The difference a year makes: Dylan Molloy carrying renewed confidence into Championship Series

Dylan Molloy walked into the 2025 Lexus Championship Series sure of one thing: He was not going to re-sign with the New York Atlas after the tournament when his contract expired.

The team had offered him a new deal, according to Molloy, but he didn’t like how the previous summer went. He had played in three of the team’s first four games – all victories – and tallied six points, but he wasn’t selected to the roster for the remainder of the season.

He felt so strongly in that stance that he was prepared for the Championship Series to be the end of his professional lacrosse career.

“After Champ Series, I didn’t really know my future,” Molloy said. “I think I was in a, if no one reaches out to me, I would potentially see what happened in the summer kind of deal. I was living in the moment. It could have been my last.”

“At my age in this league, with the track record I have had, which has not been all roses, you don’t really care,” he added. “You’ve got to take every day like it could be your last. Whether it’s injury or contract, you never know. You take it for what it is that day and move along.”

Though he was uncertain of his future, he also played carefree and without pressure. The result was an eight-point performance against the Maryland Whipsnakes in the first game of the tournament, and by the conclusion of the Championship Series, he had finished tenth in total points (18).

One year later, Molloy is heading back to the Championship Series – playing in the event for a third time – but he’s in a much different place in his career.

He parlayed his successful 2025 Championship Series run into a contract with the California Redwoods, where he became the team’s offensive leader and the league’s Comeback Player of the Year. After re-signing with the Redwoods this offseason, Molloy is more enthusiastic about this year’s tournament.

“It’s really exciting knowing I’m going to be with the Redwoods this summer, and a lot of these guys have been with the Redwoods last summer and are signed for next summer,” Molloy said. “I think it’s going to be a great opportunity for us to continue building that chemistry given we were all so new last year. I think I’m in a totally different position knowing my future, and the same with most of these players.”

Molloy has seen firsthand how the Championship Series can bring a team together. He played for the Chrome in the inaugural tournament in 2023, and he had a ton of fun. No one knew what to expect that first time out, but Molloy relished getting to play lacrosse every day and then spend time in the recovery room and hotel with his teammates.

The Chrome beat the Atlas in the championship that year, making Molloy – who had 23 points – a part of league history. It’s a cherished memory, and one the Atlas players didn’t forget when Molloy played for New York two years later.

“Those guys all gave me crap and told me I stole 15 grand from them,” Molloy quipped.

One reason Molloy believes he’s been successful in the Championship Series is that “anyone has the range to be a threat” thanks to the shorter field. His physical play also gives him an advantage, especially if he can get matched up against an opposing team’s attackman.

California head coach Anthony Kelly confirmed those advantages.

“I’m really excited to strategize and give him opportunities,” Kelly said. “He takes a pounding with long poles all summer, and now, he’s going against short sticks. I’m really excited to see what he has the ability to do for us.”

The veteran attackman has learned a few things about Sixes in the couple of times he’s had the opportunity to play. One of his takeaways was the “chaotic” pace of play; players need to be in excellent condition to be able to think clearly when getting up and down the field.

His other big takeaway was that while every team looks stacked thanks to the smaller rosters, no one truly knows what they have until they get on the field and play. That means it’s important to be flexible and adaptable, something Molloy has demonstrated with his eagerness to work on playing defense.

Still, Molloy is optimistic about the Redwoods’ chances of succeeding at the 2026 Championship Series.

“I’m very excited about having Romar [Dennis] on my team,” Molloy said. “I think [Andrew] McAdorey and [Brian] Tevlin will also be huge threats.”

“Our coaching staff is very invested and thinks through every little X and O, so I feel very confident going into [it] this time,” he added. “Maybe that’s because it’s a homier roster where we’re all familiar and not necessarily competing. We already kind of know everyone’s roles. I feel very confident about this group.”