an option, but seems a little steep. Particularly considering that, when he’s on, Randy Staats remains a top five player in the MLL.

So, I’m looking to help Nick Marrocco out for 2021 and give the Cannons’ defense a shot in the arm by selecting George Baughan out of Princeton. In just four games in 2020, Baughan recorded eight caused turnovers, which ranks top 15 in DI. He made the jump from All-Ivy to All-American as a junior, and could be in for even more in 2021. He led the Ivy in caused turnovers in 2018 and 2020, and was third in 2019. The man just knows how to take the ball away from opponents. He’s also registered three points and taken three face-offs as a Tiger, which is a lot of fun range as a player. The Cannons won the title already. Imagine if they bring in Sowers, Teat, and Baughan for 2021. Good luck to the rest of the league.

MOCK DRAFT ROUND TWO

Pick No. 7

New York Lizards select Gibson Smith | Defense | Georgetown

Of seven qualifying goalies, Austin Kaut had the worst save percentage in the league for 2020. That’s not entirely on Kaut, though, whom I still believe in despite a rough 2020. So, with the first pick of the second round, we’re giving him some help out front. Ben Randall is a great defender, but they could use another one. Gibson Smith, a 2020 First Team All-American out of Georgetown, would go a long way towards fixing those defensive woes. As a sophomore in 2019, Smith racked up 108 ground balls, a school record for a non-faceoff player, and 34 caused turnovers. He’s started every single game since he stepped onto campus. Against Yale in 2019, he had five caused turnovers by himself. He’s a surgeon with a long pole, and one of the best ground ball vacuums in the NCAA. He’d go a long way towards helping the Lizards escape the basement.

Pick No. 8

Philadelphia Barrage select Drake Porter | Goalie | Syracuse

In two seasons as a starter, Porter has led the ACC in save percentage. The Ontario native made 18 saves against Army this spring, basically handing the Orange a win by himself. He’s a fantastic young net-minder, and could be a big upgrade in cage for the Barrage. Incumbent Chris Madalon can’t be entirely blamed for the Barrage’s defensive woes, but he didn’t rise above the defense either, posting a mere 47.5 percent save rate in 2020, second-to-last in the MLL. Porter really stepped his game up in 2020, and holding that level of play for 2021 makes him seem like an obvious pro candidate. Should he not be drafted first in cage, take a look at Georgetown’s Owen McElroy.

Pick No. 9

Chesapeake Bayhawks select Mac O’Keefe | Attack | Penn State

Mac O’Keefe hasn’t yet had the opportunity to show what he can do as the No. 1 attackman in his offense, but he’s one of the best No. 2 attackmen I’ve seen in some time. He’s a wonderful off-ball cutter, with near-limitless range and a nose for goal. Pairing him up with Lyle Thompson could allow him to play to his fullest potential as a goal scorer, and give Lyle a constant back-cutting threat. Andrew Kew exploded this season in a similar role. With both Kew and O’Keefe cutting around behind a defense, Thompson would either get a TON of assists in 2021, or he could see slower slides and return to goal-scoring dominance.

Pick No. 10

Connecticut Hammerheads select Jared Conners | Long Stick Midfield | Virginia

The Hammerheads’ defense was roughly in the middle of the pack for 2020, but a lot of that has to do with Sean Sconone bailing them out over and over again. They were dead last in caused turnovers. So, to help them out with dealing with those pesky offenses, I have them taking 2020’s First Team All-American LSM in Jared Conners, who is returning for a fifth year at Virginia. A massive, 6’5” frame makes Conners an intimidating physical presence, and he racked up seven ground balls and three caused turnovers against both Loyola AND Princeton in 2020. Plus he scored three goals in six games, which gives Connecticut a similar scoring threat at LSM that Chesapeake has in CJ Costabile.

Pick No. 11

Denver Outlaws select Owen McElroy | Goalie | Georgetown

The Outlaws seemed content in 2020 with their two-man goalie rotation, but I still feel like they could benefit from finding a true replacement for Dillon Ward, rather than settling for a committee approach. Owen McElroy, the 2020 First Team All-American goalie, would be a great chance for the Outlaws to find a locked in starter for 2021, and not have to go back and forth so much. For 2020, he never allowed more than ten goals in a game, and never posted a lower save rate than 53 percent. His season save rate of 63 percent is fantastic, and he’s consistent as hell.

Pick No. 12

Boston Cannons select Chris Fake | Defense | Yale

Fake hasn’t ever been quite as good as he was as a freshman, but that’s partially because his freshman campaign was just stunning. He’s still one of the best one-on-one defenders out there, and he could be a huge steal for the Cannons at pick 12. So, similarly to their lottery ticket picks of Sowers and Teat, this could pay off huge if it works out, and isn’t too high-risk if it doesn’t.

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It’s PLL Playoffs time and if you aren’t up to speed, you’ve got a little time left.

This summer we’ve teamed with PickUp, a new app that’s part betting without money and part sports fans proving they know their stuff. Win any bet and you’re validating your own opinion as a fan. Being right is what really matters!

With PickUp, we’ll be serving up prop bets in our pro lacrosse content over the next few weeks. If you think you know the game, it’s time to put your clicks where your mouth is!

WINNERS & PRIZES

The top 5 participants will receive custom engraved Leatherman Wave+ multitools.

Oh, and we’re likely to hook up a whole bunch of you for being right along the way. There will be some memorabilia, gear, and other swag up for grabs at the end. It will be like picking from the pile at the fun part of camp. You’ll love it. Just make sure your answers are right!

PLL Championship Game – Sunday

• No. 7 Chaos vs No. 1 Whipsnakes – 12:30 p.m. ET on NBC

PLACE YOUR BETS!

ENTER NOW: MAKE YOUR PICKS

Keep your eyes peeled for more questions included in all of our pro lacrosse content moving forward.

This list will grow as the PLL Playoffs continue. Make sure to check back for more props to up your score!

The following props lock at 12:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, August 9th, 2020.






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Redwoods 11, Waterdogs 8

Waterdogs made everyone believe it was far from being just a 1-3, only-win-your-last-game type of team. It seemed that way as Waterdogs claimed the No. 5 seed after a three-way race at the end of round robin play to claim who wasn’t the worst. Before tonight, every game Waterdogs has been a part of have finished within a single possession and the close scores were good enough to jump Atlas in the standings. Despite the three goal differential in tonight’s final score, once Myles Jones hit a confidence jolting two-pointer in the third quarter, the game was fully in the hands of Redwoods.

After a thrilling opening quarterfinal between Chaos and Chrome, the Redwoods and Waterdogs showdown seemed a bit lackluster to start. Everyone would do a little bit, but no one would do a lot. It took nearly 10 minutes of game time to fall off the clock for a shot to break the goal plane the first time. Digging his way to open space, Christian Cuccinello struck first for Waterdogs only to be cancelled out by a Joe Walters open step-down moments later. Neither Walters nor Cuccinello would strike again, despite getting started early and this game spent a long time without an identity of a leader.

Both defensive groups seemed to have the upper-hand on the night’s assignments, holding the game to a slow, 1-1, first frame. Brent Adams would start his joyride at attack right away in the second quarter with a comfortable rip from vacant territory. He would notch another within a few moments, slipping free to find space in transition. The move from midfield to attack cause turmoil for the Waterdogs defense and the amount of cutting and unplanned movement had them at their best guesses. He would find himself in the right place during a fast break pushed by Nick Ossello, pinging a shot off the goaltender only to meet Adams right on the doorstep to direct the shot back in.

Two Colorado besties finding the back of the net @nickossello + @BDAdams_8 pic.twitter.com/XPwWf337Iy

— Redwoods Lacrosse Club (@PLLRedwoods) August 5, 2020

Poise and confidence was never the strength of Waterdogs all evening. They were caught undisciplined by the officials twice in the game and it cost them both times. Most painfully was a lightning strike skip pass from Ryder Garnsey to Clark Petterson on the crease to slam it backdoor on Matt DeLuca, breaking apart the defense at the seams.

The rookie DeLuca, getting his first start, was phenomenal when getting a piece of a the starting attack, only allowing four goals from the trip on 24 attempts. He also seemed to have Sergio Perkovic’s number on the long ball, until the final minutes when Perk would slam a fast break home to prove he wouldn’t be blanked. DeLuca would give Waterdogs every opportunity to compete, only allowing three goals in the first half and leading giant lulls without action on the scoreboard.

Not quite in his place all Championship Series, Myles Jones settled in outside of the arc and started to benefit from a slow, deliberate movement of the ball. His first connection was a long rip beyond the arc, smacking the only Redwoods 2-pointer. Not long after, Jones took a run from the outside position, made hard contact and opened up a close lane to scratch another onto the sheet.

Brush the dust off, @MylesJones_15 pic.twitter.com/8iQOkoVnfy

— Redwoods Lacrosse Club (@PLLRedwoods) August 5, 2020

Jones was getting hot and the score was separated, 9-4, deep into the third quarter, giving the illusion that it was time for Waterdogs to start the buses. Coach St. Laurent was very clear in one of his huddles that their opponent can come storming back and it’s been a common thread of the PLL all season. Just like clockwork, quick transition welcomed Ryland Rees with ample time on the perimeter to smack down a 2-pointer. Right on Rees’ heels, Wes Berg found Connor Kelly setting up behind the line, catching the pass with hands high and free to hammer a powerful bouncer past Tim Troutner, doubling the Waterdogs score in a matter of moments to pull within two.

Late insurance would come through the sticks of Garnsey and Perkovic, eventually able to seal the deal, but they weren’t safe until Waterdogs squandered their final opportunity. Getting the ball into the offensive end with plenty of time, Waterdogs took a timeout and drew up a play that was instantly busted as soon as they set up. An errant pass came up Redwoods and made it all the way down to Perkovic blazing toward the net one-on-one to allow Redwoods to see another game.

BIIIIG MOOD pic.twitter.com/tVghPKDJTq

— Redwoods Lacrosse Club (@PLLRedwoods) August 5, 2020

It was quite surprising to see a face-off group that struggled through the Championship Series after the retirement of Greg Gurenlian to find big success against a surging duo in Jake Withers and Drew Simoneau. Greg Puskuldjian rose to the occasion and captured 7-of-10 wins, aided by a 5-of-10 effort by Peyton Smith. Puskuldjian has gone clutch playing for Coach St. Laurent in the past, so this definitely wasn’t a surprise to the Redwoods leader.

Aside from giving up two 2-pointers, goaltender Tim Troutner only allowed four other shots to get past him the entire game. His defense gave him the looks he needed to see to be successful in cage and that meant helping to silence some of the best shooters in the world. Although he scored on his attempt, Zach Currier was only able to take one shot all game. Kieran McArdle didn’t even make the stat sheet tonight after carrying his squad to a near-comeback in game three. Drew Snider was good for only one notch and Wes Berg stuck to eating apples. All five of those guys were ticking time bombs that have won games at the biggest moments and barely did a thing.

Big Stats Guys

• Ryder Garnsey (Redwoods) 2G, 2A
• Myles Jones (Redwoods) 1G, 1 2G, 1A
• Brent Adams (Redwoods) 3G
• Pat Harbeson (Redwoods) 1A, 2CT, 4GB
• Greg Puskuldjian (Redwoods) 7/10, 3GB
• Ryland Rees (Waterdogs) 1 2G, 2CT, 2GB
• Connor Kelly (Waterdogs) 1G, 1 2G

Man of the Match – Brent Adams, Redwoods

Brent Adams moved from midfield to attack for what seemed to be the first time in his televised lacrosse career and it only took him a quarter or so to adjust. Then he was all settled into his new office and put together a hat trick off just seven shots. Adams never stopped cutting and creating distractions for the Waterdogs defense.

