PLL Catch All

[Lax Mouse]

Whipsnakes 12 vs. Atlas 11 (OT)

- Heck of a game by Atlas. Bernlohr stopped a few really good looks by a few players (including Crawley and Teat) early and the team as a whole looked a little sluggish in the middle of the field for much of the 4th. If not for that I think the game would’ve been theirs. They, particularly Adams, took a few too many early shots which also did not help. No goals for Teat but I think he was credited with 2 assists (it seemed like he had more). He definitely had a lot of tight feeds that were mishandled or that the shooters couldn’t put home. Once he gets more reps with this offense, it’s clear he’ll put up a ton of points. Law and Costabile had hat tricks and Carraway continued his strong play with 5 points (3 goals incl. a 2 pointer and an assist). Cockerton had a great goal off a Teat assist and toe drag to tie the game with under a minute left. Nardella had the edge over Baptiste at the X but it was not an insurmountable disparity. Concannon was great throughout the game and the Atlas D played a strong game overall with hustle, slides, and good groundball play. I thought Rexrode actually played a good game aside from the 3 times Rambo bodied and bullied past him – unfortunately all three of those times were for goals, including the game winner. Depth of scoring is probably this team’s biggest area of growth right now. If Crawley, Bucaro, and Aitken can contribute more consistently offensively, I think they’ll be able to turn the corner.
- Whipsnakes just keep winning, but it’s clear they’re not invincible. They looked out of sorts and slow early, especially offensively. Bernlohr kept them in this game in the first half. Williams looked to get injured in the 2nd quarter and was in and out for the rest of the game. Rambo was the offensive star with 3 goals and 2 assists. Overall the team had very balanced scoring (eight players registered a goal). Aslanian had his first in the PLL and Bernhardt had his first of the year. Stats were pretty even for both teams (19 TOs each, 41 and 39 shots, 35 and 36 GBs) but Whips had a better % at the X and a few more assists. The defense didn’t have too many glaring mistakes except for forgetting about Law on the crease at times. Abbott had 6 GBs and provided some much needed energy in the middle of the field. I think the biggest questions for the Whips are who takes charge in the midfield, and when do they try to get Tierney and Kirst some more consistent run time?

[SouthernLaxGenius]

Great game.

Whips just keep finding ways to win. Thought the toe drag by Cockerton to send it to OT was beautiful and after Atlas won the initial FO in OT had me thinking they were going to pull the "upset". But alas, it wasnt meant to be. Atlas had another chance to win with a great double-team on Rambo on the Whips 1st possession in OT (which forced a turnover) but they couldnt clear it after and that's all she wrote as Rambo wasnt going to make that same mistake twice in a row when he got the ball in his stick and put the game away. Glad Williams was able to come back in the game from his early injury. Nardella won a number of draws down the stretch to keep the Atlas off balanced. Teat may have gotten all the ink coming in, but Carraway, Costabile (again) and Law were solid all night. Scoring drought hurt the Atlas, but as Lax Mouse said they are going to be fine once Teat gets settled into the offense. Game as intense and a bit chippy, but in a good way (if that's possible).

[SouthernLaxGenius]

It wasnt pretty at times, but congrats to the Chaos on getting their first win over the Redwoods. TD dominated the X for the Redwoods. Blaze kept the Chaos alive all game. Panell looked great at X for the Redwoods and should have had 2 more assists to Myles Jones, but Jones dodged a bit before scoring those 2 goals in the 3rd, so the stat sheet wont reflect that. Game of runs and quarters. Redwoods had theirs 1st and 3rd, while Chaos took care of business in the 2nd and 4th (I dont think the Redwoods scored in either quarter). TD dominated the X for the Woods. Blaze kept the Chaos alive all game. O'Keefe is still a sniper and had the game winning 2 point goal for the Chaos (not sure how Panell doesnt intitate the offense/have it run through him for the Redwoods with a minute to go and TD able to play make it take it).

