After a competitive training camp in Albany, each PLL team finalized its initial 25-man roster. 

Ahead of Opening Weekend this Friday and Saturday, our beat writers shared their top takeaways from cutdown day (click each team name to view its full roster).

Boston Cannons: A stronger than ever defense and continued battle at attack

There’s no shortage of storylines within the Cannons’ 25-man roster, starting with the return of veteran and captain Jack Kielty on close defense after a season-ending injury in camp last year. Kielty’s presence means trade acquisition Owen Grant – one of the most dynamic young poles in the league – will operate as a long-stick midfielder alongside Ethan Rall and John Geppert. 

At the faceoff stripe, Zac Tucci returns as the go-to specialist. Though he faced some competition at camp, the New Hampshire native will once again be the guy for his hometown squad.

Additionally, the Cannons added a new face at short-stick defensive midfielder in TJ Comizio, who has not appeared in a game since 2021. With Bubba Fairman set to miss at least the start of the season, Comizio will get another chance in the league to showcase his grit and IQ between the lines.

Of course, offensively, all eyes remain on that lefty attack spot. It’s no surprise both Will Manny and Coulter Mackesy made the 25-man roster. However, now while the external consensus seems to view Mackesy as the long-term answer for the Cannons, Brian Holman and his squad will continue to let that battle unfold on the field to start the season. Expect some experimentation early in the season before the starting attack trio is solidified. – Sarah Griffin

California Redwoods: Offense still a mystery entering Opening Weekend

Even with the 25-man roster in place, there are still questions to be answered on offense. The biggest domino is where Dylan Molloy plays. He came out of the box for the New York Atlas, and he’s listed as a midfielder on the roster, but he’s had his best seasons at his natural attack position. Head coach Anthony Kelly talked about deploying him at attack when the Redwoods initially signed him, and he started there alongside Chris Kavanagh and Ryder Garnsey in their scrimmage against the Cannons. If he plays at attack, the question is then who plays midfield, Kavanagh or Brendan Nichtern?

Midfielder Josh Balcarcel was a special training camp designee, and the former first-team All-MAAC selection did enough in camp to merit selection to the 25-man roster. His crease dive in their scrimmage against the Cannons was particularly impressive. He joins Aiden Danenza and Andrew McAdorey as midfielders without any PLL experience. – Phil Shore

Carolina Chaos: Redefined offense and reinforcements at SSDM

The Chaos announced a plethora of roster moves on Tuesday, starting with releasing attackman Jules Heningburg, midfielder Ryan Bell and SSDM Carter Parlette. 

"Training camp was a battle, and we felt good about the guys we brought in,” head coach Roy Colsey said. “Jules is an all-time great player and a guy that has contributed a lot to the Chaos in his time here. For us, it was mostly about finding guys that fit into a system that's different than what they had played before."

Midfielders Shane Knobloch, Sergio Perkovic and Gannon Matthews were placed on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list, leaving open roster spots in the 25-man roster. They were filled by attackmen Cross Ferrara and Jackson Morrill and rookie SSDMs Greg Langermeier and Ray Dearth via waivers.

Attackman Josh Zawada and long-stick midfielder Jack McDonald were moved from the unavailable to travel list to the 25-man roster.

The main staples of the “championship-ready” defense returned for another year, and the offense has a mix of fresh faces and returning veterans in 2025. – Hayden Lewis

Denver Outlaws: Offense takes shape and young poles emerge

The Outlaws had a surplus of offensive talent, and it was always going to be a challenge for head coach and general manager Tim Soudan to make the tough cuts into training camp. After a pair of offseason trades and the first round of cuts, things are taking shape.

Behind the Tewaaraton line of Logan Wisnauskas, Brennan O’Neill and Pat Kavanagh, veteran Eric Law remains a threat, while Jack Myers, Jack VanOverbeke and Dalton Young all add additional options down low or from midfield. As the clock ticks toward the season opener, the battle will have to intensify.

With Sam Handley, Graham Bundy Jr. and Justin Anderson, there are only so many gameday spots available. How the other four attackmen continue to build chemistry with Kavanagh and O’Neill will go a long way in deciding the final unit Friday night.

