What's Next 2025: California Redwoods

2025 Season Result: 5-5, lost in Semifinals

Draft Selections: 1.6, 2.6, 4.6

Pending Free Agents:

Charlie Bertrand, M

Connor Cmiel, SSDM

Chris Conlin, D

Chris Fake, D

BJ Farrare, LSM/SSDM

Ryder Garnsey, A

Sam Handley, M

Chayse Ierlan, G

Cole Kirst, M

Matt Knote, G

Chris Merle, SSDM (Injured Reserve)

Dylan Molloy, A

Brendan Nichtern, A

Carter Parlette, SSDM

Ryland Rees, LSM

Brian Tevlin, Everything

Zach Vigue, G

Marquez White, SSDM (PUP List)

SEASON RECAP:

Like Carolina, the Redwoods had a very tumultuous offseason. Nat St Laurent, who had been the head coach since the PLL’s launch, was replaced by Anthony Kelly. Also coming with Kelly was a team GM, Joe Spallina. The new regime was announced on March 11th, and the man they call Trader Joe got to wheeling and dealing immediately. Owen Grant was traded to Boston for draft assets, Garrett Degnon was dealt to the Chaos, Brendan Nichtern was acquired from Denver, and a bevy of roster signings followed. When the dust settled and the draft was done, the Redwoods were a whole new team. High draft picks were used on Andrew McAdorey and Sam English, and what can only be described as a stroke of good luck saw Chris Kavanagh all all the way into the second round where the Woods scooped him up. Cole Kastner returned from the holdout list, and Dylan Molloy was signed to bolster the attack following the departure of Rob Pannell.

The expectation was a down year as clearly a rebuild was underway. Ideally the high drafted rookies would perform well and get up to pro speed, and the team would be competitive but really just show signs of what the future might hold. Coach Kelly and this group surpassed expectations and then some. Despite a five game skid in the middle of the year, the Redwoods closed the season with three straight wins, all one goal games, against the Archers, Whipsnakes, and Cannons. They finished 5-5, a top four record meaning they qualified for the Championship Series, and won a quarterfinal matchup against Carolina. Kavanagh would win Rookie of the Year, McAdorey was a Midfielder of the Year finalist, Molloy won a newly created Comeback Player of the Year award, TD Ierlan won Faceoff Athlete of the Year, and Kelly was a Coach of the Year finalist. Spallina brought in players who were overlooked or couldn’t find a roster spot anywhere else and got productive seasons out of them. Josh Balcarcel stole headlines as a player who was a special camp invite and ultimately made not just the team, but was a gameday roster regular. Aidan Danenza’s play as a picker and shooter improved as the season went on, making him an invaluable part of the Woods offense.

The chemical mixture that was the new offense gelled rapidly under Kelly, and while 5-5 may not look like much of an achievement, the sum of the parts played better than that record.

OFFSEASON PLAN:

It will be a challenging offseason for Spallina and Kelly as they continue to shape the roster. The free agent list is massive, in part because so many players they signed were on one year deals. Cornerstone offensive players Kavanagh and McAdorey are on three year deals as rookies, as is English. Molloy is a free agent and in an interesting spot. He will surely have interest from other clubs after his 32 point season. But the match between Kelly, the Woods and Molloy is a good one; it would make sense for them to stay together. Molloy coming back, and a new deal for Garnsey, would have the Redwoods attack solidified in short order.

The midfield and defense are more difficult. McAdorey had 24 points last year, that’s 35% of the midfield production from a single player. McAdorey had nine assists, all other middies on the Woods combined had eight. Romar Dennis, Danenza, Balcarcel, and English are under contract. Charlie Bertrand, a long time Redwood, is a free agent, as is Sam Handley who was acquired midseason but didn’t regularly break the 19 man lineup. Improving balance in the midfield should be a priority.

On the defensive end, Kastner, Arden Cohen, and LSM Jared Conners are under contract, but everyone else is set to hit the open market. That includes all three goalies, and all SSDMs save draft pick Carter Rice. Chris Merle was out to a great start this summer, but a week three knee injury ended his season early. Brian Tevlin was an SSDM of the Year finalist and the team leader in caused turnovers, his versatility will draw interest from everyone. Chayse Ierlan was 5th in the PLL among regular starters in saves, and was right at 50% in terms of save percentage; the Woods could look to bring in some competition in net. Retaining Tevlin should be a priority. BJ Farrare is also a valuable player, as he can capably play both LSM and SSDM. 

With all of Spallina’s deals, the Woods are a little light on draft picks. Don’t rule out Spallina getting into the weeds on deals again should they have an eye on players in this draft class. The real challenge is improving the roster while not disturbing or upsetting the foundation that was built over the last year. New player movement rules also mean Spallina could sign some free agents just for the Championship Series in February, which is a valuable opportunity to evaluate fit with the locker room and roster before the March free agent period.