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Lauren Merola

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‘It’s not about the X’s and O’s:’ Why Cole Kirst, the 2023 Teammate of the Year, stays present

By Lauren Merola | October 24, 2023
By | There are two places Cole Kirst is always trying to be faster than those around him: the lacrosse field, and the Starbucks closest to that lacrosse field. When Cole and Redwoods teammate Rob Pannell grabbed coffee before Premier Lacrosse League games or practices in whichever city they were playing in during the 2023…
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Brett Dobson always wanted to be like Dillon Ward, now he wants to beat him

By Lauren Merola | September 18, 2023
By Flying is a breeze for Brett Dobson. Before the Archers goalie boards flights at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport for Premier Lacrosse League games, he spends time in the Delta Sky Club lounge enjoying complimentary drinks, meals and wifi. The lounge access, courtesy of his Delta SkyMiles, is Dobson’s favorite byproduct of having a Chase…
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Atlas vs Cannons

How can Atlas upset Cannons in the PLL Cash App Playoffs?

By Lauren Merola | September 4, 2023
By The Cannons and Atlas seem to be living the other’s projected storyline.  The Cannons, a team that went 1-9 and missed the playoffs in 2022, ascended into championship contention this season while Atlas, a 6-4 squad last season that seemed one or two offseason moves away from a trophy, struggled to scrape together two…
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Myles Jones Atlas

Myles Jones is ‘getting back to the old me’ with help of Atlas teammates

By Lauren Merola | August 30, 2023
By On Aug. 8, Atlas did a one-for-one midfield swap with the Redwoods, trading Romar Dennis for Myles Jones. With the Redwoods, Jones’ production tapered off this season, averaging 0.6 points per outing. He was scratched from the lineup after the fifth week of the season and traded to the baby blue three weeks after…
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Atlas could’ve been 6-3 by now: What went wrong?

By Lauren Merola | August 25, 2023
By | Atlas didn’t fall to a lonely 2-7 record easily. The Bulls found themselves in a handful of winnable, tight games that went down to the wire this season. They could’ve been 6-3 heading into Week 10. Instead, Atlas is as much in the playoffs as it is out of them. In seventh place,…
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How can Atlas make the playoffs? Breaking down postseason scenarios and rules

By Lauren Merola | August 19, 2023
By | With two regular-season games left in the season, six of the seven playoff spots have been decided, with the final seed left to be fought for by Atlas and Chrome.  Through Week 8 in Denver, Atlas is seventh in the league, sitting in a fragile playoff position at 2-6, with Chrome trailing at…
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Atlas Transition Defense

Film study: Atlas defense’s indecision, lack of two-way midfielders detrimental in transition

By Lauren Merola | August 18, 2023
By Through the PLL’s Denver weekend, Atlas turned the ball over league second-worst 158 times, only one turnover less than the league-worst Redwoods (159). To make matters worse, opponents score on the Bulls a league-worst 42.9 percent of the time in transition.  Watching plays like these, it’s not hard to see why. Atlas needs to…
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Pro Lacrosse Hall of Fame

What’s it like to sit next to a Pro Lacrosse Hall of Famer? Conversations from induction weekend

By Lauren Merola | August 13, 2023
By In Midtown Baltimore, where East Biddle Street turns into West Biddle Street, rests Sammy’s Trattoria. It’s a large Italian restaurant, the inside coated in a dark, damp red to match the awning – the eatery’s principle marker with which its name is embossed in white – out front. On any given day, there’s dozens…
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Often imitated, never replicated: Ryan Powell’s unforgettable resume

By Lauren Merola | August 3, 2023
By | Young waves of talent are constantly crashing lineups and stealing starting spots in professional lacrosse. Veterans are dethroned yearly by rookies who excel at what older players could once do best. Turnover is natural, and often accepted. Unless you’re Ryan Powell. Powell, a 2023 Professional Lacrosse Hall of Fame inductee, adapted his game…
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Atlas Finds Much-Needed Momentum Against Chrome in Playoff Push

By Lauren Merola | July 31, 2023
By Atlas’ playoff push starts now. Well, technically, it started Saturday, when Atlas, who was tied with Chrome in the gutter of the league at 1-4 coming out of All-Star Weekend, ousted Chrome 11-9 to improve to 2-4 at AT&T Stadium in Dallas. Heading into the matchup, Atlas had a 75 percent chance to make…
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