The PLL Quarterfinals are this weekend at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, MA. With only seven teams remaining, at this point it is win or go home. The Whipsnakes get a bye week due to securing the No.1 seed. Tickets to the PLL Quarterfinals, Semifinals, and Finals can be found at the link HERE.
I spoke with ESPN announcers ahead of the PLL Quarterfinals triple-header this week.
Chrome (-1.5) vs Chaos
🕑: 12:00pm
Chris Cotter
National championship, Tewaaraton winner, No.1 PLL Draft pick, and potentially a PLL title. Is 2022 the year of Wisnauskas?
Jay Alter
Chaos (2-8) is the team that people said, “oh, they’ll eventually put it together” and as far as the regular season goes, they never did.
Chrome (7-3) is the team where each week people wondered ‘will the wheels come off and they’ll come back down to earth’ and they never did.
Will those regular season trends continue, or will the reigning champions catch lightning in a bottle? To me, this is the most compelling game.
Paul Carcaterra
Can Chaos find playoff magic like it did a year ago? Or will lack of success at the stripe and suspect off-ball defense be too much to overcome against a Chrome team with the top two rookies (Brendan Nichtern and Logan Wisnauskas) in the league on the same attack line?
Quint Kessenich
Goalie Blaze Riorden is the X factor here. He’s capable of super human stuff. Chrome coach Tim Soudan has done terrific work taking this franchise from afterthought to title contender. I anticipate a low scoring game.
Dana Boyle
For Chaos, it’s find the magic or go home; do or die. Chrome is cooking with heat with Connor Farrell at the stripe and the 1-2 rookie punch in Nicthern and Wisnauskas. I was hesitant when Nichtern told me at the beginning of the season (Baltimore weekend) that he felt the transition from college to the pros was easier than high school ball to college. I now understand and he’s clearly shown how seamlessly he fits into the pro system. Bad day to be a Chaos defender if you get matched up on him!
Archers (-1.5) vs Redwoods
🕑: 2:30pm
Chris Cotter
They’ve all been here before; Pannell, Schreiber, Kavanagh, Holman, Hartzell. Bet on a “kid” as the difference maker. We takin’ #41 in green or #11 in orange?
Jay Alter
Redwoods are worth the price of admission. Rob Pannell, Charlie Bertrand, Ryder Garnsey, Myles Jones, and Jules Heningburg lead the league in SportsCenter Top 10 plays. Each week they compile the best highlight reel goals but they fail to win games. Can they turn the jaw dropping plays into wins in the postseason?
The Archers are arguably the most talented offensive team on paper and most productive offense on the field for the first half of the season. But added Grant Ament back into the lineup and haven’t found a rhythm. If Ament can find his best, this team can win a championship. The offense needs to be more productive and efficient because they won’t get lots of the ball going against FOGO TD Ierlan who the last time they faced off won 94% of clamps and 61% of faceoffs. If he can replicate that performance, the Archers could be one and done in September.
The Archers are a combined 0-4 against Whipsnakes, Atlas, and Chrome. They torched the lower tier going 4-0 against the Cannons and Chaos. The remaining two victories are a one-goal win over Redwoods and a week ten triumph over the Waterdogs.
Paul Carcaterra
Ament found his groove and was dealing in Tacoma with 4 assists, while Connor Fields 5 goals proved he can’t be taken off the field. That’s the good news for the Archers. The bad news is TD and the Redwoods (4-6) could play keep away and give the red hot attackman Rob Pannell a slew of touches.
Quint Kessenich
The Archers should press out on Pannell and deny his touches at X. They also have to defend the two-point arc. The Redwoods defense switches on picks. So Archers rookie Matt Moore could have a big day.
The Archers (6-4) are pretty and slick. They can embarrass your defense. But they lack an upper echelon FOGO and don’t have a bonafide No.1 cover man.
Dana Boyle
Archers emphasis on flow offense has allowed rookies to get involved and thus create a dynamic offense even if flat at times. Connor Fields had a day in Tacoma (clearly ate his Wheaties for breakfast) and with no single Archers player in the top three stat category they have something to prove! Team first mentality.
Atlas (-1.5) vs Waterdogs
🕑: 5:10pm
Chris Cotter
An early trip to the pound awaits if the Dogs can’t water down Baptiste’s dominance at the stripe.
Jay Alter
The Waterdogs (5-5) are Rodney Dangerfield. They get no respect. Yes, Q, even in my 20’s, I can make a Rodney Dangerfield reference. For example, attackman Kieran McArdle is second in the league in points, only behind Lyle Thompson, and wasn’t named an All-Star! He epitomizes a Waterdogs team that may not have the flashy names or flashy play but possess the grit and heart to win this game and beyond.
If you have a hot faceoff guy and goalie in the postseason, anything is possible. Atlas (6-4) have the two guys that are capable of that in FOGO Trevor Baptiste and goalie Jack Concannon.
Paul Carcaterra
Lefty Kieran McArdle has been playing at an MVP level and along with Michael Sowers allows the Waterdogs to generate a ton of shots.
Quint Kessenich
The Waterdogs are scrappy, and must be respected. But the time is now for the Atlas attack trio of Eric Law, Jeff Teat and Chris Gray. Three talented players without collegiate championship rings who are hungry.
Dana Boyle
Yes the Atlas have Baptiste and Concannon but offensively what they present is a nightmare for defenses, keeping teams on their toes. Stopping Gray and Teat is not good enough. Eric Law is their X-factor on the offense, the crease rat who’s made an entire career being a magician behind the crease, could be a nightmare for the Waterdogs defense.
The Whipsnakes (9-1) will not play in the PLL Quarterfinals as they earned a bye directly to the semifinals which will be played on Sunday September 11th at Audi Field in Washington DC. (PLLtickets.com). Whips will practice somewhere in New Jersey this weekend to avoid any rust that accompanies having last played on August 21 in Tacoma.
Watch the PLL Quarterfinals triple-header live from Gillette Stadium on Saturday September 3 starting at noon ESPN+ with Jay Alter, Ryan Boyle and Chantel McCabe on the call.
