The Atlas will have a different look on the sideline for the 2026 Lexus Championship Series.
Defensive coordinator Joe Cinosky will serve as acting head coach for the tournament. Alongside him, starting attackman Xander Dickson will serve as an assistant coach while recovering from the devastating leg injury he suffered during the 2025 U.S. Bank Championship in September.
Dickson played in last year’s Championship Series, scoring 11 goals and helping New York reach the semifinals before falling to the eventual champion Boston Cannons in overtime. In the summer, Dickson registered 22 goals (second-most on the team) during New York’s run to the PLL title.
He will coach an explosive offense led by Myles Jones and Bryan Costabile. Last February, Jones collected 19 points (13G, 6A) en route to being named to the All-Tournament Team. Costabile (16G, 4T, 5A) led the Atlas in points in his second Championship Series appearance.
Matt Traynor will make his tournament debut after a phenomenal rookie season in the summer. Traynor, out of Penn State, was the sixth overall pick in the 2025 College Draft. He moved from midfield to attack after Dickson’s injury in the U.S. Bank Championship and scored three goals in New York’s title-clinching win over the Denver Outlaws.
Former Atlas offensive coordinator Steven Brooks was the team’s acting head coach in the 2023 and ’25 Championship Series. Brooks was hired as the head coach of the Carolina Chaos on Jan. 16.
The Atlas now turn to a defensive-minded leader in Cinosky and a current offensive player in Dickson stepping into a coaching role in their quest for a Championship Series crown.
