After three weeks of games from Albany, Charlotte and Philadelphia, the entire PLL enjoys a bye weekend.
Here are my power ratings as the pros jump into the sizzling stages of the summer schedule.
- NY Atlas (4-0)
- Boston Cannons (2-1)
- Utah Archers (2-1)
- Philadelphia Waterdogs (0-3)
- Carolina Chaos (2-2)
- Denver Outlaws (1-1)
- Maryland Whipsnakes (1-2)
- California Redwoods (0-2)
The PLL offers things you don’t see all of the time. On a weekly basis or even on a game-to-game level, the quality of play, skill, competitive excellence and intensity of the PLL is without peer. These players are pushing the boundaries of the sport.
The action in Philadelphia did not disappoint.
Boston beat their rival Philadelphia in overtime on the shooting acumen of FOGO Zac Tucci. The second-year pro from New Hampshire via North Carolina scored a shorthanded goal, launched a Hail Mary two-pointer at the end of the first half and nailed the game winner in overtime after winning the draw clean out the front side.
“What a ballgame,” said Boston coach Brian Holman after his squad won in extra time on ABC. “We’ve been preaching having a no fear mentality for overtime – keeping a loose grip on the stick.”
Playing on road soil, Holman’s squad from Boston tried to embrace being at Villanova. Connor Kirst wore his old Wildcat jersey onto the bus. And Nova star midfielder Matt Campbell will be assessed a kangaroo court fine for having his photo up on the walls of the Villanova athletic center. Campbell may be the best player in program history.
The Cannons defense is still admittedly a work in progress after losing Jack Kielty (ND) during training camp with a lower body injury. There is no doubt after back-to-back week two and three wins that they’ve re-earthed their rock solid “play for each other” culture. Holman noting that “We have guys who care.”
At every level that matters.
The Saturday nightcap was a defensive struggle. A 9-7 score is atypical of the Utah Archers. But they’ll take it, clamping down on the Carolina Chaos under the lights. “I’m proud of our defense,” said Archers coach Chris Bates. Utah had been torched by Brennan O’Neil in Charlotte the prior week.
Lefty goal scorer Mac O’Keefe had a productive evening as Carolina shorted him at times. “The tendency is to attack the shorty through dodging, and I’ve learned that’s not always the best recipe,” explained O’Keefe. “I was more intent on attacking the shorty by being a great picker and being an off-ball threat.”
On Sunday the Atlas improved to (4-0) downing the California Redwoods on ABC. They had experienced explosive starts in their first three victories of the season. In this game they trailed 5-1 early and the game went to halftime tied at 8-8.
A blowout second half saw Atlas hit the 20-goal mark. Jeff Teat is on pace to annihilate the PLL single season scoring record. He has 30 points after four games. The record is 44 points by Marcus Holman.
Rookie Connor Shellenberger was dealing in the final 20 minutes. Xander Dickson continues to lead the league in goals, hovering in the slot area and sniping corners off quick interior feeds. The ball movement has been electric.
What sets the Atlas apart however may be their top midfield line of Dox Aitken, Myles Jones and Bryan Costabile. Three horses. Jones was competing against his former team, the green clad Redwoods.
“Seeing green is like seeing red for me,” he chirped post-game. Jones looks in career form, able to bully his way to the crease or pull up for a two-pointer. His passing decisions and on-target tosses to teammates after being doubled has been notable. The big man is in a groove.
Meanwhile Dox Aitken is playing like the best athlete in the league. His speed, power, two-handed shot making, and downhill dodging is giving defenses fits, especially in 5 v 5 or 4 v 4 scenarios off of face-offs. If the season ended today, Teat would be MVP and Dox would be Midfielder of the Year.
Sunday’s finale went into overtime and Matt Rambo bagged the game winner, as the underdog Maryland Whipsnakes gave the Philadelphia Waterdogs yet another one-goal loss, their third of the summer.
Rambo, a Philly native, was playing in front of a robust fan section that included his father and grandpop on Father’s Day. “I’m excited to get dinner with my dad tonight,” remarked the 2017 Tewaaraton winner after the dust had settled.
A few years ago, the Whipsnakes were the standard in the PLL. But their roster has grown older. Coach Jim Stagnitta finds himself at the crossroads, trying to find a new mix of talent and to balance the some old with the new. Regardless of age or experience, the Whips played with renewed vigor, scrapping and fighting and playing aggressive in transition. Zed Williams and Mike Chanenchuk shot the two-pointer which was the ultimate difference maker in the win over the Waterdogs.
Maryland emphasized the basic energy plays. “This game is always about running out shots, diving for ground balls and making the right slides,” said Stagnitta. “Those plays become contagious.”
Superstar Mike Sowers and Philadelphia are now (0-3) with a trio of one-goal losses. “We have the right guys,” Sowers pointed out in the post-game presser. “We started 0-3 in 2022 and won the title,” he added. Sowers put in the show on Sunday in front of the purple clad fans, many of them wearing #22 jerseys with his name on the back.
Coach Bill Tierney should see the return of midfielder Jack Hannah and defender Chris Sabia who’ve both been banged up. Does the veteran coach dress FOGO Alec Stathakis in Minnesota? “We’ve dug ourselves a hole in a ten-game season. We’ve got to get five wins,” he said.
The Atlas fast start and Waterdog stumbling in early season are the two primary storylines of the 2024 summer. That and a rookie class that continues to provide major impact. 18 rookie players have scored initial PLL goals after three weeks of action. Brennan O’Neil leads the youth movement. Another half dozen have gotten starts on defense and at the SSDM spot.
The PLL resumes play in Minneapolis with double-headers on Friday June 28 and Saturday June 29. California and Denver will face-off at 6pm est. on Saturday on ESPN2. If you’re a lacrosse fan or player, these games are a real feast for the senses. You will see elite FOGO’s, world class shot making and dodging, textbook man-to-man defense and state of the art offensive schemes. The pace is fast. The game is unforgiving. You should be watching and emulating what we witness each weekend in the PLL.
