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    • PLL Week 8 – San Diego
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    PLL Week 8 – San Diego

    Vaseline Posted on

    I was flying west early Friday morning at 6:15 a.m., a Southwest flight to San Diego from BWI. Boston coach Brian Holman was a passenger, along with California assistant coach John Grant Jr., Redwood SSDM Isaiah Davis-Allen, and Cannon forward Asher Nolting. It occurred to me that BWI is a large lacrosse-related company. I always thought that a lacrosse-specific exhibit would be an ideal exhibit at BWI.

    Friday night in San Diego means practices for the teams that play games on Saturday. I drive to Torrey Pines HS to watch Denver and Carolina practice. Torrey Pines went (19-1) this spring.

    It’s amazing how similar the practice plans are at all levels. An eighth grade team would have a practice plan similar to what I saw with the Outlaws. It’s the same content. But the pros practice with focus, elite intent, constant communication, and a competitive spirit at every stage. I’ve seen Graham Bundy Jr. shoot the lacrosse ball up close. His mechanics are clean. Solid footwork, torque, hip rotation, and a diving motion. What stands out is his left arm, straight like a golfer’s and his hands together for maximum length and power. He’s become a feared stretch shooter in the league as a rookie.

    This is what I saw:

    • Heat up
    • Skills development
    • Full Field Stickwork – Passing/Catching
    • Attack and defense skeleton
    • Defensive Ground Balls
    • 5v5 half field live
    • 3 vs 2 small field competition
    • 4 vs 4 half field
    • Early Face-Off Offensive Period – How to Attack and Defend :32 Shot Clock.
    • 6 vs 6 half field
    • EMO-EMD

    And just like the Smurfs and the high school students, the pros also end their training with a ball hunt, where they search behind the goals for stray balls.

    PLL Saturday

    Denver vs Boston

    The Cannons (6-2) secured a playoff spot with a 12-10 win over Denver. That game turned when Denver defenseman Jesse Bernhardt was injured late in the second quarter and did not return. Bernhardt is the voice of that defense, the conductor of their slide packages and an assistant coach on the court. The Outlaws (3-3) did not respond well to his departure, which affected both the tactical and emotional aspects of this game. The coverage and slides to Asher Nolting and Marcus Holman were not as tight without Jesse.

    Boston trailed 9-5 at halftime after going 16:53 without scoring, woke up in the third quarter and exploded for a 6-0 run to take a two-goal lead into the final quarter. Asher Nolting and Marcus Holman clicked, created and rushed during the spurt.

    Denver finished the game 1/21. They are not a good ground ball team, make sloppy transitions and shoot inefficiently. They have a nice mix of veterans and rookies, but suffer from moments of inconsistency. On their best day, they are a title contender. On their worst, a pretender.

    It wasn’t pretty, but California defeated Carolina 10-8 in game #2 on Saturday afternoon in the sun-drenched Torrero Stadium. This was a rock-solid battle. Carolina would shoot 16% and California would shoot 24%. Neither team can pass. Carolina averages 4.5 assists per game. California came in with an average of 5 assists per game. Multiple pass goals are like finding a pearl on the beach.

    California (2-5) gradually built a lead of 3-1, 6-3 and 10-4 late in the third quarter. The Red Woods didn’t score in the fourth quarter but still held on for a 10-8 victory. Goalie Jack Kelly was solid and the Woods home crowd dressed in green made their presence felt. The little trees brought the sap for their heroes. Torrero Stadium is a perfect venue for the PLL and the Southern California fans brought the energy. Respect the Woods for fighting.

    The sublime San Diego field was a shooting range compared to the plastic sports fields often used for lacrosse. High bouncers were the fashion. There is nothing worse than a fake, granular, shiny field with football lines. Lacrosse was meant to be played on natural grass.

    Suddenly, the Chaos (3-4) find themselves at the bottom of the standings, finishing the regular season with Utah, the Outlaws in Denver and Boston in Salt Lake City. Shane Knobloch has been a bright spot for Carolina. The offense needs to improve after scoring 7.6,10.8 goals in their last four games.

    Remember, the Eastern and Western champions get byes in the semifinals (Hofstra). And the last two teams don’t make the playoffs. There will be two quarterfinal games at Gillette Stadium on Labor Day, September 2nd.

    PLL Sunday

    The NY Atlas (6-2) handed Philadelphia their fourth one-goal loss of the summer, a 12-11 squeaker. The Waterdogs are a shocking 1-6 two summers removed from winning a title and one summer removed from losing in the title game.

    NY (6-2) secured a playoff spot with the win. The Atlas started Liam Entenmann in goal and he was sharp, the rookie finishing with 17 saves. Face-off man Trevor Baptiste created a notable possession advantage and the Atlas offense continued to move and pass the ball fluidly. This group was a joy to watch.

    With NY Up 4-1, the game changed. Philadelphia came back to take a 9-6 lead at halftime. The Atlas shot 0/13 in the second quarter, a power outage was certain. But the Waterdogs would only make one two-point goal in the entire second half. They finished the game 1/20. Their 9-6 lead became a 12-9 deficit as Jeff Teat, Bryan Costabile, Jake Stevens and Logan McGovern heated up. The Atlas applied constant pressure – able to score in transition, early offense and in set pieces.

    In the second match on Sunday, the Whipsnakes won 18-13, improving their score to (3-4) and extending their lead to the Red Woods (2-5) in the final phase.

    Ryder Garnsey and Rob Pannell were playmakers for the home team, but too much Zed Williams in the fourth quarter was the difference for Maryland. Coach Jim Stagnitta has transformed this roster over the past five weeks, now relying heavily on rookies Adam Poitras, Levi Anderson and TJ Malone. Tucker Dordevic was the catalyst, hitting three shots from beyond the 2-point arc in his second game back after sitting out June and most of July with a foot injury. His shooting execution was superior.

    Next up for the PLL is a double-header weekend for the Maryland Whips at Homewood Field on August 3-4. They play Philly on Saturday at 1:00 p.m. on ABC. That game is followed by Denver and California at 3:30 p.m. on E+. Sunday’s action begins with the Boston Cannons and Whipsnakes at 3:00 p.m. on ABC, with the finale featuring Carolina taking on Utah (4-2) at 5:30 p.m. on E+. Drew Carter, Ryan Boyle, Paul Carcaterra and I will be at Johns Hopkins for the televised coverage.

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