Once they realized that Adams was a major threat from down low, the opportunity for the midfield came calling and Myles Jones had answers. Maybe the Man of the Match should be Coach St. Laurent for making the swap, but regardless it was Adams making the best of it.

Achilles’ Heel

Pacing is a weird issue for Redwoods. They struggle to do the little things right in different waves and their opposition finds ways to capitalize on it. Redwoods have a plethora of talent that can put the ball in the net, but they aren’t built to ride on anyone’s coattails. This team lives very in the moment, play by play, quarter by quarter.

While that can help them shake off mistakes and claw their way back into blowouts, they can also forget how to manage a lead. If they’re going to play selfless offense, they need to follow through on through truly selfless details like ground balls, strong subs, disciplined checks and the rest.

Thursday’s Game

10:30 p.m. vs. No. 1 Whipsnakes on NBC Sports Network

Well, we absolutely won’t be getting a PLL Championship rematch in 2020. Whipsnakes got the best of Redwoods in round one, 13-9, kicking off their steady cruise of dominance. Redwoods are still figuring out how to play a complete game, while Whipsnakes have barely shown a weakness in over a week’s time. Whipsnakes had the advantage to watch their opponents go to work while they lounge with feet up, maximizing a three day rest thanks to the top seed bye.

While recent praise can be given to the Redwoods defensive group, they’ve got their biggest challenge of the year ahead with a red hot Matt Rambo feeding the plate of Zed Williams with dangerous consistency.

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“You know, at some point someone’s got to say, this is why Timmy Muller gets protected. Right?” Coach Jim Stagnitta wondered about his trusted defenseman.

Coach Stagnitta saw his fair share of criticism directed toward the Whipsnakes leadership in the offseason. While facing the inevitable loss of players due to an expansion draft, Stagnitta and staff were tasked with protecting only 11 of the 29 available bodies on the roster.

For a team that finished second in the PLL in total goals (128), first overall in goal differential (+12), and produced the league’s MVP in attackman Matt Rambo, it seemed like the easy recipe for success was to protect the offense and run it back in 2020. Yet, when the PLL revealed the protected lists on January 13, Rambo’s name was the only attackman listed as safe from becoming a Waterdog. At the bottom of the list, the names of four former Maryland long sticks and a goaltender would make the cut.

Keeping a goaltender that finished at 55 percent is an agreeable bet. Why save Matt Dunn, Michael Ehrhardt, Bryce Young and Tim Muller to lose proven guns Drew Snider, Ryan Drenner, Connor Kelly, Jeremy Sieverts and more?

The trio of Dunn, Young and Muller never crack the caused turnovers lists or produce staggering numbers in any individual category. At the end of group play in the 2020 PLL Championship Series, the Whipsnakes are dead last in the league for caused turnovers (19) and the starting backline only combined for five of them. Out of the team’s 150 ground balls, Dunn, Young and Muller only grabbed 16 off the turf. They rarely, if ever, go over-the-head or gamble on a rusty gate. If you’re looking to highlights for answers, you’re in the wrong place. If your nose is in the stat sheet, let me direct you to a column they stand alone in: Scores Against Average (SAA).

Through the four games they’ve played so far, the Whipsnakes lead the PLL in SAA at an average of 8.3 per game. The group is allowing two fewer goals per game than the closest team, and the whole rest of the league is within fractions of each other. While the defensive unit is running the show, they recognize they get way less love in the public conversation than other lesser performing groups.

“We don’t play a flashy brand, but we get it done,” goaltender Kyle Bernlohr ensured. “Our defensemen aren’t on the highlight reels of throwing crazy checks. Ultimately, those crazy checks get you in more trouble than they do good. Look at a guy like Timmy Muller. Timmy was the Division I Defenseman of the Year and a college national champion. Then he followed it up with a PLL championship two years later. So, he’s the most underrated player.”

While the positive work by the defensive core can go fairly unrecognized by media and fanbase, Matt Dunn is used to quietly showing up for work everyday with his team. The praise inside the locker room comes from the confidence they have in one another and the track records they’ve developed. Admiration can often go unspoken among the Whipsnakes, but when provoked to shed light on the team’s success, the name Tim Muller often rose to the surface.

“We think there’s definitely guys on our team that are under appreciated by the media,” Dunn shared. “It’s almost good for us that way. We like that. You got guys like Tim Muller, whose name’s kind of gotten out there a little more. He kind of flies under the radar.

“In reality, as a senior in college he won the Schmeisser Award as the best defenseman, won MVP of the NCAA tournament when (Maryland) won the National Championship. So it’s funny, you can go out with that kind of college career, and then people were up in arms that we protected a Tim Muller, and it’s like he doesn’t get credit.”

National Championship Most Outstanding Player or not, Muller jerseys still aren’t for sale on the PLL website. His name has yet to trend on lacrosse Twitter. Even when mic’d up through the week, communication was kept focused and directed to aiding his teammates, not creating distractions or dropping one-liners. While the public may miss Muller’s contributions to the Whipsnakes’ winning ways, his teammates and staff have his full respect.

“I think the guys on the team will tell you he is one of the most important pieces to our success.” Stagnitta reflected. “There are reasons that every one of those guys was protected and, sometimes, I feel like it becomes my responsibility a little bit to protect them in that regard. Because people need to understand why, instead of just questioning them, you know, like who is Timmy Muller?

“He’s a Schmeisser Award winner. He’s pretty damn good. First team, All-American.”

There’s no doubt Muller was impactful in his college days. His time in College Park was where Dunn, Bernlohr and Young learned to play comfortably with him in the first place. Fitting between the 2016 class with Bernlohr and 2018’s Dunn and Young was Muller, getting three years to build a relationship with each of his current teammates. But when results are everything in pro lacrosse, what is it about a guy with only one caused turnover, six ground balls and an assist to command this much respect by his peers?

Muller can take on the toughest attackmen and stick to his assignment like glue. With his crosse always handcuffing the hands of his opponent, Muller prowls with a sixth sense for his teammates. When help is needed, he’s there a half step ahead of time, but never firing too soon. When Muller is on an island, his help comes to force a double, not to save him. If he’s marking a man in front of the goal, they can’t move without a Muller shadow. He doesn’t lead the PLL in takeaways simply because no one dodges on him. A role player to the core, he can leave the excitement to the offensive guys. Muller is a master of his craft back home.

“He goes unnoticed, because he doesn’t go scoring goals and taking (the ball) down all the way,” Dunn added. “But if you watch him play defense, that guy is such an integral part of our unit. Muller would add value, instant value, to any team he’s on.”

Over the first three of four group play games, the Whipsnakes held their opponents under double-digits each game. No player scored more than two goals individually against them this season, and Muller was right in the middle of keeping the inside clean.

Bernlohr was quick to drive the point home that as good as Tim Muller makes the Whipsnakes, the Whipsnakes only remain dominant if everyone does their part. For him, that means managing the shot load he faces by limiting the options of the opposition. As they continue their streak of dominance, Bernlohr couldn’t ask any more of his unit.

“(Muller) is underrated as well as Bryce Young and Matt Dunn,” Berlohr insisted. “Those are guys that on (highlight) clips you don’t see. You don’t see the fancy checks and the crazy plays, but they do just keep offenses away from the cage and give me the shots that I want to see.

“In my opinion, they’re the three best defensemen in the world. So to have those guys in front of me is incredible.”

—

Whipsnakes in Playoffs

The Whipsnakes went 4-0 in group play to earn the No. 1 seed in the elimination bracket. The top spot gave them a first round bye and opportunity to rest for three whole days until the semifinals on Thursday evening.

They will face the winner of No. 4 Redwoods and No. 5 Waterdogs on August 6, with the time to be announced.

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The group play in the 2020 PLL Championship Series is over and unarguably the Whipsnakes are the prettiest ponies in the show.

Everyone gets a day of rest on Monday, but the Whips will get an extra little break earning the first round bye. The first two games on the postseason lineup are on NBC Gold, so you might as well get the package early and catch up on all of the action you missed.

After only four games, here’s to the Whipsnakes, our 2020 PLL regular season champs.

PLL Championship Series Standings

The eight goal loss in the finale would drop the Archers to the No. 3 seed, losing by eight goals to fall in the goal differential battle to the Chrome.

Big Stats Guys

• Matt Rambo (Whipsnakes) 2G, 8A
• John Haus (Whipsnakes) 4G, 2A
• Zed Williams (Whipsnakes) 4G, 1A
• Brad Smith (Whipsnakes) 3G
• Joe Nardella (Whipsnakes) 21/30, 14GB, 1CT
• Mark McNeil (Archers) 2CT, 5GB

Playoff Picture

• No. 1 Seed – Whipsnakes – Round one bye. Face winner of Redwoods vs. Waterdogs on Thursday.
• No. 2 Seed – Chrome – Face No. 7 seed Chaos on Tuesday
• No. 3 Seed – Archers – Face No. 6 seed Atlas on Tuesday
• No. 4 Seed Redwoods – Face No. 5 seed Waterdogs on Tuesday
• No. 5 Seed Waterdogs – Face No. 4 seed Redwoods on Tuesday
• No. 6 Seed Atlas – Face No. 3 seed Archers on Tuesday
• No. 7 Seed Chaos – Face No. 2 seed Chrome on Tuesday

Lose and leave the bubble. Tuesday begins the single elimination aspect of the PLL Championship series and it will take three wins to become champions, two if you’re the Whipsnakes.

Tuesday’s Games

• No. 2 Chrome vs No. 7 Chaos – 5:30 p.m. ET on NBC Gold
• No. 4 Redwoods vs No. 5 Waterdogs – 8 p.m. ET on NBC Gold
• No. 3 Archers vs No. 6 Atlas – 10:30 p.m. ET on NBC Sports Network

Whipsnakes 17, Archers 11

It’s hard to imagine after a six goal pull-away from the Archers that anything could cause the Whipsnakes wheels to fall off. They carried a head of steam into 2020 and, through the addition of pieces like Zed Williams and Brad Smith to the lineup, have only grown stronger.

Matt Rambo and Williams were a match made in heaven, Rambo with a pair of goals and three helpers and Williams with a hat trick in the first 24 minutes. Then Rambo went on to set the PLL points and assists in a game record, finishing with 2 goals and 8 helpers for 10 points. Rambo is the most effective player in professional lacrosse and has just proven why he has a legitimate right to maintain the MVP title.

pic.twitter.com/wqjGIQJHRW

— Whipsnakes Lacrosse Club (@PLLWhipsnakes) August 2, 2020

It’s surprising that the halftime score, 8-6, wouldn’t reflect the margin of the final. The game was seemed to be an evenly weighted heavyweight bout, with both teams exchanging their blows for the strong majority of the game. Then the Whipsnakes unabashedly pulled away.

Three guys completed a hat trick in the big win and one of them wasn’t even Rambo. The versatile skill set of Brad Smith gave hime every reason to be part of the rookie of the year conversation. Although Smith was a 2019 selection, spent last season rehabbing injury and is on an absolute tear through the Championship Series. Smith’s hat trick was crucial to stay at cruising speed but the real man of the second half was John Haus. Haus chipping in four goals, three after the break, adding to the bank all the way into the final seconds.

