We’re two weeks into the 2025 PLL season, and while it’s still early, we’re starting to see some real storylines take shape. Some teams look like contenders. Others? Not so much. Too many uncertainties right now to feel confident about any specific team. With a full slate of PLL games on deck this weekend, here’s what I’ll be keeping an eye on for each team in Week 3.
Boston Cannons
The Boston Cannons, through recent history, have been a quantity-over-quality shooting team. The team is currently averaging 49 shots per game, which leads the league. This mindset paid off in the Week 1 game against the Atlas, where they threw up 47 shots and scored at a 32% rate. Certainly not bad if you can maintain that shooting percentage. However, last week against the Archers, the Cannons put up 51 shots but only scored at a 15% clip. There are different philosophies on the quality of shots professional players should be taking and how often. The Cannons have historically loved to get a high volume of shots on net, but inconsistency in their ability to find the back of the net has hurt the offense in years past. Going into this week’s matchup against the Waterdogs, I’m curious to see if they put up a similar number of shots — and how their shooting percentage reflects the final score.
Philadelphia Waterdogs
Following a Week 1 bye, the Waterdogs were able to put up 16 points against the Whipsnakes in their debut. This was fairly impressive, as the Whipsnakes have one of the more stout defenses in the league. The Waterdogs, on paper, should be one of the most daunting offenses in the PLL, but as we all saw last year, coming up a goal short numerous weeks in a row can really deflate a team’s narrative and confidence. My question going into Week 3 is: Was the 16-point performance a fluke, or can the Waterdogs repeat a similar showing against another top-notch defense in the Cannons? Michael Sowers and Kieran McArdle combined for 14 points last week, so it will be interesting to see how the Cannons plan to handle this elite duo. The Waterdogs’ defense still has a lot to prove, but if they want to keep winning games, the offense is going to have to score around 16 goals every week.
California Redwoods
The controversial topic of the week: Are the California Redwoods legit? A Week 1 stomping of the Outlaws saw the Redwoods lead in just about every statistical category. Scoring at a 42% rate is certainly new territory for the Redwoods. That shooting percentage was brought back down to earth against the Carolina Chaos the following week, scoring at 26%. However, the team took a whopping 58 shots and possessed the ball for eight more minutes than the Chaos. This helped lead to a 13–2 scoring run in the second and third quarters. With a new coaching regime and many new faces scattered across the field, it really does seem like the Redwoods have found their identity for the first time in a long time. Redwoods fans have something to be excited about, but the real test comes this weekend as the team still has to prove themselves against a quality opponent — and the Archers will be just that.
Utah Archers
Moore, Dobson, and Ament are questionable. Only 16 goals in two games.
Heading into Week 3, Moore, Dobson, and Ament are all listed as questionable. While it seems like all three will still play, there are definitely concerns around the Archers’ production. Scoring only 16 goals across two weeks is less than ideal, especially given the talent on this high-flying offense. Losing Ament last week took a bigger hit on the team’s overall flow than some may have expected. The question for me heading into Week 3 is: Are injuries going to be the story of the Archers in 2025? The Archers showed multiple times last year that they were human, finishing the regular season 6–4. With only two games under their belt in 2025, it’s tough to feel confident about where the Archers are right now — especially given the health questions. You can only rely on the fact that you’re back-to-back champs for so long before you have to show up on the field, and I think Week 3 against the Redwoods is going to give us a much better gauge of where this team stands.
New York Atlas
Following their PLL Homecoming and a bye week, the Atlas should be feeling fresh going into their matchup against the Whipsnakes. We know the offense can produce at a high level, and that’s the standard this team operates with. The defense, on the other hand, still has a lot to prove. Entenmann can make a strong case this year that he’s a top-three goalie in the league. His supporting cast on the defensive side needs to step up and help him — and the team — out. A significantly young and small-ball lineup at the pole position didn’t fully work last year, and this unit still has a lot to prove. If the Atlas want to capitalize on their star-studded offensive lineup, the defense is going to have to make consistent noise week in and week out, which this team hasn’t been able to do in recent years. If the defensive unit struggles against the Whipsnakes, I would expect a similar year for the Atlas, with the defense selling out when it matters most.
Maryland Whipsnakes
The man of the week has definitely been Matt Rambo, as his age has come into question. Rambo has been a focal point of this Whipsnakes offense since the PLL began, and his time with the Maryland Terrapins will be cemented in lacrosse history. However, in 2025 through two games, Rambo has done absolutely nothing on the field. Zero goals. Zero assists. Only 28 touches. It seems like Stagnitta can see the writing on the wall — that Rambo’s professional career may be coming to a close — which is why it’s so important that he starts producing in Week 3. Rambo can’t afford to go another week with a double goose egg stat line if he wants to maintain a roster spot.
Denver Outlaws
There’s been a lot of conversation around the Denver Outlaws offense this week, but the real question mark heading into Week 3 is the goalie situation. McElroy had a 42% save percentage in Week 1, followed up with a worse performance in Week 2 at 36%. These are not maintainable numbers to hold a roster spot in the PLL — or frankly, at any level. The Outlaws selected Logan McNaney fairly high in the draft, showcasing their confidence in using him between the pipes. McElroy has not been doing his job, so why not throw McNaney into the fire? He’s only coming off one of the best college careers in lacrosse history, where he was a consistent All-American.
Carolina Chaos
While the Chaos may not be playing this week, I hope they utilize this time off to really analyze their X’s and O’s. It would be a shame to see this team fall to the bottom of the leaderboard as the weeks go on, given the amount of talent they have on the defensive side of the ball. Blaze Riorden deserves another shot at a championship, but with the Chaos roster constructed the way it is right now, it doesn’t seem like 2025 will be that year. Enjoy the week off, but at the same time, take a hard look in the mirror to see what needs to change going into Week 4 of the PLL.
