Coming into the 2026 Lexus Championship Series, pundits and fans viewed several California Redwoods players as prime Golden Stick Award candidates.
Romar Dennis is a previous Golden Stick winner with a lethal two-point shot who is healthy for the first time since then.
Dylan Molloy is a physical dodger who could muscle his way inside for dunks, especially with the absence of large close defenders in Sixes.
Andrew McAdorey is a speedster who can get out in transition as well as blow by his one-on-one matchup.
While all three of those players have lived up to the hype and are a big part of why California is the only PLL team undefeated after two round-robin games, none of them lead the team in points.
That distinction goes to Aidan Danenza, who is not only tied for second in the league in scoring points (12) behind New York’s Matt Traynor but also tied for second in points (14) and two-point goals (three).
A big reason behind the success comes from a boost in confidence.
“[Head coach Anthony Kelly] is putting me in position to do well, and he’s given me the confidence to – I don’t want to say rely on me – but giving me the go-ahead to make some plays and feel a little more comfortable out there, which has been great,” Danenza said.
After Danenza scored eight goals in the final four games of the 2025 season – including six goals in the final two games – the coaching staff told him during exit interviews that they were considering including him in the Championship Series roster.
Kelly said Sixes was a great format for Danenza, as he could be a two-way player who could stay on the field for longer shifts. He also anticipated Danenza being a threat on offense.
“He’s a guy who has stretch ability with a heavy shot,” Kelly said. “He’s a guy that’s going to be able to create a lot for us, not only between the lines in transition but also just on the settled offensive end.”
Danenza said the style reminded him both of pick-up basketball – which he enjoys playing – and of the way he played lacrosse as a kid, getting up and down the field and playing offense, defense and in transition.
In preparation, Danenza watched previous Championship Series games and focused his workouts on additional running. He also reached out to veterans Dennis and Molloy, who have both had a lot of success at the tournament in the past.
“I was asking them what little things I could work on,” he said. “They tried not to freak me out, like, ‘It’s still lacrosse. It’s still the same game you grew up playing,’ and to trust myself a little bit more.”
“Watching Romar shoot effortless from two, and Dylan getting to the middle, I was like, ‘Alright, I can relate to some of those things a little bit,’” he added. “Maybe not to Molloy’s extent of barreling through someone or Romar just shooting from the midfield line, but somewhere [in] the middle there, I can see myself doing some of those things.”
During the 2025 season – his first in the PLL – Danenza filled a role as an off-ball player, making strong cuts from the box to the middle while also setting strong picks. He did the same during his days at Duke, knowing he needed to do things to separate himself to earn more playing time on a roster of 40-50 players. At the Championship Series, however, he’s shown a different side of his game.
Danenza has attacked one-on-one matchups and dodged from the top to get inside and score. He’s also scored from distance, setting up from well beyond the two-point arc on occasion.