Zedzilla kept the play alive and it ends with us having the lead thanks to @johnhaus26 pic.twitter.com/yXggJH6WQZ

— Whipsnakes Lacrosse Club (@PLLWhipsnakes) August 2, 2020

Joe Nardella had the hot hand again at the face-off X, giving the Whipsnakes the ball on 21-of-30 whistles. He has yet to slow his dominant reign and Nardella’s ability to give the Whips countless possessions without a fight has given them the upper-hand every game. Coach Stagnitta was right to go with only his man man for the Championship Series and the faith in Nardella needs to withstand two more evenings.

Adam Ghitelman got the Archers start again and came of out firing, lowering his shoulder on Rambo trying to wrap the crease on his first drive and walked out with 7 saves on 15 shots. It wasn’t his strongest stand  percentage-wise but his presence was strong nonetheless. Drew Adams was mirrored near identical numbers, posting one extra save on one extra shot. The net-minding duo just saw their defense stretched to a breakdown they haven’t experienced yet in the Championship Series. Sloppy self-control led to penalties and every inch they would give, Rambo’s crew was taking a mile.

The game seemed to be heading for a photo finish until the Whipsnakes busted the doors off with a 5-to-0 run for a five goal lead. Archers had a lot of little surges of energy but the sparks could never start a fire. Everyone was having a good game, but they didn’t have a hero to have a great game. Rookie phenom Grant Ament seemed to be missing looks for the first time this week, missing Marcus Holman floating open a few times in the afternoon. Will Manny and Ament combined for 13 shots, but only connected one time each. Ryan Ambler and Christian Mazzone have been consistent injections into the offense, Ambler scoring on 2-of-4 attempts and Mazzone on 2-of-5.

When things aren’t working, it’s alright to mix it up. Tom Schreiber out of the box in transition is working. Leaning on the whole depth chart is working. Let things work. Archers could very well see this Whipsnakes uint again at the end of the road. They have a few games to pull together the ultimate team win. Archers know what it looks like, because Whipsnakes just slapped them in the face with it.

Lacrosse All Stars - Grow The Game® Powered by Fivestar

Editor’s Note: The Day 8 insight and recaps for the PLL Championship Series were co-authored by Ryder Cochrane and Mark Donahue.

The group play stage has come to a close for all but two teams in the 2020 PLL Championship Series. While the pair of games on today’s schedule weren’t the most highbrow affairs to grace our televisions, a pair of one goal finishes gave the national audience on NBC a thriller to start and closed with the Waterdogs first win of the season.

Pretty solid finish to what could have been a couple snoozers.

It’s going to feel lonely after tomorrow’s big showdown between the two undefeated teams in the league. With no lacrosse on Monday, take advantage of what we have left.

PLL Championship Series Standings

Big Stats Guys

• Joe Walters (Redwoods) 1 2G, 2A
• Sergio Perkovic (Redwoods) 2 2G
• Ryder Garnsey (Redwoods) 2G, 1A
• Trevor Baptiste (Atlas) 15/20
• Zach Currier (Waterdogs) 3G
• Ryland Rees (Waterdogs) 1 2G, 2CT, 5GB
• Chris Sabia (Waterdogs) 1CT, 6GB
• Drew Simoneau (Waterdogs) 11/10, 5GB
• Jarrod Neumann (Chaos) 3CT, 4GB
• Blaze Riorden (Chaos) 21 Saves, 70%

Playoff Picture

• No. 1 Seed – Whipsnakes* – Round one bye. Face winner of Redwoods vs. Waterdogs on Thursday.
• No. 2 Seed – Archers* – Face No. 7 seed Chaos on Tuesday
• No. 3 Seed – Chrome – Face No. 6 seed Atlas on Tuesday
• No. 4 Seed Redwoods – Face No. 5 seed Waterdogs on Tuesday
• No. 5 Seed Waterdogs – Face No. 4 seed Redwoods on Tuesday
• No. 6 Seed Atlas – Face No. 3 seed Chrome on Tuesday
• No. 7 Seed Chaos – Face No. 2 seed Archers on Tuesday

*No. 1 and No. 2 seeds will be decided by the outcome of the Archers versus Whipsnakes game on Sunday. Right now, Whipsnakes lead by goal-differential.

Redwoods 11, Atlas 10

Viva la two-bomb revolution!

Redwoods were outshot by Atlas, and they were out-GB’d by Atlas, and they won the game off the power of their two-point shooting. Sergio Perkovic continues his campaign to steal the title of best outside shooter from Mike Chanenchuk, adding another two 2-point shots to his tally today, bringing his season total to six. For reference, only fourteen players in the PLL have six or more one-point goals so far this season. Sitting pretty at thirteen points in the group stage, Perk is second in the PLL in points (behind a three-way tie in first), and all but one of those have come from downtown.

SERGIO PERKOVIC FROM DEEP AGAIN @SergPerkovic | @PLLRedwoods pic.twitter.com/evZlQPFaGZ

— Premier Lacrosse League (@PremierLacrosse) August 1, 2020

Today, however, Perk wasn’t alone out on the two-point line. In fact, Redwoods scored the majority of their goals from deep, as both Joe Walters, on an errant feed, though it still counts, and Myles Jones, in what would end up being the game-winner, also hit a two-bomb for the Redwoods today, meaning that six of their eleven total goals came from beyond the arc.

Atlas actually found the back of the net more often in this one, as six different Atlas guys chipped in goals  from inside the arc, Bryan Costabile and attackman Ryan Brown both with two each. Romar Dennis added a two of his own on an absolute missile that rocketed in just below the crossbar.

It was another strong showing from the rookie Costabile, who added to some stellar short-stick defense with two goals, bringing him back into the top ten in total points during the series with nine (six goals, one two-point goal, one assist). Amongst the Atlas midfielders bouncing back today was Cornell head coach Connor Buczek, who got his second goal of the series to go with a pair of assists, and face-off specialist Trevor Baptiste who, after a rough game against Whipsnakes, came out strong today with a 75 percent win rate.

The Atlas midfield is clicking.@cbucz33 gets on the scoreboard pic.twitter.com/epfMsD57z7

— Premier Lacrosse League (@PremierLacrosse) August 1, 2020

Really, on paper, this seems like a game Atlas should have won. They dominated the face-off X. Goalie Jack Concannon’s 65 percent save rate was a full 10 percent higher than his Redwoods counterpart, Tim Troutner. Atlas also had the higher power-play and penalty kill numbers. What turned the tide were three factors. The first was Redwoods’ aforementioned shooting from deep. The second was a strong showing by the Redwoods’ defense, who caused thirteen turnovers, while Atlas would commit 21 turnovers over the course of the game.

Atlas’s biggest problem remains its offensive stagnation.

Each possession, their offense seems to just stand around, waiting to see whose turn it is to take the 1-on-1 iso dodge. While they do have good dodgers, they often leave their dodgers on islands, and Redwoods used that as an opportunity to force those turnovers and keep Atlas out of good shot opportunities. This was no clearer than on the final possession of the game. With less than twenty seconds remaining in the game, Atlas moved the ball up field to Paul Rabil, who charged headfirst into the teeth of the defense, seemingly intent on winning things all by himself. Finding no space to be found, and having already wasted a good amount of time clearing, Rabil sputtered out on the wings, turning to find zero cutting from his off-ball helpers. In the end, he forced a bad pass towards the crease, which was batted away by the Redwoods, who would go on to win the game, 11-10.

This ended group play for both teams, and neither will have to face a long wait to run this back. With their win today, Redwoods locked up the No. 4 seed in the knockout stage. With their head-to-head win over fellow 1-3 member Waterdogs, the Atlas are now sitting in the No. 5 seed, meaning that these two will play their next game against one another, in a game that will decide who gets to continue onward towards the Crown.

For Redwoods to win again, the key will be to fix their issues at the face-off X, and to continue to find ways to get those two-bombs to fall. For Atlas, the pieces were there today to have won, but they’ll need to start gelling better as a team if they want to survive and advance. We’ll see how it plays out when they meet again soon.

Waterdogs 10, Chaos 9 – OT

There’s something oddly poetic about going to overtime with the two teams at the bottom of the league duking it out for who wont go completely defeated. The biggest relief of the afternoon was finding out no team in the PLL is glaringly the worst team. If this was a blowout, the team at the receiving end would have been best suited to pack up and leave Utah after the final horn. Yet, the battle of the beatens turned out to be a fairly competitive matchup, back and forth the entire contest.

After all this time, Andy Towers started to put the puzzle together in the Chaos camp. We finally saw some transition excitement, a team built to capitalize in these scenarios. The ball was getting up field quickly and pinging from pocket to pocket. The head-spinning push started putting all kinds of shooters in position to alter the stat sheets. Curtis Dickson was working in his world famous hitch that made even the viewers at home bite and is thrashed his way to the crease. Pat Resch was the recipient of the who-scores-this-one lottery, Chaos moving the ball up so quickly that any shooter could have been the lucky winner. While Resch’s goal was big for Chaos to open the final frame, it should have been a repeat of dozens of scores we expected to see this summer.

Things finally started to slow down a little bit for Chaos. Not in the way it was earlier in the season where they were physically lagging, but they’re getting set up with more purpose and running an offense with a cohesiveness they’ve been lacking. It’s crazy to think they have guys with NLL MVP on their resume that didn’t absolutely dismantle defenders this season. Dhane Smith does have that title and waited until the last possible moment to make the league respect his game. Poking his head out at the perfect time to get the ball in transition with just 6.7 seconds left, Smith got the ball on the offensive half, looked over at his options and when no one came, walked right down Main Street for a mono e mono bury on the doorstep. It was Smith’s first of the entire season and probably the biggest goal of the year for Chaos, but it still wasn’t enough.

First of many for @CachZurrier pic.twitter.com/fIU04iQMnV

— Waterdogs Lacrosse Club (@PLLWaterdogs) August 1, 2020

The defense in front of Blaze Riorden is almost criminal for what he has done for them the past three games. Fans want to know why Dillon Ward was even a selection if he’s not getting minutes, but as Riorden keeps putting togehter world-class efforts, it’s hard to blame him. Everything is out of whack. Jarrod Neumann is off from last season and it’s carrying from defense to offense. In a perfect metaphor for the season, Neumann almost took Dickson’s head off with a bomb attempt, hitting his own attackman right in the dome. No goalie should have to make over 20 saves a game for a chance to win, yet Rioden is the only thing keeping Chaos in contention. Now down another pole, Jack Rowlett took a weird bump on a Zach Currier attack and moments after the goal scored fell to his knees. Taken with help to the medical tent, the Chaos played on without a defensive staple in a group that’s already dangerously thin. Out for the game, Rowlett was removed for “Brain Health Protocol” and there’s no word of his return.

The biggest question we’re left asking after last night: what happened to Kieran McArdle?

After carrying the Waterdogs in his back all the way from an embarrassing beat down to a one point loss the night before, McArdle followed up his five goal evening with a near silent afternoon. A penalty for horsing around with Jason Noble sent the pair to box for a full-time minute, the first major stat for McArdle. Even when he got the opening ground ball of the fourth quarter, he went one-on-one and just plugged Riorden in the chest. Just when it seemed like the Waterdogs had a face, it blended back into the crowd.

Seizing the opportunity, Ben McIntosh was electric, non-stop creating opportunities for himself. McIntosh is playing with and edge, still cutting hard to the crease and fighting for every inch. Protecting the ball on every possession, McIntosh’s pair of goals in the win came as the most opportune times to keep the Waterdogs afloat. The rest of the roster like Wes Berg and Drew Snider are just idle talent waiting to be set up and four games hasn’t been enough time to iron out the details.