Cant wait for Lax Mouse and the analysis

[youthathletics]

Redwoods midfield needs some work...had they not had TD, it would have been worse. Almost looked at times like Chaos was slowing it down.

Archers are le-what?....Legit. Their ball movement is off the hook good, had the Dogs D trying to find the ball. Once their 2nd midfield gets more chemistry, they will be damned near unstoppable.

PLL Feedback:
JHU venue is not all that...maybe for a single college game. Replay screen looks like the TV our family had in 70's, one snack bar that looks like they stole it from the local parks and league field and one food truck for close to 6000 people . Had to stand in line for 30 minutes for a pita or pizza or even a damned soda....no bueno. Literally, had to watch half of the 3rd qtr and all of the 4th qtr standing in line. Security non-stop shushing kids within 3' of the fence...on both sides, I heard this was a JHU rule, probably afraid of bad CV-19 pr. I saw one kid get pushed away by security for trying to get a picture with Gary Gait, who was talking to the kid cordially.

[Lax Mouse]

Cant wait for Lax Mouse and the analysis

I appreciate it! Wasn't able to catch both the games yesterday but I've seen Woods/Chaos replay. Will hopefully watch the Archers/Waterdogs game tonight or tomorrow.

Chaos 11 vs Redwoods 9

-Chaos offensive finally seemed to get into a rhythm, I’ve given them a lot of flak over the past 2 weeks for their lack of movement and team offense. But they had 9 assisted goals out of 11 total. Froccaro had 4 assists by himself. Really impressed by the passing and the balance the offense had yesterday with 7 different goal scorers. Was a little surprised that Ryan Smith got the nod over O’Keefe to start at Berg’s vacated attack spot, but the lineup and game plan ended up working well for both of them. Smith had 2 goals in his debut and O’Keefe had 2 as well, including a 2 pointer. The defense also stepped up big time, although it’s hard to get a sense of if that was them playing better or the Woods being out of sorts without Lee in the lineup (more on that later). Neumann looked better than he has recently and had 3 CTs, and Reh stepped up his play as well with 3 CTs and 3 GBs. Glicini did another of his trademarked blocked shot to seal the win. Going 23% at the X and pulling out a win is impressive. Gallagher got beat most of the day but did have some very timely wins. Overall, a step in the right direction.
-Redwoods did not seem capable of coping with Ryan Lee’s absence. There are a lot of playmakers and dodgers on the starting 6, but Lee really occupied a pretty unique role for this offense on the inside. This season, it’s allowed dodgers to take initiative and find the nice assist to Lee if the shot isn’t available. No one really filled that void, which led to a lot of dodges with nowhere to go. Only 3 assists for the team and 2 were from Pannell, who did look sharp. Jones added a pair of goals as did Garnsey on attack. I think it’d be dramatic to say there’s a major problem here, as this team has a ton of offensive threats, but I think the game plan and execution did not adequately accommodate the change of personnel. Bertrand looked good in his debut (this team has a lot of physically imposing offensive players) and should have more of an impact once he settles into more game action. When Lee comes back, who gets bumped, Harrison? My heart says no but I think it makes the most sense. Ierlan had another great game (77%). I don’t think the rope unit suffered too much without Sexton and Near (obviously it’ll be better when they return), but Thornton looked good in his debut even without any stats to show for it and IDA was all over the field with extended run time. Giving up 11 goals isn’t terrible, and I thought the defense wasn’t the problem although they got beat by quick ball movement a few times. This offense should be scoring more than 9 times a game, especially with the possession advantage.

