FAIRFIELD, Conn. — The Premier Lacrosse League returned to Fairfield on Saturday, marking the third consecutive year visiting the Nutmeg State. And for the third consecutive visit, the league sold out Rafferty Stadium on the campus of Fairfield University.
Saturday’s contests featured the lacrosse version of the classic Boston versus New York rivalry, as the Cannons and Atlas squared off for the second time this year. The evening game featured a Western Conference showdown between the Utah Archers and the California Redwoods.
New York won their first meeting with Boston back on June 1, during the PLL’s opening weekend in Albany. The Atlas secured a 19-12 victory that day, and it was clear that despite being nearly two months ago, the Cannons did not forget how it felt to be on the wrong end of that line. They flipped the script in Connecticut, using a massive third quarter to pull away en route to a 17-12 victory.
“We could never get up two, up three, and get that kind of spurt going in the first half,” Atlas coach Mike Pressler said. “And give them credit; they’re great at the two pointer, the best team in the league, and they got us.”
The Cannons got two-point goals from Jeff Trainor, Marcus Holman and Connor Kirst and attempted 10 two-point shots in the game.
“It’s a big part of the game,” Cannons coach Brian Holman said. “To not take advantage of it, from my perspective, would be a coaching mistake.
Holman would reference analytics in use in the NBA that demonstrate the value of the three pointer and how it has changed basketball.
“We empower them to take it; they’re smart enough to know what’s a good two-point attempt and what’s not,” he said. “It’s something that is part of our offense right now, and we make a concerted effort to take those shots during the game.”
The vaunted Atlas attack of Jeff Teat, Connor Shellenberger and Xander Dickson has been lightning up scoreboards all year. Teat in particular has been piling up points at a pace so fast he tied the single-season record for production before the All-Star break.
Dickson came into the day leading the league in one-point scores, and Shellenberger led all rookies in scoring. The Cannons managed to limit all three to a combined three points, their lowest output of the year. Teat was held goalless, Dickson didn’t attempt a shot in the first half and Shellenberger was kept off the score sheet completely.
“We have a lot of pride,” Brian Holman said of his defense. “They saw the film of the first game. They saw the Outlaws film.”
Holman recalled a lesson from former head coach Fred Smith, who coached him at Johns Hopkins.
“You try to cut off the head of the snake. Do your best to limit what they do well,” Holman said. “Our guys took that as a challenge, and we did.”
A bright spot for the Atlas was Logan McGovern, a midweek addition to the lineup. McGovern played for Pressler at Bryant, and is a Darien, Conn., native. He scored the game’s first goal and had a spectacular diving goal in the first quarter, electrifying the hometown fans.
“We’re huge in the midfield. With Myles [Jones], Dox [Aitken] and [Bryan] Costabile, and Logan gives us a different look. He’s two handed, and I’m not at all surprised by his performance today,” Pressler said. “He gave us a great boost early on in the first PLL game of his career. So, there’s a warm spot in my heart to see him succeed today, but he’ll tell you, he doesn’t want to hear about it. We lost. That’s all he cares about.”
Teat’s two points brought him to 46 and the single-season record. The loss to Boston weighed heavy, though, and the record did not lift his spirits.
“Apologies to be short and sweet here, but it doesn’t mean anything,” said Teat of his record-breaking point.