Taking a massive blow on a dive at the cage in the Waterdogs first possession of the PLL Championship Series, Zach Currier has been quiet while timidly rebuilding confidence. A quick dip underneath and dive across the face off the goal from Zach Currier tied the game at eights, awakening the monster we knew lived inside. Two goals and an assist from Christian Cucinello were a major part of the effort and a late go-ahead by dipping underneath his man on a cut and finding the dish from McArdle kept the engine running. Yet, it would take extra minutes to decide a winner and appropriately “Who Let the Dogs Out” rang through Zions Bank Stadium as Currier sealed the deal with a hat trick. On the fly, in transition, Currier found space and the rock found him in open space with no one on his hands. Lights out, ball game.

The tandem of Jake Withers and Drew Simoneau were stellar at the midline, going 18-of-21 in regulation and giving the Waterdogs every last shot to win the game. These numbers are at the top of the PLL and another reason to wish the regular season was longer than four games. The Waterdogs are right on the verge of being a truly competitive club.

While it was unfair that the Chaos star power never reached potential, the Waterdogs have been on the cusp time after time. It’s unfortunate there’s not another 10 games on the horizon for the Waterdogs as they start to come together. Now, both teams have do-or-die hanging over their heads. If one team can survive a lousy record for a late run, it’s the boys in purple and they either carry this momentum over or the nerves come back and the tails go between their legs. There’s no time left for the latter.

CURRIER CALLED GAME!@PLLWaterdogs WIN IN OVERTIME! pic.twitter.com/FPwqK7MCZU

— Premier Lacrosse League (@PremierLacrosse) August 1, 2020

Sunday’s Games

• Archers vs Whipsnakes 12 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Network

The crown jewel of group play saved itself for last. What could only seem like a championship in its own right, the battle of the un-beatens gets Sunday all to its lonesome. While it would seem like an easy cop out to reserve the fuel and use Sunday as a walk-through, winning means the difference of two days off and a bye or having to turn around and play after a single day of recovery.

Whipsnakes look desperate for that time to recharge with three of their last games coming over a four day span. Archers haven’t taken the pedal off the metal yet and slowing down now won’t do them any favors heading into the knock-out rounds..

PickUp Props of the Day

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Editor’s Note: The Day 6 insight and recaps for the PLL Championship Series were co-authored by Ryan Conwell and Mark Donahue.

What started out so smoothly became another late night of PLL Championship Series Lacrosse.

Apparently it go so hot in Utah from the Whipsnakes blaze of the Atlas that it melted a fuse somewhere in the vicinity causing all power at Zions Bank Stadium to disappear in the midst of the first quarter in the Archers versus Chrome battle. An hour and some change later, we were back to #PLLAfterDark

What we know now is the top of this league is pretty separated from the bottom. There’s still time to fix that.

PLL Championship Series Standings

Big Stats Guys

• Zed Williams (Whipsnakes) 3G, 2A
• Mike Chanenchuk (Whipsnakes) 2G, 1 2G, 1A
• Jay Carlson (Whipsnakes) 4G
• Joe Nardella (Whipsnakes) 16/21, 76%
• Cade van Raaphorst (Atlas) 4CT, 3GB
• Grant Ament (Archers) 1G, 5A
• Will Manny (Archers) 3G
• Matt McMahon (Archers) 3CT, 3GB
• Stephen Kelly (Archers) 10/15, 5GB
• Brendan Fowler (Archers) 10/12, 6GB
• Jordan Wolf (Chrome) 2G, 2A
• Reece Eddy (Chrome) 2CT, 2GB

Whipsnakes 15, Atlas 6

The u/o on the game was 22.5. Who in the world is deciding this nonsense? Yet, the Whips almost made it happen.

This game seemed promising. It wasn’t overly thrilling, but the tied, 3-3, knot gave the illusion that we were entering a back-and-forth contest. All of a sudden the Whipsnakes quit appeasing the Atlas and took complete control of the game. A 9-0 run quickly became 12-3 on the scoreboard, capped with a Mike Chanenchuk two pointer. Right or left handed, Chanenchuk is going to let it fly from anywhere around the arc. Somehow this man increases his chances of success the further he gets from the goal. Both of his solo shots were within a step of the line and his bomb came from utter patience.

POV: you watching @M_Channy hit his first 2-bomb of the season pic.twitter.com/VxZ03LJUF8

— Whipsnakes Lacrosse Club (@PLLWhipsnakes) July 31, 2020

Jay Carlson role-played as his best garbage man and should win an Academy Award for his effort. The man was a magnet for the lacrosse ball and it seemed like every odd hop was going right into Carlson’s mesh. No one would have bet on a four goal game from Carlson, but he made a night of being in the right place at the right time. While Carlson stole the show, Zed Williams put together the most quiet hat trick of the season. That’s part of Williams’ charm. He’s done it. He’s been there before. At least he acts like it for a rookie to this league. Coach Stagnitta was giddy to work Williams into his offense and it seems like the entire unit has embraced the newcomer with open arms.

Top to bottom, the Whipsnakes are the most complete team in the PLL. There are no holes in the entire depth chart and everyone is playing their best lacrosse. Anyone can have a huge game on any given night, but the fact that multiple guys are doing it at the same time is what puts them on another tier. The defensive core is as good as ever and with no missing pieces from last year, that’s to be expected. What isn’t expected is Matt Dunn hopping in the crease to make a save on Ryan Brown, bailing out a clearing Kyle Bernlohr. This group will give anything for each other and while they aren’t flashy, they completely blanket their opponent giving them zero hope of getting free in the first place.

It’s almost comical with how bad the Atlas are at this point in the Championship Series losing by XX is absolutely embarrassing and on paper they’re absolutely stacked. They like each other. They have talent. But, apparently, they also have a curse. This was the worse game in Trevor Baptiste history. Absolutely dismantled at the midline by Joe Nardella (16-of-21), Baptiste finished 5-of-19 and his companion Jeremy Thompson was only called on once and lost the opportunity. Long stick Callum Robinson was called up four times near the end of the game and could only come up successful once.

Romar Dennis (2 goals) played well enough to get a mention in this article, but for the sake of not berating a bunch of grown men, we’re don’t talking about the Atlas today.

Archers 13, Chrome 12 – OT

The most memorable thing from this game was definitely the almost two hour delay that happened do to a power outage, causing the entire stadium to lose cameras, scoreboard, lights, everything. It was only 1-0 Archers after about four minutes of play when the delay happened, so it could really be anybody’s game after that. It’s not the first time in sports where teams have had a large delay in the middle of a game, and it’s not uncommon for one team to come out of that delay and just take over a game. And in a way, that’s what happened here, but in an odd way.

Second only to the power outage was the atrocious number of penalties the Chrome were picking up in especially the first quarter. In short quarters, multiple one minute penalties are just killer. On top of that, Connor FarrelL was 1-of-9 in face-offs for the first half and his backup Hunter Forbes was 0-of-3. You don’t need to professional data scientist to know that a lot of penalties and terrible face-off percentages mean you will not be seeing the ball much.

Chrome goalie John Galloway had a good night and was saved 56 percent of the 16 shots sent his way. Meanwhile Adam Ghitelman on the other side of the field saw just five shots. Five. In an entire half. This allowed the Archers to carry a comfortable 8-3 lead into halftime.

Almost too comfortable.

Once the third quarter rolled around, the Chrome offense started getting more opportunities and took over the game.  They outscored the Archers 6-1 in the quarter despite not improving significantly in the face-off department. Farrell and Forbes combined for just three wins, out of seven attempts, but their shots were high percentage and their offense was working extremely well. Keeping with their two goalie system, the Archers’ Drew Adams made just a single save in the quarter, and even allowed a two point goal. It was a ferocious comeback by the Chrome.

The rook flyin through traffic #ArrowsUp @GrantAment pic.twitter.com/VFERZKlOSx

— Archers Lacrosse Club (@PLLArchers) July 31, 2020

In the final frame, the team were pretty even and the game was much more of a back and forth affair. The Chrome built a razor thin lead and tried to milk that for all they could. After the first quarter, they know that too many opportunities given to the Archers was going to mean more point on the board. Especially for someone by the name of Tom Schreiber, this was true.

Despite only having about 20 seconds to run a game tying play at the end of regulation, Schreiber used a beautiful pick set by Josh Currier to get the LSM Eli Salama off of him during a sweep and take a shot from the middle of the field guarded only by a SSDM. There was not weak side help, either, as all adjacent looks were being locked off. It was a play run to perfection and even if Schreiber didn’t want to shoot, Currier was pretty open from his roll inside and could have had the tying goal as well. This sent the ridiculously late game in the PLL Championship Series to a second overtime, just like the night before.

In a move that was not too shocking, the Archers won the opening face-off, and got first possession. They wound up using every last second on the shot clock, but scored on that opening possession. In what was looking like another Schreiber miracle, they would up getting the ball to Grant Ament on the left wing, who couldn’t get much further than the two point line. With time running out, he forced a pass inside to Ryan Ambler on the far side crease, who caught the ball behind is defender with his stick across his body and upside down. While his cover-man was trying to figure out where the ball went (in his defense, it was not obvious that this was even catchable), Ambler brought his stick back and buried a shot to the top right corner. It was an incredible play.

OH MY GOD THIS ANGLE @ryan_ambler | @GrantAment | @PLLArchers pic.twitter.com/huwsPHbX7X

— Premier Lacrosse League (@PremierLacrosse) July 31, 2020

This game proved is that the Chrome really are for real. Their first two wins are not flukes and this is a dangerous team, especially on offense. Their defense showed some lapses, but they were able to overcome a massive possession imbalance and battle their way back into this game, eventually controlling the lead for all but the last eight seconds of regulation.

And the Archers? They’re good. They’re real good. This attack unit looks like they’ve played together for years already, and their middies are more than just complimentary. Pickpocket Matt McMahon is still McMahon on defense, and the addition of Eli Gobrecht is yielding great returns. Combined with stellar goalie play, this is a group that is humming on offense, defense, and in transition. It’s no surprise to see them in the running for the top seed in the playoffs.

Friday’s Games

• Whipsnakes vs Chaos 7 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Network
• Chrome vs Waterdogs 9:30 p.m. ET, NBC Gold

A back-to-back affair for three of the four teams showing up on Thursday. At the bottom of the PLL, the Waterdogs can really use the boost of a long break to come out against a very capable and very dangerous Chrome team.

Chaos versus Whipsnakes will only be interesting if Chaos can get their offensive woes ironed out. The lack of two-man game and distractions away from Sergio Salcido is causing them to sink in the quicksand. If they don’t start working some of that box lacrosse magic in the first quarter, Whips can absolutely run up the scoresheet. If Blaze Riorden stays rock solid between the irons, Chaos certainly has a chance.

PickUp Props of the Day

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Editor’s Note: The Day 5 insight and recaps for the PLL Championship Series were co-authored by Ryan Conwell and Mark Donahue.

We had to stay up this late for a four goal first half? Overtime is usually the icing on top of an hard fought cake, but this was one we could have passed on the desert completely.

This was not the game the PLL will playing on repeat through the offseason. We will go ahead an write this one off as biological clocks not being geared to starting at 11 p.m. ET, 9 p.m. in Utah. There were a few stellar plays like overtime saves, Blaze Riorden in general, and the Garsey finish, but we can go ahead burn the rest of the film.

