Atlas’ chance at redemption: Can New York learn from past playoff heartbreak?

With five minutes left to play in the fourth quarter of the 2024 semifinals, the New York Atlas were knocking at the door of their first-ever PLL Championship appearance.

Jim Brown MVP Jeff Teat had just tallied his 64th point of a record-setting year off a stepdown goal to put the Atlas ahead 11-8. New York had every ounce of momentum, and it seemed like the game was all but over.

Then, the Maryland Whipsnakes’ comeback began.

Ryan Conrad snuck around the crease to start the run. 11-9.

On the next possession, Colin Heacock fired off a stepdown shot with 4:03 left. 11-10.

Then, as he has done so often throughout his career with the game on the line, Matt Rambo attacked his matchup and scored, tying the game at 11.

Winning in September was what the Whipsnakes were known for. And the Atlas were beginning to earn a reputation as a team that did the opposite.

After seven tense minutes of overtime — and several quality looks for the New York offense — Maryland rookie Levi Anderson delivered the dagger off a swim dodge right in front of the Atlas goal. Bedlam ensued as Maryland punched its ticket to yet another championship game.

For New York, all that remained was pain and sheer disappointment.

“Losing last year was heartbreaking,” Atlas assistant coach Steven Brooks said. “It was one of the craziest PLL games I’ve ever been a part of, and to lose in overtime in that sequence, of course it weighs heavy on you.”

The 2024 Atlas had a remarkable regular season — eight wins, two losses and a harmonic mix of young talent and veteran stars. It seemed like New York’s year to win it all. But again, it fell short.

Since the PLL’s inception, the Atlas have never made an appearance in a championship game. Brooks has been a part of every season with New York, first as a player and then as a coach.

For Atlas goalkeeper Liam Entenmann, a rookie last season, the semifinal loss carried more weight than he anticipated.

“I think a lot of people thought we were the ‘team of destiny’ after the regular season we had, and then it just didn’t come to fruition,” Entenmann said. “I didn’t have another game or fall ball around the corner. I had to sit with it for a really long time, and I put a lot of that loss on my own shoulders.”

New York head coach Mike Pressler felt the same burden right after the game had ended. All of the memories and strides made with his 2024 group, gone after just one play.

“At the end here, it’s all about the body of work,” Pressler said in his postgame news conference. “You never judge from one game. It’s the body, it’s the season you reflect on when it is over. For me, I’m going to reflect on this incredible season and this incredible turnaround that Trevor [Baptiste] and Danny Logan, the captains, made.”

The Atlas find themselves in nearly the same situation this year: remarkable regular season, first-round bye and a chance to play for a championship waiting for them just one game away. How New York learns from its past failures will be key to victory when it faces the Waterdogs on Monday in Philadelphia.

If there’s one thing Brooks has learned the hard way from his experience, it’s how to better manage games in overtime.

“Overtime in this league is crazy — you don’t get timeouts, so you can’t really organize much. Last year, we didn’t go into it with a set plan,” Brooks said. “I should’ve been more organized in terms of sets, transition defense and putting guys in the right position. We had chances — we had four opportunities to score — but we didn’t finish. So the lesson is simple: be prepared, have a plan, and execute.”

Earlier this season, New York dropped another overtime heartbreaker to the Denver Outlaws. While the stakes of that regular-season loss were lower, the Atlas took their foot off the gas when they were up by as many as four goals and allowed a team to come back and beat them.

New York and Denver went on to secure the No. 1 seeds in their respective conferences, with a possible rematch awaiting if both win their semifinal matchups.

Pressler has harped on the need for his group to play “48 full.” Even with all the success New York has had this season, it has struggled to play the types of complete, 48-minute games that Pressler has asked for.

Regardless of the score, New York has shown weaknesses by either going on major scoring droughts or allowing teams to crawl back into games. Allowing opportunities like these will cost a team its season in the playoffs.

Logan has stressed to his teammates that, come playoffs, records from the regular season hold no value.

“I think the biggest thing is realizing just how competitive this league is. You’ve got to show up ready to play every single game,” the Atlas co-captain said. “In the playoffs, it’s one and done; there’s no series. Two games is all it takes to win a championship, but that means in those two games you have to bring your absolute best. That’s something we’ve really taken into account the past few years, and the focus is on showing up at our best on game day.”

New York’s semifinal opponent is trending upward. The Waterdogs defeated the Whipsnakes in the quarterfinals and nearly upset the Atlas in their regular-season finale.. The teams combined for a PLL-record 39 scores in their last matchup, with New York prevailing 20-19.

In Philadelphia’s quarterfinal win last week, its attack unit exploded for 19 combined points. Containing Michael Sowers, Kieran McArdle and CJ Kirst will be critical as the Atlas look to take another step toward their ultimate goal of a championship.

“This is what we all dream about as players and coaches,” Brooks said. “Being in the semifinals with a chance to go to the championship. There’s nothing better in sports. It brings out the little kid in me. This is why we do it, because it’s fun, and because we want to be the best.”