After the whirlwind of action to kick of the 2020 PLL Championship Series on Saturday, it was nice to have a little breather on Sunday to prepare for the week. With only one game on the docket, PLL fans got to tune in to see the sport they love on NBC in the middle of the day.
It doesn’t get much better than that.
The world got to see the new expansion in play for the first time and they looked more than cohesive at this point. The debut of Rob Pannell and addition of Romar Dennis to a new offense filled with almost too much star power was also worth the watch.
The game is back and growing. For that, we’re grateful.
|
Team |
W |
L |
PF |
PA |
|
Chrome |
1 |
0 |
13 |
9 |
|
Whipsnakes |
1 |
0 |
13 |
9 |
|
Atlas |
1 |
0 |
11 |
10 |
|
Archers |
– |
– |
– |
– |
|
Waterdogs |
0 |
1 |
10 |
11 |
|
Redwoods |
0 |
1 |
9 |
13 |
|
Chaos |
0 |
1 |
9 |
13 |
Big Stats Guys
- Eric Law (Atlas) 4G
- Rob Pannell (Atlas) 1G, 3A
- Cade Van Raaphorst (Atlas) 2CT, 5GB
- Kieran McArdle (Waterdogs) 2G, 2A
- Noah Richard (Waterdogs) 2G, 5A
- Jake Withers (Waterdogs) 8/12 FO, 67%, 3GB
Atlas 11, Waterdogs 10
Considering the Waterdogs were entering this game looking to make a name for themselves as a fast, opportunity-seizing transition team. The first few seconds of play could not have followed the script any better. A bit of a ground ball battle on the opening face-off led to Zach Currier picking it up in stride on the left wing, cutting hard to the crease and diving for a shot. That whole concept almost stopped dead in its tracks as Currier was slow to get up, there were a few uncalled penalties, and the goal was waved off (Currier’s foot was touching the crease line to start his dive) and it became Atlas ball.
Even with that outcome, what a way to start your first game as a team.
Once the rest of the actual lacrosse was being played, one thing became apparent very quickly: the Waterdogs are for real and they aren’t relying on any sort of gimmick.
He didn’t stand a chance next to @Chris_Sabia pic.twitter.com/Vh7sOIGIBt
— Waterdogs Lacrosse Club (@PLLWaterdogs) July 26, 2020
This is a good team. It felt that for most of the first quarter, the Waterdogs were just dominating time of possession. They showed that their six on six sets on offense are incredibly effect. Their mix of weaponry between attack and midfield really allow them to go after the best matchup on the field at any given time. Their desire to be a transition team was also evident.
Looking at Atlas, they definitely appeared out of sort for most of the game. Their defense was frequently out of sync which either led to open cutters or late/nonexistent slide. It was the same on offense where there was a lot of dodging, but not nearly enough movement off ball to create multiple opportunities from the same play.
That being said, when Atlas had things together it was a different story. This is still a team with Eric Law roaming the crease, Trevor Baptiste taking face-offs, and an entire line of middies who are not afraid to dodge on anyone. Even though newly added Rob Pannell wasn’t dominating from X, yet, he still recorded a goal with three assists, which is definitely a sign of things to come. Chris Cloutier’s haul to rack for the game-winner was definitely something to write home about.
.@c_cloutier45 came in CLUTCH and got us the W 👏 pic.twitter.com/1UtQsbvsrn
— Atlas Lacrosse Club (@PLLAtlas) July 26, 2020
The Championship Series is still young, so both of these teams have time to work on a few things to really come together and make a run in the playoffs. They each showed some incredible potential, but just lacked the consistency that will be needed.
Monday’s Games
- Redwoods vs Chaos 7 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Network
- Atlas vs Archers 9:30 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Network
Game one is a battle of the beatens. Both the Redwoods and Chaos came into the Championship Series with high expectations, but were dealt a loss in their first action. Chaos especially had a dud of a second half which they really want to put behind them. Each teams also struggled with face-offs, so it will be interesting to see which team turns the corner faster.
The second game is Atlas in the tail end of a back-to-back going up against the Archers in their opener. This game looks like it could spell trouble for the Atlas. If the Archers live up to what they could be on paper, expect the scoreboard to light up with Grant Ament leading the way.
PickUp Props of the Day
