With the PLL Championship Series starting today, it’s time to get excited for Sixes! The fastest sport will be even faster in Washington DC, and we are here to rank the four teams rosters before games kickoff tonight.
4) Whipsnakes
Last but certainly not least (and honestly they might prefer this ranking for motivation) is the Whipsnakes. Yes, their big names have NLL obligations, but this will be a showcase of their roster depth. Justin Guterding, Jay Carlson and Brad Smith are still really good lacrosse players and I think this tournament gives them a chance to remind people just how good they are. It will also be interesting to see how big of an impact Roman Puglise wil have. He missed the PLL season due to a wrist injury, and this will be his first professional action. If he plays to the expectations most had for him during the draft, he will be a menace on the defensive end.
3) Chrome
Even though they are listed third on the list, Chrome is still loaded with offensive talent. Dylan Molloy and Logan Wisnauskas should feast offensively and create problem for every team they play. The two big omissions were Brendan Nichtern, which was probably due to military obligations, and Ryan Terefenko. Yes, Terefenko has NLL obligations, but it would have been great to see his defensive prowess locking down players in a discipline that I think he would thrive in.
2) Archers
Any group that has Will Manny, Grant Ament, and Marcus Holman should be considered one of the top groups in any tournament. The Archers seemed to focus on offensive skill with their roster, but the biggest exclusion from this team is Adam Ghitleman. He is easily one of the most athletic goalies in the PLL and played some offense on the USA Men’s Sixes team. His roster versatility could be huge when rosters are limited to 12 players.
1) Atlas
The Atlas might have the most athletic team in the PLL Championship Series, in the sense of pure athleticism. Even with Jeff Teat out due to NLL commitments, Atlas still have Chris Gray, Dox Aitken, and Jake Carraway as the most likely offensive unit, but the big factor is having Romar Dennis, Dan Bucaro and Bryan Costible being versatile enough to be big factors on both offense and defense. The two wild cards for Atlas will be Koby Smith and Drake Porter. Smith is known for his ability in transition, and having a short stick SHOULD benefit his transition play. Drake Porter has sixes experience and it might be what gets him the starting nod in the PLL Championship Series.