Defensively, undrafted free agent AJ Pilate cracked the 25-man roster. With Kevin Parnham joining camp after his Final Four run and Greg Weyl also on the 25-man, the competition for the final defensive spots is only intensifying. – Topher Adams

Maryland Whipsnakes: Dynamic offense leads to flexible positioning

The Whipsnakes and head coach Jim Stagnitta are taking a different approach to their offensive sets and stars this season, mainly due to the versatility of players who can transition between midfield and attack. 

The Whips have five players listed at attack, yet Stagnitta highlighted that many can play multiple slots on offense. 

With returning attackmen Matt Rambo and TJ Malone joining newcomers Matt Brandau, Aidan Carroll, and, of course, Rob Pannell behind the cage, along with midfielders Levi Anderson, Adam Poitras and Brad Smith – who is returning from injury – many of these dangerous stars might find themselves moving around on offense throughout the season. 

Maryland has set a foundation for a dynamic offense in which positions can almost seem interchangeable, and Stagnitta echoed this in Maryland’s post-training camp press conference. 

“The way we’re playing offense right now is so different from what we did a couple of years ago because these guys have such diverse skillsets,” Stagnitta said. “Poitras, TJ and Brandau can play all over the field. Levi Anderson has the ability to play in multiple spots. Rob Pannell found himself in some spots on the field that he hadn't spent a lot of time in the last couple of years.”

While the starting attack line will likely consist of Rambo, Malone and Pannell, it would not be shocking to see Pannell or even Malone get reps in the midfield while Brandau and Carroll take a stab at attack. 

Malone was a first-line midfielder as a freshman at Penn State, and Carroll played in the midfield until his junior season at Georgetown, which has gotten Stagnitta excited to test Maryland's offensive stars' versatility in 2025. 

“We have a number of guys who can do a lot of things in a lot of different spots on the field, and I think that puts a lot of pressure on our opponents and makes us a little less predictable,” Stagnitta said. – Miles Jordan

New York Atlas: Midfield depth will propel New York as season begins 

New York returned its entire attack unit – including 2024 Jim Brown MVP Jeff Teat – and bolstered its midfield group with draft picks Hugh Kelleher and Matt Traynor, who are both coming off monster NCAA seasons.

The Atlas also kept veteran offseason additions Cole Williams and Kyle Jackson on the 25-man roster to complement Teat on the wing as a part of their two-man game offense. 

Second-year goalie Will Mark won the backup job behind Liam Entenmann. – Paul Lamonaca

Philadelphia Waterdogs: Offensive firepower unfolds as goalie battle continues

Head coach Bill Tierney made it his mission this offseason to surround Michael Sowers with the right pieces to succeed, most recently drafting CJ Kirst and Jake Taylor to add fresh blood to the attack line.

Mainstays Kieran McArdle, Zach Currier and a healthy Jack Hannah stack up to form what could be one of the best offenses in the league, even with top pick Kirst beginning the season on the PUP list.

“We've got an embarrassment of riches offensively, and you could plug in play a bunch of guys on our roster at the midfield or attack,” offensive coordinator Dylan Sheridan said. “It just creates a lot of variability and gives us a lot of flexibility as the summer.”

The training camp goalie battle between Matt DeLuca and Dillon Ward will continue into the Waterdogs' first-week bye. 

The rest of the defense isn’t as deep as the offense, but it's led by second-team All-Pro Ben Randall and All-Star Matt Whitcher. Tierney mentioned he’s excited about the competition and growth of players on that side of the ball, including second-year defender Marcus Hudgins. – Micheal Bolger

Utah Archers: Chris Bates has effectively rebuilt offensive depth

After the rest of the league ravaged the Archers’ offensive depth in the offseason, head coach and general manager Chris Bates has added quality depth to Utah’s 25-man roster. Sam King and Richie Connell have been impressive in training camp and, alongside Dyson Williams, are a good trio of options to complement 19-man roster locks Connor Fields, Mac O’Keefe, Matt Moore, Tom Schreiber, Grant Ament and Ryan Ambler. 

Tre Leclaire going on the PUP list opens an opportunity for two of King, Connell and Williams to make the gameday roster. King will get a shot to replace Leclaire on the righty side while one of Williams and Connell will complement Fields, O’Keefe and Ambler among the lefties. – Zach Carey