Lamberti’s Power Rankings: Stability at the top

New York’s offense is catching fire. Denver is looking like a juggernaut, and its ceiling might still be higher. Philadelphia has surged into the contender tier, riding a wave of momentum and efficient, balanced play.

But not everyone is trending up.

Boston just got exposed. The Archers are in a slump they can’t explain. And in Maryland? It might be time to hit reset.

Here are my power rankings heading into Fairfield Weekend:

1. New York Atlas (4-2)

This offense is starting to get rolling, and it helps when you have two MVP candidates on that end of the field in Connor Shellenberger and Jeff Teat.

This duo reminds me of the NFL duo of Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry of the Baltimore Ravens; if you focus too much on stopping one of them, the other can hurt you just as much.

But what happens when you can’t stop either of them? Well, that’s what we saw happen last Friday.

Shellenberger was dominant from the first whistle to last against the Cannons, finishing with seven points (5G, 2A). Teat was quiet in the first half with just a single assist. But just when you think he’s a nonfactor, he had four second-half points, all in a span of 7:18 across the third and fourth quarters.

But perhaps the biggest development is the recent involvement of their third attacker, Xander Dickson.

Dickson is an elite off-ball threat and a perfect third attackman with his skill set. Because of his success in 2024, opposing defenses have essentially locked off Dickson inside because of how dangerous he is scoring around the net. However, because Teat and Shellenberger are starting to heat up, teams need to send more help, giving Dickson more room to operate inside; he has five goals in the past two games.

But for all the talk about the offense and attack, the most valuable player on this Atlas team is between the pipes.

Second-year pro Liam Entenmann has cemented himself as a top-tier goalie with the likes of Blaze Riorden and Brett Dobson.

Entenmann is the most talented keeper I’ve ever seen in net, and like Riorden and Dobson, he can absolutely take over games, highlighted by his 22-save performance against Philadelphia.

The Atlas were my preseason pick to win it all because of the talent top to bottom on their roster. Now it’s starting to show up on the field.

Next game: Friday, July 18 at California Redwoods (6:30 p.m. ET; ESPN+)

2. Denver Outlaws (4-2)

At this point, it’s pretty clear Denver and New York are in a tier of their own. They have the two most talented offensive rosters in the league, and both teams are starting to peak at the right time.

Like the Atlas, Denver has numerous players who can go off at any single time. Pat Kavanagh, Brennan O’Neill and Jared Bernhardt can beat their matchups whenever they want to, but they are just now starting to figure out each other’s tendencies and how to play off each other.

Rookie goalie Logan McNaney is leading the league in save percentage (64.5%) and has a legitimate shot to win the MVP.

I could talk at length about the impact he and Bernhardt have had on the Outlaws, but let’s talk about another new Terrapin who could impact this team: Jonathan Donville.

The newly signed midfielder could be the final piece to the puzzle offensively. His off-ball play and offensive IQ provide a skill set Denver lacks on the offensive end. He’s a player who elevates everyone else around him because he consistently makes the right play, whether it’s a cut, pick, pass or dodge.

As scary as this offense has been, the Outlaws have had inconsistent production from their midfield outside of Bernhardt and All-Star Dalton Young.

Donville could help fix that, and I expect him to be in the lineup in place of Jack VanOverbeke, who only has two assists on the season despite playing in all six games.

Next game: Saturday, July 19 at Boston Cannons (3 p.m. ET; ABC, ESPN+)

3. Philadelphia Waterdogs (4-2)

Michael Sowers is playing like the best player in the league right now.

It’s easy to point to the MVP front-runner as a reason the Waterdogs are 4-2, but there’s more to it.

Their midfield has been providing consistent production every game while lefty attackman Kieran McArdle is shooting 43.3%, which would be the highest shooting percentage of his illustrious career.

But faceoff man Alec Stathakis deserves a lot of credit for Philadelphia’s turnaround.

He’s winning 58.2% of his faceoffs, more than TD Ierlan, and is a massive reason why Philly leads the league in 32-second offensive efficiency, scoring on 26.7% of possessions after a faceoff win.

