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Nate Lechner

Chaos 2023 Season Outlook

2022 Regular Season Record: 2-8

Lost to Waterdogs in the Championship game


Key Additions:

Will Bowen, D

Brian Minicus, A

Tye Kurtz, A

Nick Rowlett, FO


Key Departures

Mac O’Keefe, M

Wes Berg, A

Matt Rees, D

Challen Rogers, M


Chaos Lacrosse Club has had one of the more interesting starts to their time in the PLL. Despite having a 8-18 combined record over the last three seasons, they have played in the last three championship games, winning it all in 2021. Last season they finished 2-8, including a 0-4 start due to the fact that many of their key contributors were playing in the NLL finals for the Buffalo Bandits. Josh Byrne, Dhane Smith, Chris Cloutier and Max Adler all missed the first three weeks of the season, and could miss week one this year playing in the finals again for the Bandits. Although they had a rough regular season, Chaos was able to make a run in the playoffs off the play of their defense, led by former MVP goalie Blaze Riorden. Having their whole roster together for the majority of the season could go a long way to Chaos having a strong regular season and another great chance at the championship.


Chaos had one of the least active off-seasons in the PLL, and that was by design. Head Coach Andy Towers has built a strong culture full of high-character players who all play as one unit. While they did lose a few significant contributors in free-agency in midfielders Mac O’Keefe and Challen Rogers along with defenseman Matt Rees, they were able to make strong additions to the team in the draft.


They got an absolute steal when Georgetown defensemen Will Bowen fell to Chaos at the number seven overall pick. Bowen’s size, athleticism, and defensive versatility will fit perfectly into a defense that includes all-stars Jarrod Neumann and Jack Rowlett, and gets Johnny Surdick back off of the military list. Some of the offensive production that may be lost by O’Keefe and Rogers leaving in free-agency will be replaced by Tye Kurtz and Brian Minicus, who are both versatile players who can play well on or off-ball. Both will most likely be playing out of the box and could have an immediate impact for a team that could use some youth on offense. Nick Rowlett could provide some good insurance at the faceoff position as Adler has dealt with injuries over the past few seasons and will be coming off another long season with Bandits.


BEST CASE SCENARIO:


A mostly full season of Bryne, Smith, and Cloutier together will be a great sight for Chaos fans. Their offense has a chance to be one of the most versatile, explosive units the PLL has ever seen, as they can get scoring productions from all over the field. The additions of Bowen, Kurtz, and Minicus should fit right in and be strong contributors the second they step on the field. The defense will once again be solid from top to bottom, and expect another MVP-caliber season from Riorden. Chaos has a winning record in the regular season for the first time since 2019, and makes another run at the championship.


WORST CASE SCENARIO:


Bryne, Smith, Cloutier, and Adler will all be coming off another long season playing indoors and their bodies could take a significant toll and an injury is always possible. Despite the continuity in the roster, in the past few regular seasons Chaos has struggled to find a rhythm on offense for an entire season, and this trend could continue if any of their stars miss time. The young players could also take some time adjusting to the speed of the PLL and could struggle with contributing to a team that will really need help. The lack of any veteran additions in free agency could prove detrimental to Chaos’s success this season.


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