2024 Players Top 50, Nos. 40-31: Trio of seasoned attackmen earn spots
By PLL Beat Writers | Dec 14, 2024
40. Liam Entenmann, Goalie, New York Atlas
2023 rank: NR
The rookie goalie walked into lofty expectations at the pro level coming off a national championship season at Notre Dame. But after the college title game and Tewaaraton Award ceremony delayed his arrival at Atlas training camp, Entenmann sat behind Tim Troutner for the first four weeks of the season. In his first pro start, he posted the best save percentage by a rookie in his first career start in PLL history. Entenmann had 14 saves for a 78% save percentage while holding the Denver Outlaws to just four goals. His dominance remained. The expectations set upon him, defied. A finalist for Rookie of the Year and Goalie of the Year, he made 71 saves on the season, holding opponents to a single-digit scoring average (9.7) per game. -- Lauren Merola
❌ Liam Entenmann Robbery@LEntenmann31 @PLLAtlas pic.twitter.com/a0I7cxiFdm
— Premier Lacrosse League (@PremierLacrosse) October 9, 2024
39. Zach Geddes, SSDM, Carolina Chaos
2023 rank: NR
2024 was the year Geddes – aka “Roadrunner” – introduced himself to the league. The first-time second-team All-Pro’s unbelievable acceleration in the clear game and smooth hands off the ground (17 ground balls) were on display all season for Carolina. However, the biggest strides for the third-year Georgetown product, outside of his career-high five goals, came on defense, where his fleet-footedness aided the Chaos’s league-best 11 scores against average. -- Hayden Lewis
38. Rob Pannell, Attack, California Redwoods
2023 rank: 24th
Whether it's a cabernet, brandy or scotch in your cellar, nothing ages better than RP3. In his 13th professional lacrosse season, Pannell racked up 30 points, finishing ninth in the league. This marked his third consecutive season with 30 or more points, a milestone achieved on his way to becoming the third player ever to surpass 600 career points. While some of his points in 2024 came via his patented moves, he caused a frenzy on lacrosse Twitter when he unveiled his “chicken parm-roll” to put one past Brett Dobson. Pannell is inventing new counters to defenders anticipating his question mark dodge and remains a handful at X. -- Jerome Taylor
What a way to get 6️⃣0️⃣0️⃣!
A shovel goal for @RobPannell3 👏🐻 pic.twitter.com/2L09vd4Epx
— California Redwoods (@PLLRedwoods) July 28, 2024
37. Ethan Rall, LSM, Boston Cannons
2023 rank: 32nd
Rall’s story is one of perseverance and impact. Undrafted in 2023, he quickly silenced any doubters by becoming one of the Cannons’ most reliable defensive assets. In 2024, he continued to shine as a disruptive force at long-stick midfield, frustrating opponents with his ability to force turnovers and spark transition plays. Rall's nomination for the Brodie Merrill Long-Stick Midfielder of the Year Award is a testament to how essential he’s become to the Cannons’ defensive core. From overlooked to indispensable, he’s cemented himself as one of the league’s premier defenders. -- Sarah Griffin
Ethan Rall is so dang good at lacrosse 👏🍪
No. 35 continues to cause havoc on this field! pic.twitter.com/fGnmp5iIEL
— Boston Cannons (@PLLCannons) August 4, 2024
36. Tre Leclaire, Midfield, Utah Archers
2023 rank: NR
Leclaire put together a career year for the Archers in 2024. The Canadian righty led all midfielders in scoring points with 23 – a mark that ranked sixth league-wide. The lethal combination of his physically dominant dodging and his howitzer of a stepdown shot makes Leclaire one of the most threatening midfield matchups in the game. -- Zach Carey
35. Connor Shellenberger, Attack, New York Atlas
2023 rank: NR
The No. 2 pick in the 2024 College Draft rounded out the Atlas attack perfectly, acting as a QB2 alongside Jeff Teat while Xander Dickson ran around as the off-ball phenom. Shellenberger exploded with eight points (3G, 5A) in his first pro showing, tying the record for most by a rookie in his debut. He remained a constant dual threat, keeping defenders alert and stressed while capitalizing on any head swivel or misstep. He finished the year with 26 points (15G, 11A) as a linchpin of the league's most efficient offense and Rookie of the Year finalist. -- Lauren Merola
Connor Shellenberger TIES the record for points in a debut with EIGHT! @cshellenberger_ with 3 GOALS and 5 ASSISTS 🧢📈 pic.twitter.com/fqdrZ6XETk
— New York Atlas (@PLLAtlas) June 1, 2024
34. TD Ierlan, Faceoff, California Redwoods
2023 rank: 39th
In 2024, Ierlan once again solidified his spot in the “Big 3” of faceoff specialists alongside Joseph Nardella and Trevor Baptiste. His 60.1% faceoff win rate ranked third in the league, showcasing his dominance at the stripe. However, Ierlan's impact extended far beyond securing possessions. Ierlan’s four goals ranked fourth in the league among faceoff specialists, and that doesn’t even tell the whole story, as he would routinely stay on to set screens to create mismatches for the Woods offense. Moreover, Ierlan put up one of his best performances when he went head-to-head with another member of the Big 3, cementing his status as one of the league's elite. -- Jerome Taylor
FOGO GOAL !!! FOGO GOAL !!! FOGO GOAL !!!@td_ierlan https://t.co/7GKenN03Vo pic.twitter.com/SpXXBjWqLJ
— Premier Lacrosse League (@PremierLacrosse) June 16, 2024
33. Xander Dickson, Attack, New York Atlas
2023 rank: NR
He’s been called the league’s “pain in the butt” for a reason. Dickson is never one to sit still or watch a play unfold. He’s always moving, cutting this way or clearing space that way. If you’re guarding Dickson, you better have done your conditioning. One of the best off-ball players in the PLL, Dickson is incredibly efficient without the ball in his stick. He’ll find the gaps and time his attacks to end up on the doorstep right as a Jeff Teat or Connor Shellenberger pass hits his stick. Then his stick skills and ball control take it from there. Consider the net, met. -- Lauren Merola
🚨XANDER DICKSON SC TOP 10🚨 pic.twitter.com/PQIKts2rCX
— New York Atlas (@PLLAtlas) August 10, 2024
32. Kieran McArdle, Attack, Philadelphia Waterdogs
2023 rank: 14th
The 32-year-old still found ways to put the ball in the back of the net throughout the 2024 season. McArdle led the Waterdogs in goals with 22, adding 12 assists. His ability to score on the left wing with such creativity is what sets him apart from other lefty attackmen. -- Paul Lamonaca
Kieran McArdle scores GOAL 3️⃣0️⃣0️⃣ in his career — a mark only six players in MLL/PLL history have reached 💪
(via @PremierLacrosse, ESPN+) pic.twitter.com/HG5zLOWCjL
— TLN 🥍 (@LacrosseNetwork) August 17, 2024
31. Matt Rambo, Attack, Maryland Whipsnakes
2023 rank: 21st
While not his best season from a production standpoint, Rambo stepped it up when it mattered in the Cash App Playoffs. Whipsnakes fans have become accustomed to Rambo scoring big goals in big spots, and he did that this season with two goals in the semifinals and one in the championship game. -- Adam Lamberti