Atlas 18 vs Cannons 17
-Has there been a team other than the Archers who’ve impressed more than Atlas over the last few weeks? Night and day difference from a year ago and from week 1 against the Archers. Concannon looked solid but only had a 27% SV%. Cannons did not get a ton of shots on goal, but those they did often went in. Teat was as spectacular as advertised with 9 points (7 gs and 2 assists). This offense looks dangerous. They’ve got players capable of dodging from up top (Dennis 2 gs [and I thought one should’ve been a 2 pointer] and Costabile with 1), players out of the box that can invert, play low, and score (Crawley, Cockerton, and Bucaro all had 1 – a big change from Friday night), players that can score in transition (Adams with a goal and 2 helpers, Logan and Chick both with goals) not to mention their rookies in Teat and Carraway (who added 2 more goals). Law had no goals this time around but had 2 helpers. 8 assisted goals in total and they came from 5 different players. Baptiste won the faceoff battle and the defense played lights out (which sounds strange since they gave up 17 goals). Rexrode held Thompson to 0 goals and had 4 CTs. All starting defenders had 3+ CTs and Chick had 7 GBs. Pless has looked better as well. Really strong effort. This team seems to be turning it around in year 3.
-Cannons put up a good fight and had a chance to win it late. That they can score 17 without Thompson having 1 should be pretty scary to other teams. Buczek stepped up after a slow start and had 3 gs, Kew also had a hat trick and Drenner added 4 goals. 8 assisted goals for the Cannons as well and they were also pretty spread out. Rabil had a good game with 2 goals including a 2 pointer and Rehfuss brought them back with 2 late goals. Morrocco stopped 50%. Atlas took 36 shots on goal to the Cannons’ 22. I thought Pulver played a strong game all over the field and had a goal to go along with 3 CTs. I don’t think I’ve seen a single SSDM get beat as much this year as Tyson Bell. They need to either give Hogan another shot or try to snag another SSDM to pair with Goodrich . . . perhaps stealing Dearth from the Atlas? FO disparity clearly hurt this team today. They have the offense, and similar to the Atlas I thought the defense wasn’t terrible despite the goals allowed. This game was just a fast pace with lots of transition. They’re not going anywhere.

[Lax Mouse]

Chrome 16 vs Whipsnakes 6

-Great team effort for the Chrome. They came out with a ton of energy and maintained it for the whole game. They played physical and fast and the Whips couldn’t keep up. John Galloway stole the show and was sensational with 21 saves for a 78% SV%. The defense played tough and didn’t give up easy looks, but Galloway robbed Whips on multiple occasions. That should quell his doubters for at least another week. He was also his typical self in the clearing game and should be credited with an assist on Terefenko’s goal. Weyl has improved tremendously over the first 3 weeks and Manley was dominant all game long. White was all over the place again and guys like Salama and Barclay showed their versatility. Farrell went 50% at the X which was huge, but more importantly, I think it was pretty evident that his FO success was getting under Nardella’s skin, which burst out in a few moments of frustration for the Whip. Offensively, everyone got involved. Morrill was phenomenal with 6 points (4, 2) and Heacock had a strong game as well (3, 1, with a 2 pointer). Palasek didn’t light up the score sheet in his first game but his presence made a huge difference in overall ball movement. 9 assists for the whole team. Very balanced contributions and the Whips could never really focus on where the next threat was coming from. Crotty did well initiating and had a few beautiful helpers. This team has been beat up, but I think the pieces are definitely starting to come together. They’ll get a nice break and reward for this performance when they take on the Archers on Friday.
-Whipsnakes looked like they had nothing left in the tank early. Yes, they were down Williams and Rambo got hurt early, but this was a team loss and they just did not look competitive anywhere on the field. Nardella visibly frustrated. Bernlohr didn’t look his usual self and finished with a 50% SV%. Aslanian and Kirst were bright spots offensively but no one else really came to the party. Galloway really shut this offense down. It never really felt like there was a plan and no one really took charge with Rambo and Williams’ absences. Gotta wonder about Stagnitta’s decision to sit Tierney for this game knowing that Williams would be out. Unless he was hurt, this could’ve been a great opportunity for him to have a break out game. Whips defense seemed more sluggish than usual and I think got caught ball watching and sliding unnecessarily. Not a great game for them obviously, and you hope the injuries aren’t major, but they’ve also got a big test next weekend with the Archers looming.

[Unknown Participant]

Galloway shut me up for at least this week. He stopped guessing and started reading and saving. Still want to see Sconone tho.