Why? He’s capable of staying on after a faceoff win and playing within the offense. He’s gotten particularly great at playing with Sowers in the two-man game.

Having Ben Wayer, who leads all long-stick midfielders in points (3G, 1T, 2A), and Zach Currier on the wings certainly helps, but Stathakis’ ability to be comfortable playing offense is the primary reason the Waterdogs are so efficient in the 32-second shot clock.

And this is all without mentioning that top draft pick CJ Kirst is set to make his debut this weekend after returning from a hand injury.

The reason Kirst is so special? He’s an elite talent, but he can play anywhere within an offense and still produce.

Not only do you get another weapon if you’re Philly, but you get an unselfish one who will play wherever is needed to elevate this offense.

Next game: Saturday, July 19 vs. Maryland Whipsnakes (8 p.m. ET; ESPN+)

4. Boston Cannons (3-3)

The Cannons played a poor game against New York. There’s no way around it.

They were outplayed in every single facet of the game but struggled especially in transition. Boston had a ton of uncharacteristic turnovers, trying to force-feed the crease when it wasn’t there, and let up at least three goals in transition by my count.

I’m not overly concerned with that area of the field, but what I am concerned with is the Cannons’ inability to win matchups. They only have 29 unassisted scores on the season, ahead of only Utah and Carolina.

I said it last week, but it starts with Asher Nolting.

When you trade away an MVP candidate like Kavanagh in the offseason, you double down on Nolting being the guy for this offense, and he hasn’t lived up to the standards.

Off the dodge in ‘24, he was shooting 25.6%. This season? 12.5%. Teams simply aren’t going to slide to someone who can’t beat their matchup (and they haven’t).

Meanwhile in Denver, Kavanagh has blossomed into an MVP candidate playing alongside O’Neill and other talented players, leading the league in touches (270) and goals (15) and ranking in the top three in points (23, trailing only Sowers and Shellenberger).

I get why they traded Kavanagh in the offseason. It would have been hard to justify replacing Nolting or Marcus Holman immediately with Kavanagh after the seasons they had last year.

That being said, it felt like they never gave Kavanagh a fair crack to show what he could do. He wasn’t 100% healthy as a rookie coming off a national championship with Notre Dame, and they played him out of position at either lefty attack or coming out of the box.

Hindsight is 20/20, but Boston sure could benefit from having a player like Kavanagh who could break down a matchup.

While I’m being critical of Nolting, the Cannons need more from fellow attackers Coulter Mackesy and Holman, as well.

Mackesy, the first-round rookie, has shown the ability to break down his man, but he seemed a little hesitant to go after his matchup on Friday.

Nolting could be able to get it going soon, but if he doesn’t, Mackesy seems the likely candidate to have to step up and generate offense off the dodge besides All-Star midfielder Matt Campbell.

Next game: Saturday, July 19 vs. Denver Outlaws (3 p.m. ET; ABC, ESPN+)

5. Carolina Chaos (3-3)

An apology is in order from me.

All season, I’ve had this Carolina team at the bottom of the power rankings because I thought it lacked the offensive firepower to keep up with other teams in this league.

But this weekend? The Chaos have proven they have players who can get the job done when they need it.

Last week, Sergio Perkovic’s four-point outing was key for them knocking off Boston. And this week, Ross Scott was the star with the last two tallies against California.

The rookie attack duo of Owen Hiltz and Jackson Eicher is a good one, and they’ll be relied on a lot to get this offense going. But when you have midfielders like Scott and Perkovic who are capable of taking over a game, it’s enormous for this offense.

I’ve always said that whenever this offense can reach double-digit scores, the Chaos have a shot in every single game with their veteran defense forcing shots that Riorden will save most of the time.

Well, it’s looking like this offense is capable of reaching double digits every game under the leadership of head coach Roy Colsey.

Are they championship contenders? Not quite.

But does anyone want to see them in September? No chance.

“We’ve got a group of veterans that understand what it takes to win and are willing to do anything to make that happen,” Colsey said after Saturday’s win over the Redwoods.

You can see the intensity and chip-on-their-shoulder mentality they play with at all times.

