2025 New York Atlas Preview

2024 Record: 7-3, lost in Semifinals

Notable Departures: Dox Aitken (Football), Dylan Molloy (Free Agent), Ronan Jacoby (Free Agent)

Notable Additions: CJ Costabile (Free Agent), Cole Williams (Free Agent), Kyle Jackson (Free Agent), 

Draft Picks: Matt Traynor, Max Krevsky, Michael Grace, Hugh Kelleher

The Atlas started the year 4-0 a season ago, putting up gaudy goal totals along the way. Jeff Teat set the single season scoring record by the All Star break. The clear and obvious MVP by the time the 4th of July hit, Teat was the catalyst and driver for an offense that was on the verge of explosion at any given moment. Trevor Baptiste threw gas on the bonfire. They’re 15.1 scores per game were a full 1.5 ahead of the next highest scoring team, they also lead the league in shots per game and shooting percentage. They had 83 assists to lead the PLL, the next highest total was 59.

The Atlas were quiet in the offseason in part because they’re young. Three finalists for Rookie of the Year came from the Atlas in Tyler Carpenter, Liam Entenmann, and Connor Shellenberger. Carpenter would actually win LSM of the Year. The hardware was bountiful for the Bulls. Teat was MVP and Attackman of the Year, Dox Aitken was a finalist for Midfielder of the Year, Gavin Adler was a finalist for Defenseman of the Year, Danny Logan won SSDM of the Year, Trevor Baptiste was Faceoff Specialist of the Year, and Liam Entenmann was a finalist for Goalie of the Year. The only one of those players not back for the Atlas is Aitken, who is pursuing football. 

Though they secured a first round bye, the Atlas did not win a playoff game. They lost to the Whipsnakes in the semifinals. The title adds are narrow in the PLL, three teams are at +500, the Atlas right behind them at +550. The minor roster tweaks are a sign they believe they can be there with what they have, and added midfield depth to help them close the gap. 

Best Case Scenario

The addition of lefties Kyle Jackson and Cole Wililams makes the Atlas strength even stronger. Jeff Teat is joined by a host of weapons on that side of the field that have indoor experience, so they hit the ground running and the chemistry is instant. A fully healthy Connor Shellenberger leads the league in assists and pushes for the MVP of the league. In the midfield, Kelleher and Krevsky add some serious size, and with Myles Jones form a trio that is a massive physical mismatch. Teams are forced to deal with being beaten by the size of those three, or the dodge and shoot play of Bryan Costabile and Matt Traynor. Xander Dickson has never had this much fun. Liam Entenmann establishes himself as the best goalie in the sport and the Atlas romp to championship weekend. 

Worst Case Scenario

The Atlas didn’t do enough to improve the roster in a meaningful way, and they have a repeat season of last year. The offense is the league’s most fun, piling up goals every week, but the rash of injuries that Trevor Baptiste has dealt with over the year take their toll and he’s never quite 100%. On the defensive end, individual matchups go well but the team defense struggles. Communication issues lead to open looks on the inside and at close range, which even Entenmann can’t stop all the time. The Atlas lose their share of shootouts as a result, and suffer an early exit in the playoffs.