Brendan Nichtern has emerged as one of the league’s best attackmen as just a rookie. 

After using the 1st overall pick on 2022 Tewaaraton Winner and National Champion Logan Wisnauskas, the Chrome LC figured Nichtern would be gone by the time they picked again at 9th overall. Nichtern, who was also a finalist for the Tewaaraton Award, led the NCAA in points per game and was second in overall points, making him a highly regarded prospect coming out of Army West Point.

So when a player of Nichtern’s caliber and pedigree fell to them in the second round, head coach and general manager Tim Soudan couldn’t believe his luck.

“We never thought we would get him where we ended up getting him,” said Soudan.

A prototypical quarterback from X, Nichtern burst onto the professional scene immediately. Pacing the team with 24 points (12G, 12A) and being selected a 2022 All-Star, Nichtern has filled the void at X left by Jordan Wolf's retirement. 

But, he faces his toughest one-on-one test yet in Whipsnakes LC defender Matt Dunn.

The 2020 Defensive Player of the Year, Dunn couples his size, athleticism, and quick feet to shutdown opposing attackmen that try to test him.

But it’s Dunn’s intelligence and commitment to his craft that impresses defensive coordinator P.T. Ricci so much.

“He’s a film junkie. Whatever I bring in front of him or we talk about as a group, he already knows exactly what we’re talking about. All the clips, anything his matchup is gonna do, he’s over-prepared every time he plays,” said Ricci.

Despite never having played each other, both Nichtern and Dunn held each other in high regard as one of the best players at their positions.

“He’s a do-it-all defender, so I think that just makes him so tough to beat,” Nichtern said of Dunn. “Finding a weakness in his game is going to be pretty tough.”

Likewise, Dunn didn’t point out one specific ability Nichtern possesses as a player, but rather a combination of those abilities that make him so good as a quarterback of the Chrome offense.

“I think there’s an intangible component of being a good lacrosse player and kind of knowing when to dodge, using picks well, and he just seems to have an ability to make plays and go to the goal,” Dunn said of the rookie. 

The biggest challenge for Dunn will be defending Nichtern in the two-man game. Five of Nichtern’s 12 goals (41.7%) are a result of the two-man game, whether that be getting a step on his defender or getting a switch onto a short-stick and attacking.

Although Soudan knew from scouting Nichtern leading up to the draft that he would be effective in the two-man game, it was how quickly he translated that to the professional game that impressed his coach.

“His ability not only to read the situation and make the right play whether it’s feed or dodge was very clear starting right in training camp,” said Soudan.