How past Championship Series winners changed the tournament

Three years since its inception, the Lexus Championship Series has changed our idea of how to approach the Olympic format.

Should you optimize for strength or for speed? Should each player on your 12-man roster be a Swiss Army knife or should each player on your roster have defined roles? Should you allow unassisted 1-pointers instead of surrendering stepdown 2-pointers?

Part of the excitement of the tournament is that we’ve seen teams win in distinctly different ways. Each tournament’s champion has found a unique edge. Here’s how they made their case to cement themselves in history.

2023: Chrome LC makes the case for strength over speed

Although we had no historical context to compare them to, we all knew in the moment that the 2023 Atlas LC offense was special. Three years into the tournament, no team has come close to sniffing their records. They put up 28.4 scores per game. (The 2025 Cannons came closest with 24.6.) They shot 43.7% from 2-point range. (The 2024 Waterdogs shot 35.1% on fewer attempts.) Romar Dennis won the Golden Stick Award with 34 scoring points; Bryan Costabile finished second, with 28 scoring points, which would’ve won him the award in both 2024 and 2025.

This was by far the best offense we’ve seen in the Championship Series. And the 2023 Chrome LC made its case by stopping it.

Chrome sent one of the biggest rosters in history to the tournament. Colin Heacock (6-3, 220), Dylan Molloy (6-0, 215), Kevin Rogers (6-4, 185), Cole Williams (6-5, 220) and company set the tone physically. They protected the paint with bruising slides, learning how to play defense on the fly.

Chrome recognized early that the best offense in Sixes begins with your defense. They scored on a tournament-high 51.3% of possessions that began with a Sean Sconone save. As soon as an opponent began his shooting motion, a Chrome defender — either from the weak side or often the shooter’s defender — leaked upfield for a fast break.

Sconone made 15 saves and dished two assists in the title game. He and the Chrome LC defense held the best offense that Sixes has ever seen to 23 scores (down 6.75 from their average entering the game) on 34.0% shooting. They didn’t only make their case against Atlas LC — but they made the case for defenses at large. The 2023 Chrome LC showed us all that defense wins the Championship Series.

2024: The Boston Cannons make the case for specialization

When building your 12-man roster, two philosophies have emerged: (1) Bring as many Swiss Army knifes as possible or (2) build an offensive unit and a defensive unit.

The 2024 Championship Series was dominated by two teams who took the latter approach.

The Philadelphia Waterdogs were able to substitute Michael Sowers and Kieran McArdle on for almost every offensive possession and off before the ball swung back to their defensive end. It was a proof of concept that paved the way for future attackmen to make an impact in Sixes, and it forced teams in the first school of thought to reconsider. If Sowers and McArdle are both on the field, can we really survive with five midfielders who aren’t “minus” defenders? Or do we need to dress dedicated cover guys? Questions like that led to defensive lines like the 2025 Utah Archers’ “Ground Punchers.”

The Boston Cannons were able to do the same with Asher Nolting. And with no defensive responsibilities, Nolting was able to empty the tank on the offensive end, dodging more aggressively than we’d ever seen before. The 2024 Waterdogs allowed 17.6 scores per game — a record that still stands — with Jake Higgins, Christian Scarpello, Jack Traynor, Jeff Conner and Charlie Hayes playing specialist roles. They stuck to their slow-to-go scheme, refusing to surrender stepdowns from outside the arc. And Nolting made them pay.

Nolting put on a bully ball clinic. It was 2023 Chrome LC’s case for size in reverse. With 25 lb. on Higgins (his primary defender), Nolting went to work on nearly every touch. He was efficient, too, shooting 6-for-8 (75.0%) on unassisted looks.

The Cannons were able to substitute their best offensive player because the Waterdogs wanted to do the same. A year after a versatile defense had stumped an historic Atlas offense, the Waterdogs showed another level of team defense was possible in Sixes. It was an advancement in substitution patterns that lacked one piece: An answer for Nolting’s playmaking.

2025: The Boston Cannons make the case for winning the whistle

The reason why lacrosse is the fastest sport on two feet is because there are so few stoppages. When the ball goes out of bounds, it’s brought back in immediately. When a technical foul changes possession, play resumes as soon as the team awarded possession is ready. Games are won and lost on steps taken (or not taken) between those whistles. Arguing a call – or even failing to infer what the call will be – can cost you a game. This happens after missed shots, offsides, loose ball holds, and 37 times per Championship Series game following a goal.

The 2025 Boston Cannons won games in the moments following those 37 goals.

From 2023-25, the most efficient possessions have begun with a turnover. Offenses score on 40.9% of possessions that begin with a turnover, 38.1% of possessions that begin with a goal, 36.8% of possessions that begin with a save and 36.2% of possessions that begin with a shot out of bounds.

Colin Kirst and the 2025 Boston Cannons answered 46.6% of opponent scores. Somewhere, Ted Lasso is smiling. That is what it means to be a goldfish. No goalie in tournament history has ever shrugged off a goal against and put the ball back in play like Kirst. It wasn’t only in the semifinals after Costabile put New York up by two; it was all tournament long.

And they did it on both ends. The Cannons only allowed answers on 36.7% of their scores (lowest in the tournament). For context: 48.1% of the Maryland Whipsnakes’ scores were answered with an opponent score. Banged up and exhausted from an overtime thriller in the semifinals, the Cannons were in no shape to beat the Utah Archers with speed or with strength. They beat them with IQ – understanding the most valuable spots on the field and the most valuable times during the shot clock better than their opponent.

In a 32-minute back-and-forth battle, the most important possession is always the next one. Teams that celebrate scores or dwell on mistakes are missing out on opportunities to win in the margins.