[Lax Mouse]

Finally able to catch a replay of Archers vs Waterdogs.

-Archers are so fun to watch. Their offense can score in bunches and is built on taking advantage of even the most momentary of mistakes or lapses in focus. Anyone on the starting 6 can beat you, and they’ve all shown it. This sounds ridiculous but I’m almost surprised they’re not scoring more goals. The average score differential for the other 7 teams is around -3.5. Their SD is +25. Insane. 12 of the 15 goals they scored (they had 2 two pointers) were assisted. Waterdogs have just 17 assisted goals on the season. Their defense has caught up to their offense as well. Hossack and Jeffrey have been playing lights out, physical defense and rarely make mistakes. Harris has also proved to be an excellent pickup that can push transition. The defensive game plan worked to perfection and they disrupted the Waterdogs picks and slips all game long. Very few open looks available. I feel like we barely hear Conners’ name, not because he’s playing poorly, but because there’s already so much depth of talent in this lineup. Ghitelman’s SV% dipped back down to reality but he still played a strong game. My biggest question for this team coming into the season was at the FO, but Kelly and the whole unit have really stepped up.
-Waterdogs played the whole game with a ton of energy and physicality, and I think they pretty evenly matched the Archers in that regard. I thought Ward played better than he has been, especially in the first half, but now 4 games in, I’ll have to agree with Unknown Participant’s previous point that it’s just not been enough. I don’t think their 2nd and 3rd options are better though, and I’d look to steal Phipps or snag someone from the waiver wire to come in and compete. The biggest issue the Waterdogs had this game (aside from going up against an incredibly talented and impeccably coached team) was their sloppiness. It’s almost like they gave up their skills to improve their hustle and physicality. They had 20 TOs, and although they fought hard for GBs, they lost the battle 44-27. Only 17 SOG in the game. Too many unforced errors, dropped passes, failure to scoop the ball on the first try, and errant passes. They were never able to adjust to the Archers’ defensive game plan. Defensively, they were ball watching way too much and just too slow to keep up with the Archers’ pace. I thought the defense looked better last week with Randall in the lineup, so I was a bit surprised that they took him back out. This game did not change my opinion. I really haven’t seen enough from Sabia or Grill to justify them getting the nod over Randall, and he performed well in his limited action. I think at some point Copelan has to make some tough choices to move on from players who’ve been with the team since day 1. McArdle started the game out of the box, and while he’s done well against the short stick, I don’t understand at this point why Kraus is getting the nod over him at attack. Copelan moved him down low for most of the second half, but by then the offense was already stuck in neutral. Ultimately, the Archers have had their way with pretty much everyone so far, and I think this Waterdogs team is more competitive than a year ago. Some mistakes to clean up for sure, and some personnel decisions to figure out, but they’re not in a bad place right now.

[SlingtheRock7]

I had one question mark coming into the season for the Whipsnakes: How would the loss of Ty Warner affect them? They didn't lose any other significant pieces from the championship bubble team, so that was really the only question you could ask. In my opinion Warner was the best pure Dmid in the PLL for the first 2 seasons. He maybe wasn't as impactful on the offensive end as some other Dmid/2-way mids, but I don't think there was a better player at his position when considering 1v1 defense, wing play and overall GB's. He rarely had to be slid to and made scoring on the Whips a real challenge. Dunn, Muller and Young have always been solid down low, Ehrhardt can effectively guard #1 middies and you could put Warner on the #2 dodging threat up top and come close to nullifying that matchup. That essentially left teams only having a really favorable matchup on the Whips' #2 D-mid (Bernhardt or Commizio those seasons). Warner was comfortable taking dodges form anywhere and wasn't even a huge liability when getting inverted or taken behind in the two man game.