Luckily the two showdowns set for tomorrow later today should be a tad more thrilling despite the extra minutes needed to decide a winner.

PLL Championship Series Standings

Big Stats Guys

• Blaze Riorden (Chaos) 23 saves, 77%
• Thomas Kelly (Chaos) 12-of-17, 71%
• Tim Troutner (Redwoods) 15 saves, 71%
• Myles Jones (Redwoods) 1 goal, 2 assists
• Mark Glicini (Chaos) 2 CT, 4 GB
• Jack Rowlett (Chaos) 2 CT, 4 GB

Redwoods 8, Chaos 7 – OT

What a difference a year makes. Last season, this was one of the marquee matchups. The Chaos were a 2-pt slinging highlight machine who were fun for fans on the field and all over social media. The Redwoods were great at every single position and just played great lacrosse, which is what sent them to the title game.

But this? This was not pretty.

What will go down as the lowest scoring game in history, despite also being the first overtime game in the PLL Championship Series. And while you could chalk this up to two defensive juggernauts battling it out on the field, that sadly was not it.

This is what you LOVE TO SEE pic.twitter.com/ZpykJDO2PD

— Redwoods Lacrosse Club (@PLLRedwoods) July 30, 2020

But, the brightest spot of the nights was definitely the goalie play. Chaos head coach Andy Towers said at halftime how he just wanted his team to be taking smarter shots, and that was something everyone could agree with. Both teams were not taking high percentage shots, and the goalies were gobbling it all up. Even though the shot totals were high, which led to some gaudy save numbers, especially by Riorden (23 saves), that should not take away from some spectacular saved by both keepers.

In overtime, Troutner may have actually had the play of the game. Myles Jones fumbled a pass, and it turned into a Chaos fast break the other way. Curtis Dickson curled inside, caught a pass and had more time and room than an unmasked shopper in a grocery store for a 1:1 look with Troutner.

Big save Troutner!

The @T_troutner15 doorstep save in OT! pic.twitter.com/h85UfjJUry

— Premier Lacrosse League (@PremierLacrosse) July 30, 2020

The clear went the other way before Myles Jones fed Ryder Garnsey via a skip pass, who then made a move on the crease and scored the game winner to the far side net. Impossible to fault Riorden for that doorstep goal.

Where the frustration in this game came was from the offense, and it was on both teams. Granted, Chaos showed more glimmers of hope that the Redwoods by having a few more nice looking picks to clear up a shooter, but this game was largely iso ball. No quick ball movement, no working off ball to get open inside. It really came down to someone deciding to dodge and when the individual defense held up, take an underhand shot from wherever you were.

Was this every play? Absolutely not.

It was a common enough theme happening throughout the game that just resulted in change of possession after change of possession. When combined with passes sailing out of bounds, forced passes into double teams, and passing to defenders, it made for a long night. One of the most telling plays for me was seeing Ryder Garnsey setup a cat-and-mouse at X, with both Riorden and his defender looking back. The camera was panned out just enough that you could see the high crease and there was zero motion happening. Nobody was cutting down the alleys or doing a pick and re-pick on the inside. It was just a lot of standing. Now, Garnsey is the type of player than make a play on the crease in these situations, but to not even try to get the step down shot open? That needs to improve.

Both of these teams are better than what we saw in this game. I had a coach recently tell me that each team usually gets one game to just look past. It was just a bad game and not an indication of who they are over the season. For both of these teams’ sakes, I really hope this was that game. This Championship Series is too short to allow time to find yourself over a season. And if this is the identity they are forming, they will not be having much fun next week.

A faceoff win by @GregPuskuldjian into a @BigBGleason goal pic.twitter.com/kIdDc9SUO4

— Redwoods Lacrosse Club (@PLLRedwoods) July 30, 2020

Thursday’s Games

• Whipsnakes vs Atlas 7 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Network
• Chrome vs Archers 9:30 p.m. ET, NBC Gold Pass

After a fairly lackluster Wednesday night, our hopes are high for some high scoring affairs on Thursday.

It’s hard to believe that the Whipsnakes haven’t even played a game since their opener on Saturday. This is their chance to get things rolling. While they are anxious to play, their opponent Atlas is coming off an early week double-header before getting two rest days of their own. For Atlas’ sake, they hopefully have found a way to work Tucker Durkin into the lineup and rework some things offensively to give the Whips everything they can handle. Bryan Costabile has been a revelation, but the Atlas are serious volume shooters right now, and are not connecting enough. That is not a great formula heading into a game with one of the best defenses and goalies in the league. They are going to really need to work to create some better opportunities and higher percentage shots in the middle of the field. One of the most exciting matchups in the game is actually in the face-off.

The most exciting match-up when comparing Whipsnakes and Atlas will be the battle at the X between Joe Nardella and Trevor Baptiste. Whoever can pull above .500 could be deciding factor in a matchup with so much world-class talent on both offense ends. Atlas are experiencing some success through young talent, but their proven vets are still spinning tires. With as many shots as Rabil and Pannell are launching, more possession mean that some of those rips are going to fall.

In the nightcap, we have our first online-only game of the series, putting the surprising Chrome against the Archers on NBC Gold. While the Archers are exciting to watch, they haven’t completely dominated a game offensively yet. This game presents a great opportunity to.

The Chrome defense is completely rebuilt, but they are coming together at a shockingly fast pace, catapulting them to the top spot in the league. The Chrome offense is also scoring in bunches, which allows their defense to be slightly more aggressive. While they may not be packed with players you think of when naming transition threats, they all are. Both teams prefer a more controlled style, but are not going to shy away from a transition opportunity. The subbing game will have to be on point, and mistakes have to be minimal. This should be one of the best matchups in the series.

Chrome did everything they could to let the Redwoods back in the game the other night and almost blew it. Redwoods didn’t deserve to win, but it doesn’t feel like Chrome should be 2-0. Archers are red hot across the field and the flip to start Ghitelman and let Adams close in the crease brought a spark of new life to the Archers. The offense looks awesome with the addition of Ament and as soon as Holman and Manny start putting together the evenings they should be having, the Archers could move to the untouchable tier.

Things are working in the Chrome camp and they’re having a lot fo fun doing it. They let their gauerd down in Tuesday and almost blew the largest lead of the PLL season. There’s no way Galloway is not coming out for blood after allowing two late two-bombs in the breakdown. This one might keep us all a little more on the edges of our seats than they earlier pairing.

PickUp Props of the Day

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Editor’s Note: The Day 4 insight and recaps for the PLL Championship Series were co-authored by Ryder Cochrane and Mark Donahue.

Everyone has now played twice in the PLL Championship Series except Chaos, having to postpone their date with Redwoods for very late tomorrow night. In the meantime, the Redwoods got to go after the Chrome today and it almost went well for them. Archers and Waterdogs put on a good show and was a great start to the night.

If you turned off the Chrome versus Redwoods game early, who could blame you? If you have NBC Gold, go back and watch the Redwoods comeback. Frankly, they should have won the game with how bad it seemed the Chrome wanted to give it away.

Chippiness, hot streaks, more rookie heat. What a beautiful Tuesday.

PLL Championship Series Standings

Big Stats Guys

• Grant Ament (Archers) 1G, 3A
• Adam Ghitelman (Archers) 10 saves, 91%
• BJ Grill (Waterdogs) 5GB, 3CT
• Steve DeNapoli (Waterdogs) 5GB, 2CT
• Ned Crotty (Chrome) 2G, 2A
• Reece Eddy (Chrome) 3GB, 2CT
• Sergio Perkovic (Redwoods) 2 2G, 1 G
• John Sexton (Redwoods) 4 GB, 3 CT

Archers 9, Waterdogs 7

When Coach Copelan talked about the Waterdogs game plan before the start, he was very clear that too much attention couldn’t go to the hot handed rookie Grant Ament. The defense would have to play him straight-up when attacking the cage. The kid proved he doesn’t have to be in front of the goal to be dangerous. Knowing he was a marked man as a scorer, Ament turned to set up man in round two. At X, Ament because a surgeon this evening, calm, cool, ready to thread the needle.

Despite his highlight reel debut, Ament’s biggest play yet may have been a behind-the-back laser feed from behind the goal to Tom Scheiber on a blazing fast back door cut. The pass was pinpoint accurate and at an incredible speed.

We’ve been dreaming of this moment for months @GrantAment @TomSchreiber26 pic.twitter.com/AWfUzackJm

— Archers Lacrosse Club (@PLLArchers) July 29, 2020

Commentator Ryan Boyle went on air with Ament after the goal and asked the Penn State product what Scheiber was likely to say to him if he didn’t make the pass on such a hard worked and open cut. Ament laughed the comment off saying, “Probably nothing. Tom’s a good guy.” Scheiber, when asked a similar question on the sideline, responded with full confidence that Ament would find him on that cut because, “that’s what he does best.”

Scheiber was good for another tally after the help from Ament and Christian Mazzone was the other Archer to strike twice. 14 points were distributed across eight players across the roster, showing the team efforts are turning into wins.

Archers went with a goaltending flip, starting Drew Adams ahead of Adam Ghitelman in the first half, when Ghitleman usually closes the game. Adams didn’t get the start he wanted, allowing six different shooters to find the net in the first half. For the most part, the Waterdogs offense was getting activated through the first 30 minutes. Ben Reeves is the only component they’re still waiting to fall into play. The game was far from over, but their 6-3 lead at halftime and defensive stands were bringing a lot of momentum into the break.

Not a single shot fell for the Waterdogs in the third quarter and a single effort from Ben McIntosh would be it for the final frame. Like their debut, they had a substantial lead and absolutely went to sleep in the second half.

While the flawed Waterdogs offense was exposed again, nothing should take away from the world-class effort of Ghitelman that turned a 7 save, 58 percent opener against Atlas into a 10 save, 91 percent complete shutdown of the Waterdogs. If the Archers go back to Ghitelman for the start against Chrome on Thursday night and he does that again, they made need to hold off on Adams to keep him red hot. That runs the risk of fatigue over the long run, but nothing should slow down a streaking goalie with a head of confidence.

One game at a time.

Chrome 12, Redwoods 11

If we learned three things in tonight’s game, here they are:

1) People definitely listened to Matt Gaudet this weekend.

2) Chrome is a lot better than last year.

3) Redwoods really miss their non-injured absences.

Redwoods took an early 2-1 lead in a very sloppy first quarter, where there were more unforced turnovers than goals by a country mile. Redwoods got some early hype after a classic Kyle Harrison goal. That man ages like a fine wine, and he burned rookie Sam Duggan to put the Redwoods up early. The Chrome offense, which had looked wonderful in their second half against Chaos, looked stagnant, and the Redwoods defense was doing a great job of denying them good shot opportunities.

Then the second quarter came. Chrome exploded, going on a 9-2 run through the second frame as they pulled away for a big halftime lead. The catalyst of Chrome’s big run was just a ton of man-up (excuse me, power play) opportunities courtesy of a chippy, cheap-shotting stretch from the Redwoods.

Gaudet, not mic’d up today in what seems to have been a coach’s decision, was clearly back up in the heads of his opponents. Early into the second quarter, Garrett Epple knocked him to the ground and, while he was down, unleashed a flurry of crosschecks to Gaudet’s helmet, causing a scuffle to break out amongst the players on the field. Somehow, for reasons I cannot explain and hope the PLL will address soon, Epple was not ejected.

I’m going to go ahead and stop any people in the mentions: talking smack doesn’t give you the right to try to give a defenseless man brain damage.

