Top PLL, WLL matchups to watch in 2026 Championship Series

The 2025 Championship Series saw the Boston Cannons go back-to-back in the Premier Lacrosse League tournament, while the Boston Guard claimed the first-ever title on the Women’s Lacrosse League side.

This time around, only one of those teams gets to go for the repeat.

Coming off a 4-6 regular season, the Cannons did not qualify for the 2026 Championship Series. The Carolina Chaos, California Redwoods, Denver Outlaws and New York Atlas — the top four squads from the 2026 regular season — will vie for the trophy.

The Atlas are going for a sweep after winning the 2025 U.S. Bank Championship in September.

On the other hand, if the inaugural WLL Championship Series taught us anything, it’s to stay on notice. The 2025 tournament teed up rivalries and showcased no-look stingers — and even goalie goals. Expect these players from the Guard, New York Charging, California Palms and Maryland Charm to run it back.

Here are the best matchups to watch in the 2026 Championship Series, which begins on Feb. 27 and runs through March 8:

Boston Guard vs. New York Charging

Friday, Feb. 28, 6 p.m. ET

The Guard and Charging carried the rivalry dynamic of the two areas to the turf last year. The Guard bested the Charging 22-17 for the first-ever women’s title. In round-robin play, the Guard also downed the Charging by two points for the semifinal bye. Expect Charlotte North’s heavy Boston College alumni-led squad to be hungry for a repeat, and Izzy Scane’s New York crew to do anything to not let that happen.

Charging midfielder Emily Hawryschuk’s 19 goals last year, including her seven-goal performance in the semifinals, earned her the Golden Stick Award as the tournament’s leading scorer. She also posted a tournament-leading 23 points, and Scane trailed right behind her with 17 goals and 22 points.

And, well, Hawryschuk does stuff like this:

North, too, is an avid highlight producer surrounded by thriving, familiar talent. With former college teammates Dempsey Arsenault and Cassidy Weeks on each side (Arsenault and Weeks did not overlap as players at BC), the Guard move in uninterrupted harmony. North completed play with 19 points, Weeks had 21 and Arsenault had 16, including five goals in the title game.

And one of North’s championship goals was edging 90 mph.

The Charging’s Belle Smith and Erin Coykendall tied the Guard’s Madison Ahern for most assists (nine) in last year’s tournament. And every field player named to the 2025 WLL Championship Series All-Tournament team was either from the Guard (North, Arsenault, Weeks) or the Charging (Hawryschuk, Scane).

For those reasons, Guard-Charging is the WLL matchup to watch.

Denver Outlaws vs. New York Atlas

Friday, Feb. 27, 8 p.m. ET

The 2025 Championship Series opened with Atlas avenging their 2024 semifinal loss against the Maryland Whipsnakes. Now, the Outlaws are out for revenge in a rematch of the 2025 U.S. Bank Championship.

Of course, the Outlaws will naturally circle this game on the schedule, but the Atlas have just as much to play for, pursuing the first-ever “PLL Double.”

In soccer, the double is the rare feat of winning a country’s top-tier league and its primary domestic cup in the same season. The lacrosse equivalent of that? Holding the U.S. Bank Championship and Championship Series trophies simultaneously.

California Redwoods vs. Denver Outlaws

Saturday, Feb. 28, 6:30 p.m. ET

This matchup could be even more spirited than the Championship rematch.

Why? These Western Conference foes matched up three times last season, including in the semifinals, with each game increasing in stakes and intensity. Their fourth meeting in a calendar year should be no different, with Denver wanting to make a statement while California’s young guns look to prove they’re here to stay.

New York Charging vs. California Palms

Thursday, March 5, 8 p.m. ET

Last year, defender Kayla Wood said the Palms were coming in with an underdog mentality to surprise people. And that they did.

The Palms opened their tournament with a 16-15 defeat of the Guard led by captain Ally Mastroianni’s six goals. Immediately, the Palms made a statement that they could capture the whole thing.

Then they ran into the Charging.

In the teams’ first meeting, California lost to New York 16-14. But the game was not without pizzazz. In the first half, goalie Taylor Moreno showed why she’s primetime viewing — and the sole netminder named to the 2025 All-Tournament team.

Moreno caught a low-angle shot by Smith and then took off down the middle of the field. She ran past the attempted defense of Meg Carney and Meg Tyrrell and slid a bounce shot by Charging goalie Madison Doucette for the first goalie goal in league history.

The teams met again in the semifinals, when New York comfortably ended California’s run, 18-11. The Charging defense — led by Doucette’s 21 saves on 65.6% — limited Mastroianni to one goal and Sam Geiersbach to two, while Hawryschuk buried seven scores and Scane put in three.

The Palms have to want that one back. Underdogs or not, they may walk into 2026 with that same mentality.

Full 2026 Championship Series schedule:

Friday, Feb. 27

New York Charging vs. Boston Guard, 6 p.m. ET
New York Atlas vs. Denver Outlaws, 8 p.m. ET

Saturday, Feb. 28

California Palms vs. Boston Guard, noon ET
Maryland Charm vs. New York Charging, 2 p.m. ET
Denver Outlaws vs. California Redwoods, 6:30 p.m. ET
Carolina Chaos vs. New York Outlaws, 8:30 p.m. ET

Sunday, March 1

California Palms vs. Maryland Charm, 10:30 a.m. ET
California Redwoods vs. Carolina Chaos, 12:30 p.m. ET

Thursday, March 5

Carolina Chaos vs. Denver Outlaws, 6 p.m. ET
New York Charging vs. California Palms, 8 p.m. ET

Friday, March 6

Boston Guard vs. Maryland Charm, 6 p.m. ET
New York Atlas vs. California Redwoods, 8 p.m. ET

Saturday, March 7

WLL semifinals, 2 p.m. ET
PLL semifinals, 6:30 p.m. ET

Sunday, March 8

WLL Championship, 11 a.m. ET
PLL Championship, 3 p.m. ET