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Charlie Bertrand Stephen Rehfuss PLL Rookie Spotlights
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Charlie Bertrand & Stephen Rehfuss: PLL Rookie Spotlights

Welcome to the Lax All Stars 2021 PLL Rookie Spotlights series!

The PLL College Draft was held April 26, introducing 32 players into the PLL fold. The league’s training camp is set for May 28 through June 3 at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Massachusetts, to determine the final rosters of the eight teams for the 2021 campaign.

Not all 32 of these players will make a team, but right now, the dream is alive for them all. We’re counting down the days until the PLL opens up its training camp by delving deep into every player selected in the 2021 PLL College Draft, with two players included in each post, with help from Ryder Cochrane, Ryan Conwell, Nick Zoroya, and Nick Pietras.

Next up: Charlie Bertrand and Stephen Rehfuss.

2021 PLL Rookie Spotlights: Charlie Bertrand & Stephen Rehfuss

Charlie Bertrand

School: Virginia (Merrimack)

Position: Attack/Midfield

Who drafted him & when: Charlie Bertrand was selected No. 24 overall (Round 3, Pick 8) by Redwoods LC.

Is this about where he was expected to go: This was about right for Charlie Bertrand given who was taken before him. The Redwoods definitely did well to take him while they could.

What are the main skills he brings to the team: Size. Charlie Bertrand is just a handful to deal with, and while he does offer versatility, he’s a bona fide scorer. He was dominant while at Merrimack in DII and was crucial to the team’s national championships. And while he’s been mostly an attackman, he can be incredible as a midfielder in the PLL where he is a matchup nightmare for short sticks.

How’s the fit: For the Redwoods, Charlie Bertrand is a middie who offers a combination of size and skill that they don’t really have. That might mean he’s a fantastic fit where he can find a unique place in the offense. This is a case where his versatility should be a difference maker.

Who’s the competition & what are the odds he makes the team: As a middie, Charlie Bertrand would play in a similar spot to Joe Walters, but his dodging ability would be closer to a Sergio Perkovic or Myles Jones. If he were to just be attack, he is different from everyone on the roster. Given all of this, I really like the odds for Bertrand to be wearing a Redwoods jersey this summer. He’s already proven at UVA that he can quickly adapt to new players around him and still thrive. Doing that again in the PLL could find him a regular spot in the lineup.

Stephen Rehfuss

School: Syracuse

Position: Attack

Who drafted him & when: Stephen Rehfuss was selected No. 25 overall (Round 4, Pick 1) by Cannons LC.

Is this about where he was expected to go: Actually, this was a pretty good pick. Stephen Rehfuss has been very under the radar at Cuse and does not garner nearly the same attention as his fellow ACC attackmen. So, I was not too shocked to see him slide to the fourth round.

What are the main skills he brings to the team: What Stephen Rehfuss has really shown off this season compared to his previous time on the field is his ability to create his own shots. He was always a feeder first and definitely did score plenty of goals. But he really showed off his range this year and that he can be the player that’s needed at the time.

How’s the fit: What’s interesting here is that we don’t exactly know how he’ll fit in with the Redwoods’ offense. While there are absolutely several established players on this team, nobody has a role right now in this offense. Well, Lyle Thompson does.

Who’s the competition & what are the odds he makes the team: Outside of Lyle, the other attackmen Stephen Rehfuss is battling with are primarily Ryan Drenner, Clarke Petterson, Andrew Kew, and Shayne Jackson. You’re looking at most likely keeping five of them in total, so one is probably out. It’s a very tough unit to break into, so his best bet is to have a great camp where he develops strong chemistry with a few other players.

More PLL Rookie Spotlights

There will be plenty of PLL Rookie Spotlights to check out between now and the start of training camp. You can find information about the incoming rookie class here.