The ensuing two-minute penalty kicked off Chrome’s run. Over the course of the game, Chrome converted on 3-of-4 power play opportunities.

Redwoods “won” the second half 7-2, but, by then, it was too late. A pair of late two-bombs by Sergio Perkovic made the game interesting in the waning moments, and Redwoods got one more shot near the end to try and tie things up. Despite the scoreline, however, Chrome goalie John Galloway had a hell of a game, finishing with a 61 percent save rate and bailing Chrome out multiple times on the doorstep. Without his second-half heroics, this easily could have been a Chrome collapse, but the former Syracuse star refused to lose. After the game, Galloway showed disappointment in his allowance of the scores from beyond the arc and the near collapse down the stretch.

Jesse King’s goal out of the sub box in the late fourth quarter proved to be the difference. King was one of four Chrome players to score multiple goals, joining Ned Crotty, Justin Guterding, and Jordan Wolf, in what was a strong night for the Chrome starting attack line. A full health King is a wrecking ball to deal with.

For Chrome, this brings them to a surprising 2-0, and sets them up for a battle of undefeateds on Thursday night against Archers. A team that lacked much of an identity last year, Chrome has become a scrappy, fiery squad this year, and is clearly just having more fun out there than they did last season. Face-off specialist Connor Farrell, 14-of-22, continues to be a pleasant surprise for Tim Soudan’s squad, and Galloway has bounced back quite nicely so far this year after a rough (by his standards) 2019.

.@Crottykid22 makes it look easy! #Chromeback2020 pic.twitter.com/IqFyRj1l3q

— Chrome Lacrosse Club (@PLLChrome) July 29, 2020

For Redwoods, meanwhile, this is not the start that anyone would have expected, as they drop to 0-2 and last place in the PLL, behind Waterdogs on goal-differential. Generally speaking, they had a good game overall tonight, outscoring Chrome in the first, third, and fourth quarters, which really only makes their second-quarter all the more frustrating. To put it plainly, Redwoods lost their collective cool in the second quarter and, by the time they bounced back in the fourth, it was too little, too late. They have yet to find a successful replacement for Greg Gurenlian, winning a mere 39.5 percent of their face-offs tonight. The most surprising issue for Redwoods so far is a suddenly anemic attack. Their starting attack line combined for three goals tonight, as Ryder Garnsey shot 2-of-7 and Matt Kavanagh went 1-of-6. Garnsey personally had four turnovers, giving him a net negative. Clarke Petterson did have three assists, which helps some, but this team is clearly missing both the production and the sheer impact of Jules Heningburg, who had to miss the PLL Championship Series after his COVID-19 case put him at risk of cardiac arrest.

Redwoods don’t even have to wait a full twenty-four hours before getting another crack at things. Their reschedule game with Chaos comes tomorrow and it’s juicy because both teams will be looking for their first win. That, plus the added drama of the Jones-Salcido trade in the offseason, could make for a chippy game.

Here’s hoping that the Redwoods can keep their cool this go-round.

Wednesday’s Game

• Chaos vs Redwoods 11 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Network

Thunder and lightning got the best of the first attempt on Monday night. The PLL Championship Series made the decision the move the game to Wednesday, the pre-planned off-day, for a late start, 11 p.m. ET, 9 p.m. in Utah. This, again, is a battle of the beatens. Both the Redwoods and Chaos came into the Championship Series with high expectations, but have only experienced loss.

Each team also has struggled with face-offs, so it will be interesting to see which unit turns the corner faster.

PickUp Props of the Day

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Rain, rain, go away. Ruin lacrosse some other day. The only thing that worked out about the weather delay and the PLL Championship Series format was not losing all lacrosse because of a little lightning.

While the first game on the docket got moved to super late on Wednesday night, we still got to experience a showdown between Atlas and Archers that went all the way down to the line. It was the tale of two rookies that captivated the audience of Monday Night Lacrosse.

PLL Championship Series Standings

Big Stats Guys

• Grant Ament (Archers) 3G, 1A
• Matt McMahon (Archers) 3CT, 2GB
• Bryan Costabile (Atlas) 3G, 1 2G
• Cade Van Raaphorst (Atlas) 2CT, 3GB
• Craig Chick (Atlas) 2CT, 3GB

Chaos vs Redwoods – Postponed

Moved to Wednesday, July 9th at 11 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Network

Thunder and lightning got the best of this one, but the storms were able to pass before the next game. The PLL made the decision the move the game to Wednesday, the pre-planned off-day, for a late start, 11 p.m. ET, 9 p.m. in Utah.

Archers 11, Atlas 10

One thing rookies have going for them when going pro in the summer is their incredible peak-season fitness and game speed, typically rolling right into the circuit after finishing their senior season’s playoff run. This year was a lot different. Guys haven’t been able to play lacrosse for months. Some of the rookies only played a handful of games before their season’s were cancelled and that was in March. There was speculation on whether who teams should take in the draft and which guys to bet on.

Archers and Atlas hit the jackpot with the No. 1 and No. 2 picks overall.

Grant Ament was the stud his teammates warned us about before the season started. He just fits. Archers have an energy about them that is unique from any team and Ament just gels so perfectly, even saying things like “loosey-goosey” in his post-game interview.

A hat-trick in his debut, he started in the second quarter by blowing bast Kevin Unterstein, pushing out to try to deny him the ball, with a beautiful wide open catch and release at the goalie’s legs. Then he absolutely dusted Kyle Hartzell as soon as he caught the ball at X, leaving his defender behind as he was once again left with just the goalie. The next goal came through Ament’s stick as well, finding the ball on a fast break and connecting on a rope to Will Manny for a laser fast tap-in. To close the half, it was Ament getting the rock in the back corner and running straight into a pick on the crease with such speed that the sheer timing to switch or recover did not exist for Atlas and the rookie was three deep by the mid point.

.@GrantAment has a hat trick…in his first game as a pro…in the first half. pic.twitter.com/WrBTiRaOhi

— Archers Lacrosse Club (@PLLArchers) July 28, 2020

It’s a shame for the five goal effort Bryan Costabile put together on Monday night, that very few of his teammates had anything to match. The Notre Dame product accounted for half of the entire Atlas score, a team laden with so many proven stars. This kid has range. His first goal of the game was a step down missile from beyond the arc. Trying to get back to his left hand, Costabile committed to his right as he wrapped the crease and went airborne up through the crease and tucking the ball in for his second of the night. Then he went back to distance, dodging up to his right hand and knocking down a beautiful midrange jumper.

His fifth and final of the game was probably the most telling. Costabile was being pulled out of the game defensively to take rest for going back out when Atlas got the ball back. Any time Costabile could take a run on defense it looked like he went for it and he showed the signs of being one of the best lockdown short-sticks in the PLL if they will let him. After exerting every bit of his being on each goal, each shift, each defensive stand, Costabile still took a clear nearly end to end, catching Tom Scheiber off guard at the last possible second to burn one down the alley. This man is ready-ready.

"If they're not going to respect me enough to slide to that, then I'm going to shoot that all day" – @bryan_costabile

THAT'S OUR ROOKIE pic.twitter.com/tM6DxcOvmD

— Atlas Lacrosse Club (@PLLAtlas) July 28, 2020

Archers had no problem getting started, Schreiber sweeping one in on the run on their very first possession. They were just a bit jittery on their debut in comparison to an Atlas team that won on NBC the afternoon prior. The game really came together and by the final stretch, there was only guessing as to who would pull away. Unfortunately, the fourth quarter didn’t carry the same scoring excitement as the first half, with only one goal registered for each compared to the 14 combined in the first and second frames.

Inside the @PLLArchers locker room. pic.twitter.com/Uz1kYvrP4q

— Premier Lacrosse League (@PremierLacrosse) July 28, 2020

It’s weird how played out this way too. It’s not like Atlas looked any different physically than game one. The looks and opportunities were there. Some guys just appear cursed not to score right now. Rob Pannell had one goal one 10 shots and Paul Rabil is 0-of-12 shooting over the past two games. There’s no way this doesn’t change, but it’s a lot of spent rubber at this point. Both teams only had six contributors to the goal column, but the frequency of the Archers’ scorers made all the difference.

A fairly tame game across the board, the two clubs settled in and played lacrosse. An even match in the specialists categories, there was only a two win advantage by Trevor Baptiste’s crew, an equal 59 percent average for both net-minders. When it came to the possession, it was actually Atlas winning the ground ball battle, 26-to-20, caused turnovers, 7-to-4, and finishing 2-for-2 on the penalty kill. There was just so little scoring at the end of the game you had to question if we reached bed time. Atlas finally put together a late push and scored with 35 second left. While they kept firing, even to the final horn, the Atlas just had a way about not-scoring, that just doesn’t seem possible to maintain moving forward.

Monday’s Games

• Archers vs Waterdogs 7 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Network
• Redwoods vs Chrome 9:30 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Network

In the first game, we have the Waterdogs who really controlled most of their first game against the Atlas, but dropped the very end. The Archers on the other hand were down early on to the Atlas, but put together a big scoring streak to take the lead. The game still game down to the wire, including need to stop a literal last second shot.

The big question for these teams: who can win the second half? There’s only a combined five second half points between them. For the amount of firepower they both have, someone needs to figure out their halftime mojo.

In the nightcap, we have the Chrome who are the surprise of the Championship Series so far. They’ll be facing the Redwoods, who had a disappointing result to the opening day Championship rematch. Seeing how the Chrome defense matches up with the Redwoods attack will be the most critical battle on the field and where the Redwoods have perhaps the biggest advantage.

Another question mark will be in the face-off department. Connor Farrell was dominant in his debut while the Redwoods had no ability to deal with Joe Nardella. If they can’t get the ball to their attack consistently, it could be a long day.

PickUp Props of the Day

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The Boston Cannons are your 2020 Major League Lacrosse Champions. Regardless of the circumstances of the event and the path to the title game, the Steinfeld Trophy is in their hands.

Boston waited all week for their offense to come together and play a complete game, and while neither team scored in the entire fourth quarter, the deck they had to play with did what it took to win it all. At the of the eight day event, Commissioner Sandy Brown passed the hardware off to captain Mark Cockerton and the season was over in a blink of an eye.

It truly appeared the better team rose to the top. Denver was the No. 1 seed heading into the postseason and playing at a step ahead of the field all week. From top to bottom, the Outlaws were loaded and uncovering talent all week as veterans led by filling the stat sheet to keep the team at full speed. The team hit their first hiccup on Friday night against the Cannons, being served their first loss of the season, but it still didn’t feel like a premonition of this afternoon’s contest. The Outlaws were purposely short-handed, resting John Grant Jr. and limiting reps for all-star Max Adler at the midline.

Stepping into the final arena with a full-strength lineup, the Outlaws were looking to be the clear favorite against the Cannons, who had five players remove themselves from competition before game time due to COVID-19 concerns.

From the first whistle to the final horn, both teams found enough fumes left in the tank to play a full speed back-and-forth contest for the entire run. Boston opened up the scoring with the first John Uppgren goal three minutes into the game and at that point, no one knew Uppgren would become the hero of season. The DIII star from Tufts put together one of the greatest performances in MLL Championship history, racking up five goals and an assist in the showdown.

Not only was Uppgren working his tail off, the balls were bouncing to the Cannons game all day long. No more of an example of this was a Mark Cockerton shot attempt rejected by goalie Curtis Knight, rebound grabbed by Cockerton and fed back into the stick of Knight. The ball went right back to Cockerton where he could connect eyes with Uppgren crashing the crease. With perfect flow, Uppgren was finding every last gap in the Outlaws defense, shrugging off hard slides and hold attempts like nothing could stop him from being a champion.

