Alright, Alright, Alright lacrosse world. We are less than 24 hours away from the start of the 2022 PLL season and I cannot be more excited! The league has lost some big names and added some big names, but enough about the offseason. Let's dive into the games.
Championship Rematch
The Whipsnakes and the Chaos will kick off the 2022 season with a rematch of the 2021 Championship game at 2:15 PM Saturday, June 4th in Albany, NY. The Chaos bested the Whipsnakes 14-9 to become the second team to win the PLL Championship. The only problem is that the Chaos will practically be playing with its JV team as a lot of key starters will be playing for the NLL championship this weekend rather than in the PLL. This gives the already tough Whipsnakes a huge advantage in the opening game of the 2022 season. The Chaos still have the best goalie in the league and reigning MVP Blaze Riorden between the pipes, and that gives them something to lean on, but I think the Whips will win this one easily. Whips -1.5 and Brad Smith over 2.5 points.
The Battle of Wallstreet
The Atlas & Redwoods will play next at 5 PM on ESPN on Saturday afternoon. The Atlas finished strong last year with current MVP favorite Jeff Teat leading the way. Teat's vision and playmaking ability make him one of the most fun players to watch, and he will have highly anticipated rookie Chris Gray by his side at attack. The other Atlas rookie I am excited to watch is Koby Smith. This man has so much Steeze it almost isn't fair, and then they went and gave him #0 like that is fire af. The Redwoods will also have some young talent featured in the opening game with middie Nakeie Montgomery and defender Arden Cohen. The Redwoods will also have one of the biggest middie lines if they put Myles Jones, Sergio Perkovic, and Charlie Bertrand out at the same time. There are a lot of big names on both teams, but the biggest battle will be at the faceoff X between TD Irelan & Trevor Baptise with both players going 65% last year. Picking a winner in the PLL is practically impossible, and this game could logically go either way, but as a Redwood's fan you know I have to pick the Woods. My other pick for this game is Jeff Teat over 4.5 pts.
Expansion Team's
The Cannons will take on the Waterdogs at 1 PM on Sunday in a battle of the expansion teams. The Waterdogs finished 1st in the regular season last year, and that was without Michael Sowers. This year he looks to be fully healthy and ready to run with sharpshooters like Ryan Brown and Ethan Walker at attack. The Waterdogs also have a stacked midfield led by 2021 Midfielder of the year Zach Currier. The Cannons barely snuck into the playoffs in their first year in the league and are looking to have a stronger season with a fully healthy Lyle Thompson. The Cannons have moved Stephen Rehfus to attack and have multiple former attackmen listed as middies like Ryan Drenner, Ryan Tierney, and rookie Asher Nolting. Asher Nolting was a walking highlight reel in college and I am very much looking forward to seeing him bulldoze around in the PLL. The Cannons also have newly acquired Stephen Kelly at FO which should make for a good battle against Jake Withers. I am taking Lyle Thompson over 3.5 points and Zach Currier over 2.5 points.
The Big Upset In Week 1
The Archers take on the Chrome and are the biggest favorites in week 1. They are the only team with a 2.5 spread and this is without their star attackman Grant Ament who is out with injury. They also only have 2 rostered defensemen, but I guess when one of them is Graeme Hossack you only need 2. The Chrome are looking to bounce back from a tough season last year and that start when they drafted 2022 Tewarton winner Logan Wisnauskas 1st overall and also added Brendan Nichtern with the 9th overall pick. In my mind, the Chrome have a big advantage at the faceoff X and their offense is being slept on. I think this game will be close, but the Archers are coming in with a no name FOGO and missing their star attackman. I am taking Chrome ML here and Tom Schreiber over 2.5 points.
Overall
If I learned anything last year it is that the PLL is difficult to bet, but my approach this year will be more player specific and hopefully that will lead me to more success. I apologize because I do not believe this blog is my best work, but the season is just getting started. #RollWoods