PLL players don’t make the All-Star Game on accident, so what separates these elite few from the rest of the league? What are the traits of the PLL All-Stars? Let’s take a closer look at the upper echelon of the lacrosse pyramid.
ATTACK
All of them have sharp minds; the ability to process visual data and make plays on the fly. Slow thinkers are prohibited. The physical characteristics vary greatly.
ISO dodging off a dead ball from the end line is not paramount. As close defenders have grown to mimic Jurassic Park; only a few ball carrying attackmen can dictate their matchups without picks. Matt Rambo is one of those bulldozers and Mike Sowers is an ankle breaking jitterbug.
In 2022, next level dodging skills revolve around two-man games. Mastery of the subtleties and nuances in the pick world, require accumulated reps. Will Manny, Logan Wisnauskas, and Jeff Teat are terrific in two-man schemes. Give Rob Pannell a clean pick and you may as well turn and rake.
Dodging within the flow of play as well as off ball movement and understanding defensive approaches is a must have ability for all attackmen. If you can’t create angles and hand separation you can’t thrive. Logan and Teat make a living off of dodging after ball movement.
Getting open is a big time skill that nobody talks about. Why are Marcus Holman and Will Manny always open? Reading defensive movement and cues, forecasting the market, which then leads to opportunities.
Shooting is critical. PLL All-Stars like Chris Gray, Marcus Holman, Jeff Teat, Rob Pannell, and Will Manny are elite shooters with multiple options. It’s a simple fact: PLL attackmen are paid to score goals. Talking with many of them last weekend, I get the impression that they are shooting scientists. They study the mechanics, the psychology, and spend hours upon hours in the lab working on their precision.
The All-Star Game passing attackmen showcase a spatial awareness and ability to forecast player movement. They see scenarios unfold beforehand. Brendan Nichtern, Jeff Teat, Mike Sowers, and Rob Pannell have a “sixth sense” to see ghosts combined with the hand-eye coordination to deliver shot ready feeds. Perceptual expertise is more important than raw reactionary skills. Recognizing body cues and patterns with rapidity is an unconscious process and those anticipatory skills are what separates these stars. Elite PLL players need less visual information and are able to zero in on critical visual information. They shift and capitalize like an NFL quarterback.
Pacing and accuracy of passes matter. Throw a catchable pass. Good passes get caught. Asher Nolting throws dimes. Chemistry is nebulous. So why then do some players have the innate ability to foster field relationships faster? It feels like riding and groundball success would be the next characteristics these players share. It’s a vital part of their arsenal and offsets their glamour boy stat lines.
MIDFIELD
In general, the body type of an elite PLL midfielder is taller and stronger than the attackmen. There are some amazing athletes in this group, freaks really. PLL players like Bryan Costabile, Justin Anderson, Myles Jones, and Jules Heningburg would score high on any athletic scale. These are fast twitchy party starters who demand slides.
Midfielders Brad Smith, Matt Moore, Mike Chanenchuk, Connor Kelly, Zach Currier, and Tom Schreiber are the most versatile players on the field. They can run, pass, shoot, and attack the goal from the full assortment of angles; wing, X, or the top of the arc. Currier is an outlier because he can actually play wings on faceoffs and some defense. He’s a true throwback, a position less player.
Elite PLL midfielders possess two of three key traits. That is dodging and passing, dodging and shooting, or passing and shooting. None of them are slow. If you can’t run, play baseball.
The more gears the better. The ability to change directions, accelerate, and press the defense with two hands is a prerequisite. While they certainly have a preferred strong hand, the ability to roll back or counter dodge and tie one mover into another is essential. Balance is key.
None of the All-Star midfielders are defensive liabilities, although it’s fair to say they are just at par in that category. It helps to be capable off the ground, although again this trait has been downgraded because of massive position specialization.
LSM
There’s a wide variety of body types at the LSM position, and all of them have a linear build. CJ Costabile, Troy Reh, and Michael Ehrhardt aren’t twins. Non-negotiables include being extremely mobile and being able to cover the ball carrier without needing support. These elite LSM’s earn an A+ rating in stick-handling and possess elite groundball skills. They win 50/50 groundball battles. They create havoc and turnovers with active feet, stick range, and a terroristic mindset. Speed is a major commodity here. You can’t teach speed although the ability to sustain speed can be improved. So recruit speed.
Simply put, cover your man, get the ball, handle it cleanly, and never get tired. In the PLL, world class LSM’s are offensive threats in transition. They are worth the price of admission.
SSDM
Danny Logan, Ryan Terefenko, and the top notch PLL SSDM’s are sensational athletes. They markup on ball carriers and do not require an automatic or quick slide. They possess a strong cross-check hold, clean footwork, smooth hips, and a ton of speed. Look for the qualities of an NFL cornerback playing press coverage against both a wide receiver and tight end. Logan and Terefenko add to their groundball toughness, exude confidence while carrying the ball, have dependable stick skills and on top of endless cardio. Nobody logs more miles and nobody gets tested like a professional SSDM. These guys are the special forces players of the PLL.