The mistakes of the Outlaws defense were costing precious possession time and throwing too many looks the the goaltending duo of Knight and Nick Washuta. The defensive group was not timely on doubling or putting poles on the right bodies, giving Boston that opportunity to click they’ve been desperate for all season. As a team, the 24 turnovers were a plague that amounted to a miserable experience for an Outlaws team.

Daniel Bucaro was the first to break the tension for the Outlaws and put together a highlight reel of his own in the final stand. Bucaro unveiled himself a nightmare matchup for the long sticks of the MLL and a completed hat trick in the first seven minutes could have convinced anyone the game was in the bag. Off the dodge. Off the cut. Off the roll. Right hand. Left hand. He’s perfect. Bucaro can move from attack to middie fluidly and it’s had the Boston heads spinning in the first half.

Bucaro’s human highlight cohort Ryan Lee had the exact opposite showing in the championship and his lack of effectiveness on the scoreboard was devastating to the Outlaws. After an unbelievable week, Lee was hog tied and completely blanked by the Cannons defense. Showing his frustration in the fourth quarter snapping his stick over his knee during a break, it was clear this was not the performance Lee expected of himself after scoring 18 goals over the four priors games of the week.

There were times the Outlaws were shocked to life, like a little run started by Chris Aslanian, matched by Max Adler (14-of-25) popping the next face-off to himself and running it right down Main Street. Aslanian finished the little series with his hat trick qualifier with three beautifully orchestrated tallies getting the score to 13-10, but it would stay at the same split for the remained of the contest.

In what could have been the G.O.A.T’s final professional lacrosse game, John Grant Jr.’s first goal was a smooth catch and release from a blazing Adler, looking like plenty of magic was in the future.  As Junior stood with arms in the air, Adler turned around and walked back to the midline, focused on doing it again. Like Adler, the audience was left assuming the same, but goaltender Nick Marroco (.526) had a different plan for the future Hall of Famer.

Not everything was working the the Boston Cannons game plan, but stellar individual stands from guys like Marrocco were the X-factor. Marrocco was a star for Boston, stoning Junior three times with this lower body to keep the game’s greatest nearly ineffective for maybe the first time in his MLL career that spanning back to 2001.

Only six Cannons shooters were required to get in on the action to chip in to the instant classic perfromances that Uppgren and Cockerton were putting together. While highlights like Cockerton’s one handed ground ball snatch, dangle on Knight for a bury will be replayed through MLL history. Cockerton’s goals weren’t all flashy, but the right goals at the right times. Chipping in another notch that made all the difference was defenseman Justin Pugal rearing back and letting a 2-point bomb soar that brought a massive boost of energy to the Cannons heading into the half. The long stick’s first ever points were the pair of goals that would put Boston up on Denver to which the Cannons would never turn back.

At the end, Bryce Wasserman was selected at the 2020 MLL MVP and receipt of a giant check for $5,000 for his 15 goal, 6 assist, 10 ground ball effort over the six games, one goal and one assist coming in the championship.

Now that it’s all said and done, Boston are MLL Champions for the first time since 2011, their only title. The circumstances of a shortened schedule will always be an asterisk in the history books, noting the massive variance from a summer-spanning campaign. It only took Boston five games, three wins, to earn a championship bid and one more strong showing to hoist hardware. While it seems easy to diminish the accomplishment, coach Sean Quirk assembled a group of 25-men for a week long marathon of lacrosse and crossed the finish line with 20.

No games ever finished further than a three goal separation and the parity of the top MLL proved that the challenge would come easy to no one. The Cannons came together in one week’s time like a college team going through a year’s worth of adversity and finished the marathon with enough reserves to sprint to the finish line.

The Boston Cannons met the requirements of the format with a gritty, hard-earned team effort and proved how exciting the mental aspect of lacrosse can be. Not always does the best team have to fill the highlight reel of the Twitter feed. The best team needs to play their best game when it counts and the best team answers the call for every small challenge along the way.

In 2020, the Boston Cannons were Major League Lacrosse’s best team. Congrats to the champs.

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Editor’s Note: The Day 1 recaps and insight for the PLL Championship Series were co-authored by Ryan Conwell, Nick Zoroya and Mark Donahue.

Day one of the 2020 PLL Championship series is in the books and all the mic’d-up, body-smashing, goal-rattling action we could handle was packed into two great match-ups.

The defending champs kicked things off by holding on to the bragging rights from the title game. The bottom feeders of 2019 made a statement to follow behind a loud-mouthed rookie chirping his way onto the professional lacrosse circuit.

Welcome to the best part of your summer.

PLL Standings after Day 1

Big Stats Guys

• Garrett Epple (Redwoods) 4CT, 5GB
• Pat Harbeson (Redwoods) 3CT, 2GB
• Michael Ehrhardt (Whipsnakes) 4CT, 7GB, 1A
• Joe Nardella (Whipsnakes) 15/22FO, 68%, 6GB, 2G
• Jordan Wolf (Chrome) 3G, 1A
• Mike Manley (Chrome) 2CT, 4GB
• Sam Duggan (Chrome) 1G, 2CT, 2GB
• Connor Farrell (Chrome) 19/24FO, 79%, 7GB
• Connor Fields (Chaos) 3G, 1A
• Curtis Dickson (Chaos) 3G, 1A
• Jarrod Neumann (Chaos) 1CT, 5GB

Whipsnakes LC 12, Redwoods LC

In a rematch of the 2019 PLL Championship, the Redwoods LC faced the Whipsnakes LC to open up the 2020 PLL Championship Series. Last year’s outing resulted in a 12-11 overtime victory for the Whips, crowning them the first-ever PLL champions.

The most glaring issue today seemed to be the inability of the ‘Woods to win the ball at the stripe. They lost 70% of the draws as they desperately looked for Greg Gurnelian’s replacement. Pro lacrosse veteran Greg Puskuldjian struggled going 2-of-13, before first year pro Peyton Smith came in and cleaned up 5-of-8. Look for the team to play Smith a little more moving forward, but Pusk is a player that will turn the taste of blood into game fuel.

MY GOODNESS ZED pic.twitter.com/06noG8mCLu

— Whipsnakes Lacrosse Club (@PLLWhipsnakes) July 25, 2020

Offensively the Whipsnakes enjoyed the presence of their new attackmen Zed Williams who scored a hat trick in his PLL debut. Nine, no, NINE different players scored for the Whipsnakes. Maybe the biggest spark plug of that pack was a middie that sniped two tallies and just so happened to take, and dominate, face-offs (70%), Joe Nardella.

Unsurprisingly, Nardella is an easy nod for game-changer. Tack on six  ground balls to hid already insane stat line, and he’s the only focused face-off specialist, his presence guarantees more possessions for the team and a shot of life from the midline.

Joe Nardella is playing make it, take it pic.twitter.com/XXMvFqbHux

— Premier Lacrosse League (@PremierLacrosse) July 25, 2020

Not looking in championship form, but with the potential to get there quickly, the defensive trio of Matt Dunn, Timmy Muller and Bryce Young cleaned up the end of the game nicely in front of calm, collected Kyle Bernlohr who stood on his head at times through the contest. 15 stops and a 68% save percentage is remarkable from this league and while he did allow two 2-bombs, that was a fixable fault of his own, not a defensive breakdown.

The Whips strategy looks simple moving forward: keep doing your thing, but never allow 21 turnovers again.

The Redwoods need to find one consistent voice on defense to tighten up a group that seemed lost early in front of a not so stellar Tim Troutner, only able to block 43% of the 23 shots he face, but came closer together as the game wore on. The offense is going to need to speed up as well. At times it felt like too many guys were trying to do too many things.

Right now, the Chaos are getting the better end of the Myles Jones-Sergio Salcido deal. Coach Nat St. Laurent is going to need to find ways to set up the massive midfielder to fit into plays, not just Jones running them on his own. Jones got respect on his one goal, getting his man to assume he would pull up from deep, tucking past him and burying a closer shot. These plays are only going to work down the road when the defense is more concerned about other threats. If eyes can get pulled in other directions, Jones can be an all-star, but alone, he’s not ready to change the game.

Emotions ran hot and focus on officiating couldn’t be shaken off by Coach St. Laurent and offensive weapon Ryder Garnsey. The negative energy filled the keep with seeds of doubt sprouting into consistent miscommunication and poor decision makings. While 2-point launches from Kyle Harrison and Sergio Salcido proved how dangerous the ‘Woods can be even spread out, the lack of focus and finish from Garnsey needs to grow from one assist to a series of numbers in the books and that starts with focus.

 Chrome LC 13, Chaos LC 9

The Chrome took the 2019 highest scoring team in the league and held them to just nine goals.

This is even more impressive with even more potent weapons worked into the Chaos mix. Where that causes concern is while the fast pace Chaos version of lacrosse leads to a ton of points early on, they also couldn’t crack 10 points in the playoffs or their last game of the season. That’s not the part of last year they wanted to carry over. The silver lining for the Chaos is that everything that went wrong here is fixable.

Tommy Kelly probably won’t go 28% for face-offs on the the whole series. Blaze Riorden probably won’t average 43% saves, either. Even if he does, they have all-world Dillon Ward at the ready, who arguably should have been sent in during that abysmal second half.

But wait, this NLL All-Star team of a Chaos offense only scored nine?

They can still move the ball. Connor Fields is still Connor Fields. Curtis Dickson is still Curtis Dickson. The rest of their supporting group was quiet. This will not be the norm, but painfully obvious this evening. It wasn’t a great start for Chaos, but I would not even think about writing them off.

Welcome to the PLL, @CurtisDickson17.
Happy to have ya pic.twitter.com/48OLBpg6VT

— Chaos Lacrosse Club (@PLLChaos) July 25, 2020

The Chrome, on the other hand, have officially put the rest of the league on notice much to the degree of John Wick’s line of, “Yeah, I’m thinking I’m back.”

Even though things were tied after the first quarter and the Chrome were dominating time of possession, a scoreless second frame made things feel a little uneasy. Shots were off, the defense was having serious issues keeping the Chaos out of the inside, and they felt like a team with just a little bit more work to do.

The second half Chrome were a different team. Most noticeably was on the offensive end where things really started to click while the defense held the Chaos to a single goal. Chrome was not trying to stretch the field much with two point shots, and their transition game was pressing when they could, but it wasn’t an objective.

Their settled offense is who did the work and they did it well.

Chrome shooters were actually doing an amazing job not with two man games as you would expect, but with their best looks were coming off of skip passes, catching the Chaos defense completely off guard.

The other unexpected trait for the Chrome was the aggressive and unapologetic Matt Gaudet, who was wearing the on field mic for the team. While you could hear his cackling all game long, the moment that stole the show was when he said during an on-field interview segment that Blaze Riorden “sucks.”

The rookie has got chirps pic.twitter.com/MotHMSWJYA

— Chrome Lacrosse Club (@PLLChrome) July 26, 2020

The rookie was as blunt as you could be, and he was letting everyone know, Riorden as well, squatting just feet away in the crease. Even after an entire season of players with mics, the commentators were speechless after that one. The PLL lives for this stuff, so you can assume that there will be an encore performance like this from Gaudet.

Sunday’s Game

• Atlas LC vs Waterdogs LC – 4 p.m. ET, NBC

PickUp Props of the Day

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This is not the 2020 MLL Championship we wanted. This is not what we hoped for. This is not what anyone expected.

