Marvel’s “Black Panther” made waves at the box office, Tom Brady won his final Super Bowl as a New England Patriot and Drake’s “God’s Plan” felt like it was playing every time you turned on the radio.
These were the biggest headlines the last time the Maryland Whipsnakes were not in the PLL playoffs.
For the seventh straight season, the Whips have the chance to compete for a championship, and their road to the title game begins this Saturday in Minneapolis (6 p.m. ET; ESPN+), where they’ll face the Philadelphia Waterdogs for the third time this season in the quarterfinals of the Eastern Conference playoffs.
Why they can win it all
Consistency is the key word in the history of the Whipsnakes organization. Under the guidance of head coach and general manager Jim Stagnitta, Maryland has reached the title game in four of the past seven seasons.
From back-to-back championships in 2019 and 2020 to Rookie of the Year TJ Malone leading the Whipsnakes to the title game in 2024, the Whips have consistently found a way to reach the final game of the season.
This season is no different. The trio of Ajax Zappitello, Matt Dunn and Tim Muller has given the Whipsnakes the top defense in the league. First-year Whipsnake Matt Brandau (22G) led all midfielders in scoring during the regular season; Aidan Carroll set a Whipsnakes rookie record for goals scored (21); and thanks to Joe Nardella, Maryland posted the best faceoff percentage in the league (57.3%).
Even when the odds weren’t in Maryland’s favor, like after its 13-6 loss to the Denver Outlaws in Chicago, Stagnitta remained confident in his roster, stating that the Whips would “make a run at this thing before it’s over.”
Now, the Whips will need to face the Waterdogs and, if they advance, the top-seeded New York Atlas to battle out of the Eastern Conference and return to the title game – two opponents with whom Maryland split games during the regular season. While some of the roster are not familiar with the playoffs and will make their postseason debuts on Saturday, they will be more than familiar with the teams they will have to face.
Biggest concern
Maryland’s streaky scoring has been a double-edged sword all season long.
In all four of Maryland’s wins this season, it posted near double-digit runs to either spark a comeback or push away from its opponent, from 8-0 runs that sparked second-half rallies against the Atlas and Waterdogs, to a 10-1 run to batter the Carolina Chaos in Baltimore, and finally closing out the season with an 8-1 run against the Boston Cannons to punch its ticket to the playoffs.
However, the Whips have seen the other edge of the sword all too often this year. Maryland gave up a 9-1 run to the Waterdogs in Charlotte and another 9-1 run to the Atlas in Salt Lake City, which both resulted in conference losses that nearly sunk the Whipsnakes’ postseason chances.
While Maryland had the rest of the season to recover from the losses to Philly and New York, the stakes are much different in the postseason. It’s win or go home, and giving up a few goals could be a slippery slope to watching the championship game or even a potential semifinal matchup against the Atlas from the couch.
Most important player
Malone is going to have to be the X-factor for the Whipsnakes to be able to win games in the playoffs this year.
He laid the foundation for what a young player can accomplish in the postseason in 2024. He notched 13 points (5G, 8A) in three games, averaging 4.3 points per game in Maryland’s run to the title game last season.
Now, even as a young player, Malone holds the respect of the entire offense, including his first- and second-year counterparts, Carroll and Brandau, who both had stellar seasons. While the Whipsnakes have found ways to win this season without Malone playing at the top of his game, their best performances have come when Malone is actively producing.
Malone was the Whipsnakes’ leading scorer (18G, 1T, 14A) for the second straight season, and when big moments arrive, the ball will be with No. 7 in red, white and black.
Key stat
The Whipsnakes are undefeated when Emmet Carroll saves 60% or more of the shots he faces.
Since Carroll’s first professional action against the Waterdogs in Week 2, when he saved a career-low 38.5%, the rookie out of Penn has posted an average save percentage just shy of 60%, recorded three games with 15-plus saves and taken command of the Whipsnakes defense despite being one of the youngest on the field.
In the four games that Carroll posted a save percentage under 60%, including a 57.1% against the Outlaws, the Whipsnakes failed to secure a victory. To be fair, the Whips did have their worst offensive showing of the season against Denver. They shot 17.1%, recorded 25 turnovers and scored a season-low six goals despite winning the possession battle by nearly seven-and-a-half minutes.
Even still, Carroll can’t rely on the offense to put up a record-setting performance like they did in their 20-6 rout of the Chaos every game, and he knows he will need to be at his best.
“Everything matters more in the playoffs, and goalies are no exception,” Carroll said. “In hockey, the hottest goalie often wins the Conn Smythe. I feel like in lacrosse, it’s the same thing. Your whole team getting hot is important, but your goalie getting hot at the right time is even more important.”