Things have certainly changed this season for them. The Whips tried to fill the position by taking Charlie Hayes from the Outlaws in the expansion draft and later added veteran Matt Abbott to the Dmid unit. This has left them with Hayes, Abbott, Bernhardt and Commizio as their potential Dmids to choose from. Bernhardt has been a solid contributor the past couple seasons as the #2 Dmid and continues to play significant minutes. Abbott seems to be the guy they prefer to plug in alongside him. Hayes didn't dress for week 3 after having a somewhat rough game against the Cannons. He got beat 1v1 for a few goals so not sure if he didn't dress as a result of a poor performance or if there was potentially another reason. This past Sunday was one of the Whipsnakes worst ever performances. Yes, they were without Zed but face-offs and defense looked pretty rough. Not saying Warner being there by any means changes the result of this game, but I do think his toughness on the wings and 1v1 defense makes it a lot more competitive. Interested to see how the rest of the season plays out at this position for the team though. I think Kirst will be a very good PLL player, but I wonder if the team regrets not taking Logan or Terefenko in the first round to help sure up that position a bit more.

The Whips are still 3-1 and sit in 2nd place as they go into week #4 against the high-powered Archers offense. However, their performances thus far have not been very inspiring. A convincing opening week win against the last place Chaos was followed up by back-to-back overtime wins over the Cannons and Atlas. This is still a very good team when healthy, but I don't think they're the world-beaters that they were in the bubble.

[Lax Mouse]

I had one question mark coming into the season for the Whipsnakes: How would the loss of Ty Warner affect them?

Totally agree the SSDM is one of this team's biggest question marks. Through 3 weekends the unit has not been as dominant as it was with Warner, but I don't think it's been a glaring weakness either. Bernhardt has been okay - I think he plays better as the #2 SSDM and has the ability to play effectively on the other side of the field. Abbott has been a nice addition, especially between the arcs, but I also think he plays best at this point of his career as a #2 Dmid. Hayes has been up and down and Comizio just got snagged by the Chrome off their reserved roster. So I think depth now becomes a true issue. Ultimately, they lost a bit in the aggregate but not too much. The key there is that they lost a true lockdown SSDM and did not get a replacement. They'd be wise to pull another Dmid from the pool to add depth to the reserve roster, especially if Bernhardt ends up playing more offense with the injuries the team has sustained.

[Lax Mouse]

Still need to catch up on all the games from this past weekend, but some personnel news.

Whipsnakes and Cannons Trade that:
- Sends Drew Simoneau and Chris Hogan to the Whipsnakes
- Sends Kevin Reisman to the Cannons

Cannons also released Max Tuttle to the player pool. These two moves gave them two open roster spots, and they added Christian Cuccinello from the player pool and grabbed Jamie Trimboli from the Redwoods' reserve roster.

Atlas added Tate Boyce to their roster from the Chrome's reserve roster due to Concannon's injury.

Chaos released Sergio Salcido to the player pool last week. I think he was never a good fit for their system and I don't think they used him optimally. I think he's still got a lot in the tank and another team would be wise to pick him up.

[DMac]

Odd how pro lacrosse gets next to no love here. Have watched the last couple of PLL games on NBCSN and I've got to say it's some pretty darn good lacrosse. All good players and they're not trying to turn the game into a circus, just good solid lacrosse. Am very glad to see the two point line isn't a priority and the game isn't being played backwards like basketball has become. It has its place too, down five with two minutes to go and the two point shot becomes a nice option. One of Ament's assists yesterday was about as pretty as it gets....the passing and shooting in this league can be pretty spectacular.
Somehow the league has to find a way to get people behind a team like they do a college team. Then again, if you watch enough games maybe you'll develop a rooting interest in one team rather than just watching two teams play with dog in the hunt. It's pretty good stuff, if you're one who hasn't checked it out, here's the schedule which includes the broadcast dates on NBCSN. Check it out, some good stuff coming up.
https://premierlacrosseleague.com/schedule

[Lax Mouse]