This is the 2020 MLL Championship we got. One without a semifinal decider, but ultimately a last-minute fast pass granted to the No. 1 seed Denver Outlaws and the No. 4 seed Boston Cannons after the Chesapeake Bayhawks and Connecticut Hammerheads have backed out of competition.

Gone is the chance to see the great Lyle Thompson defend his title. Gone is the chance to see Bubba Voigt and Michael Kraus ride a hot steak into the postseason. Gone is any semblance of what was absolutely feeling like a normal lacrosse event.

There is still hope for a stellar finale tomorrow on ESPN, but right now the sudden change is disappointing to say the least. Even with the asterisked shorted season serving a replacement for a summer-long campaign, we have been able to enjoy live lacrosse again from living rooms across the world. The broadcast value and content output from the league has been bar none to years past and we’ve been fixated by the play of stellar rookies and elder statesmen. Only two days remain of the eight day event and we finally hit a bump in the road, but a nasty bump nonetheless.

What we know is that multiple players tested positive for COVID-19 heading into the final weekend of play. Those players are being reported as all from the same team, the Chesapeake Bayhawks. Their opponent from last night, the Connecticut Hammerheads, were on the slate for another round today. Players were given their last coronavirus screening last night a 9 p.m. and received the results at 2 p.m. today, two hours before the first semifinal. The semifinal games were delayed to give time for test results to return.

According to the MLL Championship press release regarding the situation, at least one of the athletes was experiencing symptoms related to those connected to the virus.

“Yesterday evening a player in the league approached a member of his team’s medical staff with potential symptoms of COVID-19. He was immediately placed into a full quarantine and tested. Within a few hours it was determined that he had tested positive for the virus. Following the protocol, developed with a team of leading physicians before the start of the season, Major League Lacrosse immediately placed all players into quarantine. This morning, Major League Lacrosse tested all individuals who, through contact tracing, were determined to be at risk for COVID-19.”

From the account of sources inside the event, all non-positive testing players were given the choice to keep playing or remove themselves for safety. With a variety of players working in the medical field, starting new jobs, or in the direct care of others, the players that no longer felt safe in competition were backed by their teammates in the group’s decision to suspend play for 2020. This left the Connecticut Hammerheads retracting their bid to play in the semifinals, which would have shifted to feature them against the Boston Cannons to meet the top seeded Denver Outlaws in the championship.

No players on the Boston Cannons or Denver Outlaws tested positive on their most recent screening. The teams being comfortable to move forward with game play, Friday night’s rematch on Saturday has now been moved to Sunday and will serve as a grand finale. While it already feels strange enough claiming a season champion at the end of a long week, now we will never know if the two best teams are really going to compete for the Steinfeld Trophy.

Ultimately someone, or some group, is to blame.

While it was questioned if the league should even move forward with an representation of a season in 2020, players and organizers agreed the chance to fill a sport-less void in America was too good to pass up. A “bubble” is only as strong as its weakest member and while players have commented on how serious everyone has taken the safety protocol and how professional Major League Lacrosse has been in dealing with the athletes this season, it’s a fact that at least one person had to go rogue and break regulations for the virus to enter the camp. This could have been a player, a coach or a staff member, but it also could have been from any of the countless delivery drivers, hotel and grounds workers, and other ancillary help providing support to the overall event in one way or another. The whole structure can crumble around just one selfish individual who decides to sneak away from the boundaries of the event, allow outsiders in, or deal with potential contaminates without full safety precautions. Once the virus is inside the barrier, it’s open season to infect any body it comes in contact with.

Right now, we don’t know how many people broke the rules. We don’t know how it happened. We don’t know when it happened. What we do know from talking to individuals in Annapolis that many athletes, staff members and affiliated support took safety and measurements completely seriously, acting for the greater good of the MLL and humanity by staying put, having full transparency about wellbeing, and only consumed and interacted with things they knew were minimal risk.

This could have been a result of an honest mistake. We should all hope that is the case. There can only hope that an individual in the lacrosse community would be incapable of making such a nefarious decision knowing the game’s growth and human safety is on the line.

At some point, a bad egg made a careless decision and, at minimum, cost the MLL Championship an honest match-up. On the other end of the spectrum, safety were theoretically put at risk by committing to the event, but now athletes face an actual threat against their health and the lives of others. While it seems easy to point fingers at the MLL for not having tighter control of the quarantine or even playing in the first place, it appears there is someone out there who agreed to the protocol and then sidestepped the regulations compromising countless others.

It’s impossible to think an event of this size with so many bodies from around the continent would start without any positive cases leading up to it, but, after a week of closed competitions, it’s devastating for the results to come now.

While it’s an incredibly disheartening situation to think individuals can be capable of that level of selfishness, the game of lacrosse is still on ESPN tomorrow during an ideal Sunday time slot. While the integrity of the competition has been sacrificed to another degree, the game is still being broadcast into countless homes around the globe. What the athletes have given up and the risk they’ve assumed in the first place for the growth of lacrosse should reason enough for anyone to tune back in for one more game.

Asterisk or not, lacrosse is still growing.

MLL Championship 2020

No. 1 Denver Outlaws vs No. 4 Boston Cannons – 2 p.m. ET on ESPN

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Come and gone is the 2020 MLL regular season. The top four teams are now heading to the playoffs for a set of rematches.

The semifinals tomorrow are only on ESPN+, and with as crazy as the games have been $5.99 is worth every penny.

MLL Standings after Day 7

Big Stats Guys

• Warren Jeffery (Che) 3GB, 2CT
• Bradley Voigt (CT) 4G, 1A, 1GB, 0TO, 1CT
• Ben Martin (CT) 5G, 4GB
• Adam Osika (CT) 1G, 3A
• Sean Sconone (CT) 5GB, 2CT
• Dom Madonna (BOS) 16/24 Saves, 66.7%
• Bryce Wasserman (BOS) 3G, 1A
• Frank Brown (BOS) 3G, 2GB
• Scott Corcoran (BOS) 3GB, 2CT
• Casey Dowd (DEN) 8/12 FO, 5GB
• Jack Jasinski (DEN) 2G, 1A, 2GB

MLL Playoffs

The top four teams make the playoffs. Standard 1 vs 4, 2 vs 3 format as a semifinal.

Saturday’s Games

• No. 1 Denver Outlaws vs No. 4 Boston Cannons – 4 p.m. ET, ESPN+
• No. 3 Connecticut Hammerheads vs No. 2 Chesapeake Bayhawks – 7 p.m. ET, ESPN+

Connecticut Hammerheads 14, Chesapeake Bayhawks 9

Let’s cover one of the wildest topics no one is talking about to get started.

Connecticut and Chesapeake had to dip into their reserves, real deep for Connecticut, all the way to practically a man off the street. Human pile of muscle Luther Fleming was pulled off the emergency list of specialists available for any team in the event and straight into a Hammerheads jersey. In the one rep he took, he won, making him the most flawless face-off man in the league this year. Ahead of him fought the regular back-up Justin Schwenk (16-25), who turned a so-so first half into an exciting spree in the second.

On the other side of the scrum, Jon Paige (6-14) and Zach Melilo (3-12) split the duties and neither could break even for the Bayhawks. A mostly back-and-forth contest, extra possession could have helped the Bayhawks come out with another win. Either way, the result was going to mean they were claiming a No. 2 or No. 3 seed, which in this event doesn’t make a difference.

The 7-to-7 score at halftime was brow-raising enough. Connecticut has really come into their own and if you would have bet on this game a few days ago, it was easy money on the Bayhawks.

Rookie Michael Kraus got involved early on a hard cut down the middle with a perfect connection from Will Sands. Nearly silent to start 2020, Kraus is now becoming the all-star the world expected him to be. The increase in confidence couldn’t have come at a better time, looking at Chesapeake again tomorrow.

Also with a jolt of electricity this week, Ben Martin went off again with 5 goals on 6 shots. Martin looked to be throwing beach balls into the ocean with the poise he was playing with. While the box influence is overwhelmingly apparent, Martin is going old school, ripping with both hands and still dodging at full speed.

Adam Osika finally found confidence too. Calling his own pick, Osika initiated a dodge from X, hit a beautiful inside roll and sealed easy bury with no slide coming. Just in time for the postseason.

I hope we don’t have to watch that version of the Bayhawks ever again. Guys got tired, things got sloppy and the game plan was broken at times. The breakdown was on full display when long stick C.J. Costabile snapped and jumped on Ryan McNamara after a dive into the crease. Costabile wasn’t even the covering defender and no contact with the goalie was made, but Costabile jumped on the downed body and gave multiple crosschecks and extra jabs to earn a trip to the sin bin. The resulting two minute unnecessary roughness didn’t cost Chesapeake, nor did the three other extra-man opportunities they handed out.

A double flag situation came not too much longer with a hold being reenforced by playing without the stick, showing more discipline problems for a Bayhawks squad that was soaring high above the legs just days ago

Another trouble in the Chesapeake camp was the exit of veteran goaltender Brian Phipps from the crease. Showing to be playing through pain the past few days, Phipps was given a seat before the game to give rookie Sam Lucchesi his first start.

Denver Outlaws 11, Boston Cannons 8

Even though the day started with this game likely being part of the equation for determining playoffs, the previous upset by Connecticut over Chesapeake changed those dynamics a little. The Hammerheads win gave the Cannons their playoff spot again these same Outlaws tomorrow. So with literally nothing on the line and all teams feeling the wear and tear, the question became would either teams opt to rest certain players?

The answer was yes, and it had a big impact.

For the Outlaws, they were already splitting time in net each game, so there was no change for them in that spot. They had Casey Dowd and Max Adler split time for face-offs, John Grant Jr. did not dress, opting to just coach for this game. On the other sideline, the Cannons used Ethan Farrell for the majority of their faceoffs, especially after Kevin Reismann was playing injured yesterday. The Cannons also opted to rest Nick Marrocco, giving Dom Madonna his first professional playing time and EBUG (Emergency Back Up Goalie) Ronnie Fernando a chance to dress for a game. This last change had by far the biggest impact on the game.

The first half was really all Dom Madonna. When the Cannons brought their 6-3 lead into halftime, Madonna was boasting a gaudy save percentage that was pushing 80%. This was against a full Denver offense that has been giving goalie nightmares all week long. It has to be reassuring for the Cannons to know they have an excellent option if Marrocco winds up struggling tomorrow.

The other players with a large impact on the game were John Uppgren for the Cannons, who just had a pair of goals, but he was pushing the tempo the entire time and was demanding the attention of the Outlaws defense. Bryce Wasserman also did Bryce Wasserman things (3G, 1A) while Ryan Lee scored just one goal, but made it as ridiculous as possible because… why not?

Realistically, it was a pretty muted performance from the Outlaws as a whole. Only Jack Jasinski scored multiple goals, striking twice, leaving six others to each chip in a score.

Once the first whistle blows tomorrow, expect a much different intensity from both of the teams. They’re going to have a rematch for keeps.

Friday’s Games

• Connecticut Hammerheads vs Chesapeake Bayhawks – 4 p.m. ET, ESPN+
• Denver Outlaws vs Boston Cannons – 7 p.m. ET, ESPN+

[lasso rel=”espn” id=”210268″ link_id=”57614″ ref=”espn”]

It’s the playoffs, baby! The games are the same as today’s just a reversal of time slots. Should you expect the same outcomes? Heck no. Anything can happen.

MLL Gallery – Day 7

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