Redwoods player movement primer: Top priorities, needs for California

Last offseason, the California Redwoods weren’t just in rebuild mode; they were in their full reconstruction era. No team was more active making changes than the Redwoods, resulting in a new general manager, a new head coach and offensive coordinator, and 15 players at training camp who weren’t on the roster before.

New GM Joe Spallina took fliers on a number of guys from the player pool and trades; some paid off handsomely, while others didn’t make huge impacts.

After a season in which the team finished top-four in the league and reached the semifinals, the Redwoods don’t need to be as active as they were last year. That being said, the team has 18 players whose contracts expired, and there are still plenty of areas where it needs to get better.

Who are the top priorities to bring back? Where does the team need to make improvements?

Top priorities

Brian Tevlin

Tevlin is one of the best short-stick defensive midfielders in the PLL, and 2025 was his best season yet. He posted career bests in caused turnovers, assists and points while also committing the fewest turnovers in his career. He was a finalist for the George Boiardi Hard Hat Award, given to the best defensive midfielder. Tevlin’s value isn’t just in what he does on the field, though; he’s the heart and soul of the Redwoods. While he’s always led by example, head coach Anthony Kelly challenged him to step up and be a more vocal leader, and he responded, especially after fellow co-captain and SSDM Chris Merle suffered a season-ending injury in the third game of the season. Tevlin won the Jimmy Regan Teammate Award, and the Redwoods can’t afford to have him bring all of those qualities to another team.

Dylan Molloy

The Redwoods struck gold signing Molloy. He was cast aside by multiple teams in the past few years. Despite strong performances in the Championship Series in 2023 and 2025 – in 2025 with the New York Atlas, Molloy looked strong, averaging 4.5 points per game – the Atlas didn’t re-sign him as they looked to get younger. California signed him, and Molloy rewarded the faith Spallina showed him by leading the league in total goals (26) and scoring points (27) en route to winning the Comeback Player of the Year award. He proved to be a leader on the field — the team feeds off of him; it was 5-1 in games in which he tallied at least three points — and in the locker room.

Chris Fake

Throughout the season, Kelly frequently referred to Fake as a future star in the PLL, and the coaching staff gave him responsibility like one. He was tasked with guarding the opposition’s biggest and strongest attackmen; nobody in the league defended more shots from Brennan O’Neill than Fake (17). With a full season under his belt in 2024, he delivered more in 2025, setting new career highs in ground balls (16) and caused turnovers (three). The coaching staff has confidence in him, and pairing him with Cole Kastner – who can use his athleticism to guard the quicker attackmen – makes for an imposing duo at close defense.

Ryder Garnsey

An original Redwood, it might be hard to believe Garnsey just finished his seventh season of professional lacrosse. He’s bridged the gap from undrafted rookie learning from the vets to being the captain of the team. He’s been consistent, playing in every game and scoring at least 20 points for the fourth straight season. In 2025, he picked up a career-high 22 ground balls and scored some massive goals, including the one-handed game-winner against the Boston Cannons that clinched his team’s spot in the playoffs and the 2026 Championship Series.

BJ Farrare

After playing in just two games in 2024, Farrare featured in all 10 games and proved to be a versatile piece for the Redwoods. He started the season playing long-stick midfielder, but when Merle was injured, Farrare picked up a short stick to join Tevlin and Carter Rice in the rotation. Roster flexibility and versatility are important, and Farrare was a valuable asset at either position. He finished tied for third on the team with seven caused turnovers.

Areas of interest

Passer 

Though the offense improved from the previous season, a look at the Redwoods’ performance in the third quarter of the semifinals — where they were shut out, took only three shots and committed seven turnovers — shows there’s still plenty of work to be done on that side of the ball. California finished last in the league in assists (even with an end-of-season push where 40% of the team’s assist total came in the final three regular-season games) as well as last in power play percentage. California’s offense often became too reliant on one-on-one dodges, which made it a predictable group to defend. The Redwoods need more players who can swing the ball and punish defenses for sliding.

Offensive midfielders 

Andrew McAdorey was a Midfielder of the Year finalist as a rookie. He often was the spark plug when the offense stalled, and he finished with 24 points. Only one other Redwoods midfielder, Romar Dennis, hit double digits in points. Even then, Dennis’s production was volatile; though he averaged a point per game, most of those points came from two-point goals every other game. Compare that to six of the other seven teams in the league, which all had at least three midfielders with double-digit points. Different players had their moments and brought different skill sets to the table, but the Redwoods are going to need more production from their midfielders if they’re going to raise their game to the next level.

Defensive depth 

The team seems set with its top guys at each defensive position with Tevlin (provided they re-sign him) at SSDM, Jared Conners at LSM and Kastner at close defense. Season-ending injuries to Merle and Arden Cohen tested the Redwoods’ depth, however. Additionally, nine defensive players (not including three goalies) are unsigned. The team will want to ensure it secures coverage for all three defensive field positions.

Goalie 

Chayse Ierlan made improvements throughout the season and made some big saves down the stretch that helped the Redwoods preserve several victories, but the team still finished seventh in the league in scores against average (13.0) and last in save percentage (49.6%). Ierlan did enough to keep a spot on the roster; the question the Redwoods need to answer is whether he should be their starter or backup. And if it’s the latter, is there an option the team can acquire that is truly better, or would the change feel like more of a lateral move?