Mikie Schlosser tore his ACL in the 2022 PLL semifinals against the Whipsnakes, sidelining him for the entire 2023 campaign. Then, after fighting to get back, he was held out with an oblique injury to start this season. After that, Schlosser had to wait his turn in a ridiculously crowded Philadelphia Waterdogs midfield unit. 

But now, he’s finally back.

Schlosser will make his first PLL appearance in nearly two years this weekend against his old team, the Denver Outlaws (Friday, 6 p.m. ET). He’s always been the ultimate locker room glue guy – even when he’s been hurt, he’s a positive energy around the team. But head coach and general manager Bill Tierney is expecting the 29-year-old to be just as effective on the field as he is off.

“He’d better be more than a locker room guy,” Tierney said. “Mikie brings a lot to the table. He’s different than a lot of our middies.”

As a two-handed dodger who can snipe corners on the run, Schlosser brings an element to this midfield that has been missing. There are plenty of distance shooters and close finishers, but Schlosser and Jack Hannah are the best dodgers in the group. If Schlosser returns to form, or even close to it, his shooting ability down the alleys will add value to this Waterdogs offense.

Despite being injured in the semifinals, Schlosser was still an important player for the Dogs’ 2022 championship team. He scored seven points in eight games (including playoffs), then showed up to the title game with a torn ACL to support and celebrate with his team. That’s the kind of leader he is, and now that he’s fully healthy, Tierney is hoping he’ll return to the dynamic dodger he was in 2021 when he scored 15 points (13G, 1T, 1A) in nine games and was a PLL All-Star. 

Prior to that, in his MLL days, Schlosser was a major part of the Outlaws’ 2018 championship squad, scoring 23 goals in 14 regular-season games. Now, Schlosser will try to help get the Waterdogs back on track after a 1-4 start.