The Philadelphia Waterdogs will host the Denver Outlaws this week Saturday Night Lacrosse.
The Waterdogs (1-0) exploded for 16 points in their season opener behind Michael Sowers’ quarterbacking from X (1G, 7A).
The Outlaws (0-2) are in need of a win to stay in the hunt in the Western Conference playoff picture.
Tune in at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN+.
Outlaws’ question mark in the cage
The Outlaws made Logan McNaney the first goalie drafted when they took him with the 11th overall pick in the 2025 College Draft. Even after re-signing Owen McElroy, Denver knew goalie was a priority position to improve in the offseason.
Through two weeks, the calls to potentially start the rookie from Maryland are growing. McElroy has underwhelmed in two starts. His 40% save rate is the lowest among full-time starters this season, and he’s allowed the second-most scores through two games.
After last Friday’s loss to the Carolina Chaos, Denver head coach Tim Soudan said the team is considering making a move in the cage.
“We drafted Logan for a reason,” Soudan said. “It’ll be something we make a decision on this week.”
McNaney came to the PLL with as robust a resume as almost any rookie goalie in league history. He’s the all-time saves leader at Maryland and won Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA Tournament when he led the Terrapins to a championship in 2022.
Philadelphia boasts one of the best offenses in the league, and Denver needs sharp play between the pipes to hold back the Waterdogs’ attack core. McNaney could be the answer in goal as soon as this week. — Topher Adams
Can Denver find the back of the net?
There is no shortage of offensive firepower in the Outlaws’ attack. From the Tewaaraton tetrad to the continued success of Dalton Young in midfield, there are options aplenty for Denver to score goals with the best of them.
But that’s not happening.
Through two weeks, the Outlaws have the lowest shooting percentage in the entire league (20.6%) and are firmly middle of the pack in scoring. They generate plenty of looks — third in the league in shots — while stars like Brennan O’Neill are playing fine.
There’s a missing link to the offense. It could be the lack of playmaking, as Denver is dead last in assists, or it could just be high-level players missing shots they can make. As the Outlaws integrate all of their new toys, perhaps the answer is mixing the parts.
Jared Bernhardt debuted at midfield, but he could slide down at attack to use his speed in different areas. O’Neill’s been the most productive attackman on the team this season, but his downhill dodging could free everyone else up from the midfield.
Logan Wisnauskas is the best pure shooter on the team, but he only has six shots and 35 touches through two weeks. Finding the right alchemy of players and getting Wisnauskas more shots and touches will go a long way in improving the offensive flow.
Last weekend, the Outlaws fell victim to Blaze Riorden’s all-time great night in goal, but Denver could’ve tested the future Hall of Famer more with its shooting performance. As the new pieces, especially Bernhardt and Pat Kavanagh, settle in, can the offense find a rhythm? — Topher Adams
JT Giles-Harris vs. Michael Sowers
What happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object?
Sowers commanded the Waterdogs’ offense to a 16-goal performance last week, recording seven assists (career high) and 41 passes (second most in his career). The team flowed through No. 22.
This week presents a new challenge for Sowers, however, with a one-on-one demon in Giles-Harris across from him.
Where Sowers shakes a defender with his quick-feet-and-go, Giles-Harris sticks with an opposing attacker and doesn’t let go. The 2022 Defensive Player of the Year utilizes his speed, hip movement and grit to work through picks to lock down the offense’s top option.
The battle between the two is going to be won or lost with how much Giles-Harris can be relied on to remain on an island. Last week, the Maryland Whipsnakes’ defenders respected Sowers and provided support that gave guys like Kieran McArdle and Jake Taylor room to work.
If Sowers gives Giles-Harris trouble early on, opening up offensive coordinator Dylan Sheridan’s weapons, it’s going to be a long day for the Outlaws. Soloing Sowers forces someone else to step up and allows the rest of the defense to focus on its matchups. — Michael Bolger
Jake Taylor’s crease play
While the light shines bright on the lead singer, Taylor is behind the curtain pulling the strings to set up a scoring opportunity.
Without the production backstage, or in this case around the crease, the Waterdogs’ best scoring performance in the Bill Tierney era wouldn’t have happened.
“Frankly, [Taylor] brings a skill set that we just didn’t have and not many people around the league have,” Sowers said. “He’s a true quarterback off the ball. The amount of times he may not be the one scoring, but he’s cutting, setting picks, doing something off-ball. What he does off-ball for us complements our pieces.”
