The 2026 Lexus Championship Series faces off on Friday night. The four best teams from 2025 will descend upon the D.C. area, each with one goal in mind: to hoist that trophy on Sunday, March 8.
Every team is built a bit differently. From two-point shooting to goaltending, from speed to size, here’s the case for each team to etch its name in history as the 2026 Lexus Championship Series winners:
The case for the California Redwoods
We’ve never seen a player dominate this format — or arguably any format — of lacrosse like Romar Dennis did in 2023.
Dennis set the single-game record for most two-point goals in a game (four). And then did it again the next night. He shot 40.5% from beyond the arc – effectively shooting 81%. He won the Golden Stick Award with 34 scoring points, which we all knew was a Wilt Chamberlain-esque stat despite lacking historical context on the tournament.
When he returned in 2024, he was playing through stress fractures in his L4 and L5 vertebrae. Dennis told Redwoods beat writer Phil Shore that he’s been smarter about how he trains and prepares. With a healthier version of Dennis, this California offense will be dangerous. His gravity creates one-on-one matchups for his teammates. It isn’t only his name in the record book from that 2023 Atlas club; Bryan Costabile (28 scoring points) and Chris Gray (22) both posted top-10 all-time scoring tournaments, thanks in part to the attention Dennis drew.
How many defenses have someone strong enough to guard Dylan Molloy on an island? Explosive enough to keep up with Andrew McAdorey? Quick enough to match feet with Josh Balcarcel?
If the California Redwoods win the tournament, Romar Dennis’s range – and what it unlocks for teammates – will be the reason why.
The case for the Carolina Chaos
Speed’s role in Sixes is obvious. But strength’s role may be more important.
Big teams have fared well in this tournament. The 2023 Chrome LC sent a massive lineup, headlined by Colin Heacock (6-3, 220), Molloy (6-0, 215), Kevin Rogers (6-4, 185) and Cole Williams (6-5, 220). In 2024, Asher Nolting put on a bully ball clinic. Speed can help in the early stages of the shot clock, but to get to the paint when time is low, you need some muscle.
This 2026 Chaos club is cut from the same cloth. Williams is the common denominator between this team and the 2023 Chrome. Jackson Eicher (6-4, 220), Chris Aslanian (6-3, 205), Charlie Bertrand (6-3, 215), Ray Dearth (6-2, 205) and others join him. Offensively and defensively, this roster is built for a brawl. They have too many threats to back their way down to high-percentage shooting areas.
If the Carolina Chaos — led by first-year head coach Steven Brooks — win the tournament, it’ll be because they overpowered opponents with their physicality in the “post” area.
The case for the Denver Outlaws
Since 2023, 54.1% of Championship Series possessions have started with a save or a goal against. That means most possessions in Sixes begin with an outlet pass from the goalie.
And no goalie made a bigger impact with outlet passes in 2025 than Logan McNaney.
If the Denver Outlaws win the tournament, McNaney will be the reason why. The 2025 Oren Lyons Goalie of the Year was the engine behind the league’s fastest clearing team. On average, the Outlaws advanced the ball across midfield in 8.45 seconds; the only other team under 9 seconds was the Utah Archers.
Quick decision-making by a goalie is even more critical on a smaller field. The 2023 Chrome LC shocked the Atlas in the title game by breaking upfield as soon as shooters began their motion. Sean Sconone dished two assists in their upset victory – and changed the way that goalies approached Sixes. The 2025 Boston Cannons took it a step further: They ran after goals against. Saves can create better offense, but goals against are more common. The Cannons understood that and turned the page to the next possession faster than any team in Sixes history, scoring on 46.6% of possessions that started after a score against.
The two-point shooters make the highlights, but this might be a goalie’s tournament. Sconone (‘23) and Colin Kirst (‘24, ‘25) have led their teams to victory. Is McNaney next?
The case for the New York Atlas
In 2023, Chrome LC stunned Atlas — the tournament’s best offense — in the title game.
In 2025, the Cannons came back from trailing Atlas by three points in the final minute of the semifinals.
This organization has gotten so close. The lessons learned through those losses are their greatest asset heading into 2026.
There’s a ton of Sixes experience in this locker room. By the end of the tournament, Costabile will be the Championship Series’ all-time leader in scoring points. Myles Jones was named to the 2025 All-Tournament Team. Brian Phipps wore black-and-blue tattoos on his leg after his 2023 tournament – and still signed up for more.
For years, Atlas’ reputation was that they couldn’t find a way to win the big game. That changed in September of 2025. Now, they have a draft class featuring Matt Traynor and Max Krevsky that doesn’t know how to do anything but win. Combine that veteran experience with the rookie naivety, and you have a team that can overcome adversity in crunch-time situations.
If the New York Atlas win the tournament — and, in turn, the PLL Double — then it’s because they’ve figured out how to win when it matters most. And that’s bad news for the rest of the league.
