Now that we know the Premier Lacrosse League’s plan for the summer — a 20-game, 16-day tournament without fans — it’s time to dissect each roster and see who could be favored in this unique format.
Through the end of this week, US Lacrosse Magazine will unveil previews for each of the seven lacrosse clubs. Check back each day to learn more about another team.
PLL Team Previews
Archers
Atlas
Chaos
Chrome
Redwoods
Waterdogs
Whipsnakes
Whipsnakes
2019 regular season record: 6-4 (score diff: 12)
Last seen: Hoisting the championship trophy after defeating the Redwoods in overtime
Overview
Whipsnakes captain and LSM Michael Ehrhardt had a message he wanted to get across after Matt Rambo scored the game-winning goal in overtime to clinch the inaugural PLL championship.
“We do all our talking on the field,” Ehrhardt shouted amidst the celebration.
The Whipsnakes’ play spoke volumes. Despite losing three of four games after the All-Star break, they reset for the playoffs. They emphasized assisted goals, which had worked so well for them at the start of the season when they reeled off four wins in a row.
“You couldn't have written it up better,” Whipsnakes head coach Jim Stagnitta said. “We played our best lacrosse down the stretch.”
Crucial to that run and why the Whipsnakes proved to be the class of the league last summer was their willingness to buy into a team-first mentality.
“Top to bottom, do we have the most talent?” Stagnitta asked a couple days after the championship win. “I don’t know. But I know the best team is going to win this thing at the end of the day. That was our approach. We have to be the best team because the best team wins, not the best players.”
The Whipsnakes will have to buy in again to that approach to make a similar run in this summer’s PLL Championship Series.
Losses
Connor Kelly (A/M), Ryan Drenner (A), Ben Reeves (A/M), Drew Snider (M)
Additions
Max Tuttle (M), Zed Williams (A/M), T.J. Comizio (SSDM)
Burning question
Can they make up for the losses on offense?
When PLL teams released their protected player lists in January, you didn’t have to look far or long to realize the premium the Whipsnakes placed on defense. They protected all their starters on close defense — Matt Dunn, Tim Mueller and Bryce Young, not to mention Ehrhardt and SSDM’s Tyler Warner and Jake Bernhardt.
The only attackman Stagnitta protected was Matt Rambo — the league and championship game MVP.
Waterdogs head coach Andy Copelan selected four Whipsnakes, the most players from any team, in the expansion draft. Connor Kelly, Ryan Drenner, Ben Reeves and Drew Snider accounted for 61 points in the 2019 regular season. Stagnitta’s decision to go defense with both selections in this week’s college draft is less of a surprise if you remember his earlier acquisitions. The Whipsnakes added Zed Williams through the entry draft and traded defensemen Foster Huggins and James Barclay to Chrome for midfielder Max Tuttle.
Given those roster moves, the reigning champs will have a far different look on offense this summer.