Next game: Friday, July 18 vs. Utah Archers (9 p.m. ET; ESPN2, ESPN+)

6. Utah Archers (2-4)

It’s been a peculiar season for the Archers. Not much is out of sorts besides a couple of injuries, but they’ve struggled mightily offensively. They have the fewest scores in the league and are generating the fewest shots.

I don’t have a great explanation for it other than their top players aren’t playing well.

Mike Sisselberger was facing off at 35.6% before heading to injured reserve. Grant Ament and Mac O’Keefe only have eight points apiece after recording 28 and 24 points, respectively, last season.

And for as much as I love Tom Schreiber, he’s 33 years old and looks a step slower than in years past. As good as he is, it’s unfair to put a lot of pressure on him to be the initiator every single possession, especially when he has a pole.

One bright spot is rookie Sam King, who started at attack in lieu of an injured Matt Moore and had a career-high four goals against Philly, giving Utah a dangerous dodging option from X.

Along with Ament and O’Keefe needing to pull their weight, the offense as a whole needs to limit turnovers. Despite attempting the fewest shots in the league, the Archers have the second-most turnovers (123).

Not generating shots while turning over the ball at a high clip is not a recipe for success for any team.

Next game: Friday, July 18 at Carolina Chaos (9 p.m. ET; ESPN2, ESPN+)

7. California Redwoods (2-4)

After putting up 15 and 16 goals in its first two games of the season, California is averaging just 10.5 goals per game over a four-game losing streak.

It’s not enough for a team with a good, not great, defense and goalie.

An easy thing to point to? The Redwoods’ shooting percentage. Over the four-game losing stretch, they’ve shot just 20.8% and now have the lowest shooting percentage in the league at 25.1%.

And it’s not like they are struggling to generate shots, either. They are tied for third in the league in shot attempts (255) and are averaging 42.5 shots per game.

So yes, the Redwoods need to shoot better, but more importantly, they need to improve the quality of their shots. Against Carolina, there were far too many “maybe” shots that just simply aren’t going to cut it, especially against Riorden.

The fix? More ball movement from the midfielders through X or adjacent to the next man in the offense.

Romar Dennis and Sam Handley are capable of generating their own shots whenever they want, but they usually aren’t the highest-percentage looks, and that’s reflected in their sub-20% shooting percentages.

That being said, they generate plenty of attention whenever they do carry the ball. If they can play disciplined offense and move it quickly when they draw that attention, it would space out the offense and get other players involved, which should lead to higher-quality looks.

Next game: Friday, July 18 vs. New York Atlas (6:30 p.m. ET; ESPN+)

8. Maryland Whipsnakes (2-4)

I understand they hadn’t played in three weeks, but the Whipsnakes’ offense looked downright miserable on Saturday.

The biggest issue? Lack of dodging firepower.

ESPN broadcaster Quint Kessenich summed it up midgame: “Maryland’s got too many guys that can’t win a matchup.”

He’s right.

TJ Malone and Aidan Carroll are the top initiators on this offense. But when they are being shut down like they were in the Whips’ 13-6 loss to Denver? There’s not a ton of other options they can turn to.

It’s interesting, because there are some games, like its 20-score outburst against Carolina or the huge rally against New York, that make this team look like it has a plethora of weapons.

Could they beat anyone in the league? Probably, but the inconsistency on the offensive end is why Maryland is sitting last in the power rankings.

Offseason acquisition Rob Pannell was supposed to be the guy opposite of Malone to alleviate the pressure of carrying the offense, but he hasn’t played to his usual standard, tallying only three goals on the season and shooting a career-low 10.3%.

Beyond that, the ball was consistently dying in his stick in the first half of their matchup against Denver. He had four turnovers and was replaced by Matt Brandau at attack in the second half.

It might be time for a full offensive overhaul for Maryland. Pannell is 35 years old, and 2019 MVP Matt Rambo has been out of the lineup for two weeks now.

They have some good pieces like Carroll and Malone on offense, but they just need to get younger.

Next game: Saturday, July 19 at Philadelphia Waterdogs (8 p.m. ET; ESPN+)