California Redwoods 23, Carolina Chaos 21 (OT)
Box score | Game highlights | Postgame press conference
Redwoods: Danenza, McAdorey propel California to 2-0 start
The Redwoods are the only 2-0 PLL team through the first weekend of the 2026 Lexus Championship Series.
After taking down the Denver Outlaws 26-14 on Friday night, Aidan Danenza and Andrew McAdory powered California to an overtime victory over Carolina on Sunday, with Romar Dennis providing the game-winning two-pointer.
“I tried to, especially at the end there, let the game come to me,” Dennis said. “It just feels like a comfortable range to shoot from. I’m not looking down trying to shoot a two-pointer in overtime. I just learned from [Chaos goalie Austin Kaut] making saves all game and kind of giving me some data points to adjust my shot there, so I just tried to make that last one count.”
Dennis finished the game with four points (2G, 1T, 1A), but it was Danenza and McAdorey who set the pace for the Redwoods.
Danenza tallied a game-high eight points (6G, 2T) on 16 shots and scored California’s only two-point goals of regulation.
“He’s a guy that over the course of the summer, I think he got better every game,” Redwoods head coach Anthony Kelly said. “There was a point where he played early, and then we took him out of the lineup and put him back in, and I think he showed that he belonged there. He made some huge plays for us in the stretch of the summer. It was a no-brainer having him here at this event. I think he’s a young man that every time he hits the field, he’s getting more confident.”
McAdorey finished the game with seven points (3G, 4A) and was California’s best feeder Sunday afternoon.
“[McAdorey] is outstanding,” Kelly said. “Mac is very analytical. He looks at it from a coaching perspective, and he knew they were keying off on him pretty aggressively. There’s no secret he’s a weapon, and when they start keying on him, he knew it was going to open up his ability to feed, and he draws a lot of attention.”
Dylan Molloy bullied his way to a four-point outing (3G, 1A), while Michael Boehm (4G) also notched a hat trick.
Matt Knote was a brick wall in the cage. He registered with 21 saves (45.5%), including multiple clutch stops in overtime.
“I got to tip my hat to their goalie,” Chaos head coach Steven Brooks said. “Their goalie played outstanding and took saves, and then stole saves away when we had opportunities. He played phenomenal, and he kept them in the game.”
With the win, the Redwoods clinched a spot in next weekend’s knockout rounds. They’ll close out round-robin play against the New York Atlas on Friday (8 p.m. ET).
Chaos: Knobloch, Eicher and Kaut’s efforts come up just short in OT
Shane Knobloch looked so comfortable, it was almost like he was playing street lacrosse. From picking off passes with one hand in the air to putting California defenders in spin cycles, Knobloch was the heartbeat of the Chaos offense for the second game in a row.
“I feel like this [Sixes] format really benefits me a lot,” Knobloch said. “In college, I played both ways, so being able to get up and down and make plays in the middle of the field. And then play in tight spaces, but not too tight like box lacrosse. It’s basically box with bigger nets. Going against shorties is great. You don’t always get to see that in the pro level out of the midfield. I’m having a blast. I’m not going to lie. This format is really fun. It’s tiring as hell, but it’s really, really fun.”
He scored six points (5G, 1T), shot 41.7% and was a menace on the defensive end, as well, finding ways to pick off passes in the middle of the field like a free safety.
“I feel like that’s kind of a basketball thing,” Knobloch said. “If you watch a guy like Jose Alvarado in the NBA trying to bait guys a little bit, trying to play free safety, that’s where I want to make my impact in this game. Doing my part in the middle of the field. If we can get the ball back before having to get back on defense, that’s definitely ideal.”
With 12 scoring points through two Championship Series games, Knobloch is tied with Danenza for second in the race for the Golden Stick Award. Only New York’s Matt Traynor (15) has more.
But he was not the only Chaos forward to have a big day against the Redwoods.
After being a healthy scratch in Carolina’s heartbreaking 25-24 loss to the Atlas on Saturday night, Jackson Eicher was a difference-maker in his Championship Series debut. Eicher scored on 33.3% of his touches in the first half and finished with a team-high seven points (5G, 1T, 1A).
“My experience of guys flying in and then trying to play the next day, especially in this format, it’s difficult,” Brooks said. “And I’ve always seen it to be difficult. It was a hard decision [sitting Eicher on Saturday], I’ve known him since he was 12, and it hurt me to have to sit him, but I had to do what’s right for the team. We know Jackson Eicher and what he’s capable of doing. We saw that today. … He was able to come out here and showcase his ability, and that’s why we have him on our team.”
While Knobloch and Eicher shined offensively, Kaut backed them up with a record-setting performance in goal. His 25 saves (on 55.6%) were the most in a single game in Championship Series history. However, it wasn’t enough to prevent the Redwoods from capturing their second win in as many games.
“[Kaut] did everything he possibly can,” Brooks said. “We just need to do a better job of being able to, when that ball gets kicked out, we’ve got to get that thing back off the ground and put it in our sticks. We expect that shot and save, and then when that rebound trickled out, they were able to get it, and it just bought more time for them. Now the matter is, we need to crash the net.”
The Chaos have a four-day break until they face the Outlaws on Thursday at 6 p.m. ET. Sitting at 0-2 after a pair of narrow losses, they need a win to stay alive for a berth in the Championship Series semifinals.
“We understand our backs are against the wall, but it’s just win and get in, and our focus is on building off of each game,” Brooks said. “I’m just really proud of these guys and the way they fought, and they battled back in the beginning when they started to chip away at this thing. … It’s unfortunate, but we are looking forward to Thursday.”