Odd how pro lacrosse gets next to no love here. Have watched the last couple of PLL games on NBCSN and I've got to say it's some pretty darn good lacrosse. All good players and they're not trying to turn the game into a circus, just good solid lacrosse. Am very glad to see the two point line isn't a priority and the game isn't being played backwards like basketball has become. It has its place too, down five with two minutes to go and the two point shot becomes a nice option. One of Ament's assists yesterday was about as pretty as it gets....the passing and shooting in this league can be pretty spectacular.
Somehow the league has to find a way to get people behind a team like they do a college team. Then again, if you watch enough games maybe you'll develop a rooting interest in one team rather than just watching two teams play with dog in the hunt. It's pretty good stuff, if you're one who hasn't checked it out, here's the schedule which includes the broadcast dates on NBCSN. Check it out, some good stuff coming up.
https://premierlacrosseleague.com/schedule

The on-field product has been great this year! Been able to watch most of the games and have been thoroughly entertained. The team model might be an obstacle for some (i.e. who to root for) but I genuinely enjoy it - allows me to sit back and enjoy the sport and the games a little more objectively. There's always a team, storyline, or a player to root for, no matter the game.

[Lax Mouse]

Can’t believe there’s only 2 weekends of regular season games left. Everyone’s still in the hunt. Hard to argue there’s a definitive number 1 team in the league at the moment – or a definitive number 8. Haven’t been able to watch every game the last two weeks but I’ve done my best. Injuries are starting to pile up, and player availability down the stretch will go a long way to determining who’s in the playoffs and which team gets left out. The All-Star break and two additional weeks off is perfect timing for some teams and tough for a few that were building momentum. Genuinely surprised by the infrequency that coaches have gone to the player pool – there are some ridiculously talented players watching at home and some glaring roster needs. Team chemistry is important, but with a gap in the schedule, now is the time to make adjustments.
Here’s my assessment of rankings down the stretch (anyone could win any given week, but I think this best reflects the season as a whole and potential moving forward).

1. Archers
2. Atlas
3. Redwoods
4. Whipsnakes
5. Waterdogs
6. Cannons
7. Chrome
8. Chaos

[DeepPocket]

…Somehow the league has to find a way to get people behind a team like they do a college team. Then again, if you watch enough games maybe you'll develop a rooting interest…

… The team model might be an obstacle for some (i.e. who to root for) but I genuinely enjoy it - allows me to sit back and enjoy the sport and the games a little more objectively. There's always a team, storyline, or a player to root for, no matter the game.

Both fair statements. That first year I felt lost without a team to root for coming into game day. I do however think it leant itself to me watching the full slate of games. I quickly found the D3 guys and wanted to see them do well.

Then the Waterdogs came around. As a dog family who spends our summers at the shore, they became the PLL team at our house. By picking up my fellow York Alum Whitcher this year, they eliminated any chance I could defect.

Now I’m at the point where catching the Waterdogs game is like any other team we follow in any other sport. But as a result of having a game penciled in, I find myself watching less of the other games. So I guess the purpose of my long winded story is I’m not sure if people getting behind one team would help tv ratings across the board (maybe that’s not the goal here, but it sure is part of a successful tv product).

Any thoughts on the on field “fighting” that happens every now and again?
There is a growing disdain for it in the “Twitterverse”
I don’t mind it within reason. It can convey a level of emotional investment in a teams’ success by the players. Most other sports have a dust-up here and there (some more than others).

[DMac]

Just a notice/reminder for those interested, All Star game on NBCSN tonight at 7.
As for the fighting question, not a fan of it in any sport including hockey. I know
the hockey nuts love it but it just looks wrong to me. Am a boxing fan but that's
the time and place, a ballfield just isn't the right place for it, IMO.

[DMac]

Game has been changed to CNBC....says Shark Tank on your guide but the game is on there.

[Surfs_Up]

Anyone know how the in person ticket sales are going this year? Trending up or down?

I find it maddening that these games are so hard to find on tv to watch. It feels like a big step backwards from last year.

Is this league going to make it?

[DMac]

Don't know the answers to your questions but here's the schedule with channels included.
These guys are just crazy good.
https://premierlacrosseleague.com/schedule

[hooligan88]

Just get peacock if you love the PLL. Every game is on there and you can even watch them when you want. I am not a huge PLL fan but have seen at least a little of every game.