PLL Championship Series Roster Primer

The Premier Lacrosse League winter player movement window officially opens today. Contracts can’t be signed yet, that’s not until next week, but the “flirting” period starts today. The key communication and signings, at this point, will be related to the upcoming Championship Series.  The PLL’s signature Sixes event returns to The St. James in northern Virginia this spring. The event spans two weekends, with round robin games being played February 27 to March 1st, and then wrapping up the group stage and holding the playoffs from March 5 to 8. 

The top four teams from the regular season, New York, Carolina, California, and Denver, qualified for the event. They’ll bring a roster that’s slightly larger this year, with two netminders, 10 field players for the game, but a few flex players as well to reduce fatigue and injury risk. Forming those rosters is challenging, as PLL players have a number of commitments outside of the PLL season. For many players, they have achieved “Full Time Pro” status by playing in the NLL as well. The NLL season is in the midst of the regular season, so those pros are unavailable. A number of PLL pros coach all the way up to the highest levels of Division One lacrosse, and also presumably would be unavailable.

PLL allows teams to sign players to fill the gaps and complete a roster if they can’t given unavailable players. This is a rundown of who is expected to be unavailable for each team, and who those teams can still count on to have a big impact in March.

New York Atlas

Possible unavailable:

Trevor Baptiste (NLL)

Reid Bowering (NLL)

Xander Dickson (Pending Injury Recovery)

Liam Entenmann (Coaching)

Michael Grace (NLL)

Kyle Jackson (NLL)

Hugh Kelleher (NLL)

Danny Logan (NLL/Injury)

Connor Shellenberger (Coaching)

Jake Stevens (NLL)

Jeff Teat (NLL

That’s the entire starting attack, unless Dickson is ready to go in time for the event, who will be absent. It’s also some elite two way talent in guys like Kelleher, Stevens and Logan who likely have indoor commitments. In net, Liam Entenmann was hired as an assistant at Michigan. The Wolverines are at Denver the first Champs Series weekend, and playing Harvard in Houston the next. It’s an opportunity for Will Mark who recently became program director and varsity head coach at Menlo School in California. Otherwise, New York will have to add goalie help for the event. The Atlas have some serious weapons still. Matt Traynor has the makings of an elite Sixes player, Bryan Costabile has been to this event several times, Max Krevsky also should be a quality player in the format. But the Atlas are a strong candidate to add multiple players just for the duration of the event given their commitments elsewhere. 

Denver Outlaws

Possible unavailable:

Jared Bernhardt (Coaching)

Jesse Bernhardt  (Coaching)

Jon Donville (NLL)

JT Giles-Harris (Coaching)

Nick Grill (Coaching)

Pat Kavanagh (NLL)

Mike Manley (NLL)

Brennan O’Neill (NLL)

Jake Piseno (NLL)

Ryan Terefenko (NLL)

Logan Wisnauskas (Coaching)

Dalton Young (NLL)

All four Tewaaraton winners are likely unavailable given coaching commitments. Jared Bernhardt recently joined the staff at Florida, given their schedule it’s possible he’s available. Pat Kavanagh plans to be on the floor for the Seals, Brennan O’Neill for the Wings, and Logan Wisnauskas coaches at Brown. Two way monster Ryan Terefenko will be on the floor for Halifax. Jake Piseno could be on the floor for Rochester. It’s a ton of two way talent that can’t make it. Graham Bundy Jr is a weapon in the format who might hit a full field two, Zach Geddes is also a serious asset for Sixes. Jack VanOverbeke has impressed in Sixes before and would ideally get additionally opportunities here. Denver hopefully has Logan McNaney in net. McNaney’s ability to make clean saves at a remarkably high rate is a serious asset in Sixes; starting transition in this format leads not just numbers opportunities, but dunks.

California Redwoods

Possible unavailable:

Wes Berg (NLL)

Sam English (NLL)

Ryder Garnsey (Coaching)

Chayse Ierlan (Coaching)

TD Ierlan (NLL)

Chris Kavanagh (NLL)

Cole Kirst (NLL Holdout)

Ryland Rees (NLL)

Not a huge list. The player I most want to see play some Sixes, Sam English, will be playing for the Rock. Ryder Garnsey, who would be appointment viewing, still coaches for Notre Dame. But the Woods are far from underpowered. Andrew McAdorey has the ability to be an MVP of the event given his speed and skillset. Romar Dennis is still Romar Dennis. If he’s available, I would love to see BJ Farrare in this format. Aidan Danenza came on in a big way down the stretch, this is a chance for him to really cement himself as an every week pro level player. The Redwoods have some needs in net, particularly with Chayse Ierlan potentially unavailable as a coach at Hopkins. Dylan Molloy won this event with the then Chrome in its first year. Chris Kavanagh is either pushing to play for the Seals, or recovering from a hand injury, either way it’s tough to count on him for this. But of the four teams, for my money, the Woods are best positioned to carry over a lot of what made them successful during the regular season. 

Carolina Chaos

Chris Aslanian (Coaching)

Adam Charalambides (NLL)

Owen Hiltz (NLL)

Justin Inacio (NLL)

Jack Posey (Coaching)

Troy Reh (Coaching)

Blaze Riorden (NLL)

Jack Rowlett (Coaching)

Nick Rowlett (NLL)

Levi Verch (NLL)

Josh Zawada (NLL)

The coaching staff and front office may change, but the Chaos availability issues stay the same. Their top weapon in Owen Hiltz, their goalie Blaze Riorden, their best defender Jack Rowlett, their faceoff man Justin Inacio, their top LSM Troy Reh, it’s a laundry list. All for different reasons; Riorden will be scoring the goals and not stopping them, Jack Rowlett will be coaching BU against Navy and Lehigh. Adam Charalambides had a nice season outdoors, and would be great at Sixes if not for the fact that he plays for the Warriors. Carolina will not be a totally squad of replacements though. Garrett Degnon might get the chance to do some shooting for Carolina with a consistent offensive opportunity. Two way middies like Ray Dearth and Greg Langermeier are hopefully available. I’d love to see Ross Scott at Sixes, same with Jackson Eicher barring military commitments. There’s a really solid core here that might just need a few supplemental pieces. It’s a good place to be, just like California, as a team still building towards contender status that needs to get a look at multiple players to improve their roster.