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10 Man Ride: Previewing Week 3 at Homewood Field

By Joe Keegan

PLL Analyst

Jun 24, 2021

CLEAR! The ride is on. We’re recharged off the bye week and ready for Week 3 at Homewood Field. Here are 10 things to watch this weekend:

1. Jeff Teat’s debut

The first overall pick in the loaded 2021 College Draft, Jeff Teat (Cornell), will make his professional debut on Friday night for Atlas LC.

Teat is a complete player. He has seen and dissected every type of defensive look imaginable. Shutoffs, shutoffs with zone behind them, early slides, fake slides, you name it. His malleability both as a dodging playmaker and as an off-ball threat allows his team to answer any scheme.

Bet on him plugging into that lefty attack spot alongside Eric Law at X and Jake Carraway on the righty wing. The big-little lefty combinations on that wing – with either Mark Cockerton or Dan Bucaro or Joel Tinney running out of the box – are terrifying.

Atlas LC plays twice this weekend. Friday night against the Whipsnakes at 8:00PM. Sunday afternoon against the Cannons at 12:00PM. Get ready to see Teat toy with help defenders with fake passes, and buckle goalies’ knees with leaners.

2. Crawley-Law PNRs 

Jake Carraway joined the Pro Lacrosse Talk podcast to talk about his first couple games as a pro – and playing for his high school head coach, Ben Rubeor, again with Atlas.

Carraway mentioned his change in role from Georgetown to Atlas. There’s more attention on his teammates, allowing him to step into time-and-room rips. Carraway has shot 3-for-6 (50.0%) off the catch so far this summer.

The rookie is often at the end of the rainbow; one action that sits at the beginning is the John Crawley-Eric Law two-man game at X. I’m happy to see these actions – a staple of the 2019 Archers – back. Crawley is one of the best inverting midfielders in the league (alongside Ned Crotty, Jules Heningburg, John Haus, and Stephen Rehfuss).

3. Connor Fields, the pick-and-roll operator

Fields is fitting into this Archers offense as a dodger. He used to drain clock while soaking checks against postups. With Chaos, 26.1% of his shots came with :09 or less on the shot clock – the fourth highest rate in the league over that time among high volume players.

The ball is leaving Fields’ stick earlier. Late shot clock dodges aren’t resulting in forced feeds in tight. He is playing like someone who knows he has playmakers on his team. This pass – to set up a Tom Schreiber-to-Will Manny goal – isn't a homerun play; it's the right play.

4. Connor Fields, the picker

Fields is also getting involved as a picker. Those two-man games with Schreiber initiating are going to cause problems for defenses.

This shot goes against any goalie other than Blaze Riorden. Keep an eye on Fields moving without the ball; he’s going to start cashing these in.

5. Ryan Brown screening, popping, picking, and mirroring

Earlier this week, I wrote about Ryan Brown’s role in the Waterdogs offense.

“I try not to be confined to a space,” Brown said post-game. “In college my offensive coordinator Bobby Benson always said, ‘You’re a lot harder to cover if you use 100% of the field to get open instead of only 50%.’”

Brown torched the slowest-to-go defense in the league (Chrome LC) and the least organized defense in the league (Chaos LC). How will the Archers defend him on Saturday night? Do they switch every pick he sets? Can he exploit that by slipping as they switch?

6. Jules Heningburg’s comeback

After missing the 2020 Championship Series, Jules Heningburg is back. Katie McNulty wrote about Jules’ journey, his switch from midfield-to-attack, and his leadership role with the Redwoods.

7. Matt Dunn bucks trend with chest protection

USA Lacrosse Magazine’s Nelson Rice caught up with 2020 Dave Pietramala Defender of the Year Matt Dunn on why he’s wearing chest protection this season.

Dunn, an assistant coach at his alma mater Loyola Blakefield, saw one of his defenders suffer commotio cordis after taking a shot to the chest. Now, he feels obligated to break the “toughness” trend at the pro level by wearing ND200-compliant shoulder pads. Two of his Whipsnakes teammates – Tim Muller and Colin Squires – have joined him. 

And the pads haven’t slowed Dunn down a step. He already has two blocks through two games.

8. K18’s last game at Homewood

Kyle Harrison’s farewell tour arrives at Homewood Field at Johns Hopkins this weekend – where the world was introduced to his patented jump shot.

Ed Lee profiled K18’s 17-year pro career and his impact on the sport as a role model for teammates Myles Jones, Jules Heningburg, and kids across the country.

9. Kyle Thornton claimed by Redwoods

The Redwoods claimed rookie defenseman Kyle Thornton (Notre Dame) from Chaos’s reserve roster. Here’s how: A player that has been on a club’s reserve roster for three consecutive games may be claimed by another club. The claiming club must place that player on the restricted or active roster for at least one game.

The ‘Woods have a few players ruled out for this weekend: LSM John Sexton, attackman Ryan Lee, and SSDM Jack Near. Some new faces will be active for the first time; Thornton could be one of them. 

10. Waiver wire updates

More moves from around the league since the last 10 Man Ride:

  • Redwoods added veteran Kevin Unterstein via waivers
  • Chaos claimed Bryce Wasserman off waivers
  • Chaos claimed CJ Costabile off waivers
  • Chaos claimed Brendan Gleason off waivers
  • Waterdogs added undrafted rookie Cole Williams

Thanks for reading!

Spread the word, submit any questions you want to see answered in this space to me on Twitter (@joekeegs), and I’ll talk to you next week!

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