DEFENSE
Lacrosse evolution has favored the offense. From the sticks to the rules, so playing defense grows harder.
Footwork is the common denominator with the defenders ability to change direction to use their hands and stick to harass, to drop step, and to quell the initial offensive move. Being sturdy at the five-and-five requires lower body coordination and strength. How would you fair in a sumo wrestling match with Jarrod Neumann? Mike Manley? Garrett Epple? Tucker Durkin? Graeme Hossack?
Wing span influences a number of key defensive statistics. An elite defender has to chase the fastest cheetah while also being able to withstand the charge of a rhino or Rambo. Defenders like Jack Rowlett, JT Giles-Harris, Ben Randle, and Matt Dunn are examples of that speed and power ratio.
The difference maker between good and elite defenders is making plays off the ground and in the air. Creating turnovers and winning possessions in the gray areas requires a knowledge of team schemes, nonstop communication, and anticipatory skills to put out fires.
GOALIE
Elite ball stoppers have solid fundamentals and a complete knowledge what every shooting window looks like. They manipulate shooters subtly to increase their save percentage. Midrange saves are what separates the greats. Any clown from PE class can save a bullet from 15 yards. So seamless reaction to shots from 6 to 10 yards, while using strong angle play from the pipes is mandatory.
Blaze Riorden has distinguished himself by foiling shooters from in tight. Making the routine save easily without rebounds and punishing bad shots with a change of possession. Blaze will also making the occasional impossible save while covering up the rebound. His technique is unconventional and will someday be the norm. He’s an innovator from in tight. Sean Sconone uses his body size and insanely quick hands to crush hearts.
This group is much less dynamic out of the goal. Groundballs and clearing seem to take the backseat to making saves.
Jack Concannon has first class movement skills. He’s explosive, rangy, and flexible. Kyle Bernlohr, the smallest of the quartet, relies on perfect positioning, hand speed, a next level mind, and radar vision to track shots. It takes 1/5 of a second for the retina to receive the information for his brain to process a shot and the neurons to fire to put the muscles in motion. Years and years of experience on top of thousands of shots, have tightened this connection from eye, to brain, to hands.
Playing goalie in the PLL is a pressure cooker. Every game matters. Every goal counts, so finding mental health and clarity is necessary for goalie survival.
OVERALL
Hands, feet, brains, and eyes. Most of the All-Stars have all four of these qualities and I think it’s safe to say you need at least three. Take Tewaaraton winner Logan Wisnauskas. What he lacks in foot speed he makes up for in the other qualities and it doesn’t matter that he can’t run a five second 40-yard dash. That’s the beauty of lacrosse. It embraces all shapes and sizes and welcomes different attributes. Players in the PLL showcase this element of the game.
Every PLL All-Star has invested thousands of hours outside the framework of team practice to master their craft and skills. No shortcuts to the All-Star Game. That intrinsic desire to practice by yourself is as strong a trait amongst All-Stars that you will find. These are men that take the extra time to make sure they’re in shape, strong, and able to withstand violent collisions. It is a must that they win the point of contact, the hip to hip, and shoulder to shoulder battles that mean so much.
They are also constantly watching and learning, therefore evolving. They are eager to borrow, copy, or steal techniques from others who share the destination of excellence. That’s what makes covering the PLL so intriguing.
The geography of players in the PLL All-Star Game proves that where a player comes from has no meaning or value. The PLL has Asher Nolting from Colorado, Scott Ratliff from Atlanta, Justin Anderson from Las Vegas, Cade Van Raaphorst from Phoenix, Jared Neumann from Massachusetts, and Kyle Bernlohr is from Ohio. They all have unique journeys.
PLL players can be classified as low maintenance yet high production athletes. Meaning the coach doesn’t have to worry about their training habits, mental state before a big game, or worry about their willingness to perform.
Their gift is their desire to win. That desire drives them to practice more and practice better. They share a compulsive drive to practice and improve. There are no couch potatoes on the All-Star rosters. You don’t get here surfing Tik Tok.
The intention is on excellence. If you’re coaching effort, you’re not coaching the details. With these All-Stars you can dive right into the nuances and subtleties of lacrosse. They show that improvement isn’t limited to your college career. They show that innate talent is developed through years of accumulated practice.
The second half of the season starts now. The PLL plays on Saturday and Sunday in Fairfield, CT. PLLTickets.com for seats. Games can be seen on ESPN+. Jake Marsh, Jay Alter, Ryan Boyle, Paul Carcaterra and Chantel McCabe have the call.
Saturday
Redwoods vs. Atlas, 5 p.m. (ESPN+)
Whipsnakes vs. Chaos, 7:45 p.m. (ESPN+)
Sunday
Cannons vs. Archers, 2 p.m. (ESPN2)
Chrome vs. Waterdogs, 4:30 p.m. (ESPN2)
