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Top takeaways as Cannons clinch playoff spot, Redwoods notch needed win

By PLL Beat Writers | Jul 27, 2024

Boston Cannons 12, Denver Outlaws 10

Sarah Griffin: Cannons’ comeback win secures their spot in the playoffs

As the old saying goes, it’s not about how you start, it’s how you finish. 

It was a roller coaster of emotions for the Cannons in their West Coast battle with the Outlaws, but the Boom Squad took care of business and became the first team in the league to clinch a playoff spot in the 12-10 victory. 

Entering halftime, the Cannons trailed the Outlaws 9-5. Every weakness Boston possesses was on full display in the first two quarters. It wasn’t shooting the ball well, the defense was giving Denver too many opportunities in the middle and Mike Manley essentially shut out the quarterback of the Cannons’ offense in Asher Nolting, holding him to just one point (1A) in the first half. 

But as we’ve seen so many times from this Cannons team this season, they’re never out of a game. 

Head coach Brian Holman said truthfully, they didn’t make that many major adjustments at the half. It was more so just about getting back to the basics of Cannons ball. 

Boston came out ready to roll in the second half, going on a 5-0 run in the third. With Jesse Bernhardt out for the remainder of the game after suffering a shoulder injury late in the second quarter, Denver’s defense never quite recovered from his absence. Nolting broke away from Manley, cashing in three points (2G, 1A) in the third quarter alone. 

Marcus Holman (3G, 1A) and Matt Campbell (2G, 1T, 1A) each matched Nolting’s four points to elevate Boston’s offense to its third straight win. And though there weren't as many twos in the game as we’re used to seeing from the Cannons, Campbell’s two-pointer in the first quarter officially tied the record previously held by the Maryland Whipsnakes for the most by a PLL team in a season (15). 

Overcoming a four-goal deficit at the half, this was the second comeback win of the season for the Cannons. They don’t trail often, but when they do, they’ve proven time and time again they know how to respond. 

Ethan Rall emphasized the importance of games like Saturday’s after the win.

”It’s good to have these different kinds of games,” he explained.

Rall said the team recently discussed why not always leading in a game can sometimes be a good thing — they’re more battle-tested because of it. 

With a playoff spot on lock, the work isn’t anywhere near done for Boston. Now it’ll be all about finishing strong in its two remaining games of the regular season and watching how the Eastern Conference shakes out over the next few weeks. 

Up next for Boston: vs. Maryland Whipsnakes (Sunday, Aug. 4, 3 p.m. ET)

Topher Adams: Jesse Bernhardt’s injury too much to overcome

Denver played a near-perfect first half. The offense was humming behind five Brennan O’Neill points. The defense was pressing out and aggressively challenging Boston’s offense. The Outlaws led by four heading into the half, and all the momentum was on their side.

Then Bernhardt was pushed out of bounds and fell awkwardly to the ground. With its captain and defensive organizer on the sideline with a shoulder injury, Denver couldn’t recover.

The shorthanded Outlaws lost their defensive punch, and the Cannons roared in the third quarter. Boston outscored Denver 7-1 in the second half and cruised to the victory. Bernhardt’s injury took the wind out of the team’s sails, but the offense really struggled down the stretch.

After taking over early, O’Neill was shut out in the second half. Flamethrower Graham Bundy Jr. was scoreless all game. As the clock approached zero, the Outlaws kept trying to find answers, but they never passed the test. Dalton Young scored the only goal of the second half for Denver.

So much of what the Outlaws did well last week fell apart in the second half. The offense went dry. Owen McElroy had his worst start between the pipes before getting pulled for Sean Sconone in the fourth quarter. Luke Wierman went just 9-for-23 at the faceoff stripe.

Through two quarters, this looked like a continuation of everything Denver does well. By the end, it’s a reminder of the Outlaws' many remaining flaws. 

Up next for Denver: vs. California Redwoods (Saturday, Aug. 3, 3:30 p.m. ET)

California Redwoods 10, Carolina Chaos 8

Jerome Taylor: Redwoods outshine Chaos in chippy Homecoming clash

This game was circled on the calendar the moment the schedule came out in the spring, and after Saturday, we can add another chippy Chaos-Woods matchup to the rivalry’s lore.

There was pushing, shoving, chirping and big hits from both sides. But in the end, California love was in the air, and the Redwoods picked up their second win of the season, giving the hometown fans their best performance of the year.

"I think this was the best home crowd we've seen yet," Rob Pannell said about the turnout at Torero Stadium. "Tons of green in the stands. … It felt like it was a California crowd tonight. I think on the East Coast, there's fans of other teams. Here in California, if you're here you're a fan of the California Redwoods, and it felt that way, and it translated over to the field.”

The star of the game was Jack Kelly, making 13 saves (65%), including two from behind the arc in Carolina’s last possession. Oh, and he moved up the career saves leaderboard.

Defensively, the C's (Chris Conlin, Chris Fake, Arden Cohen and Jared Conners) contained and disrupted the Chaos offense all game, causing five turnovers collectively, punctuated by a Conners (1G, 1CT, 3GB) “pick-six.”

"He's special. I really think he's the best in the game at that position," Redwoods head coach Nat St. Laurent said. "You just never get the sense that you're out of a play when there's a ground ball. … We always feel like if there's a 50-50 ground ball, we always feel like we have a chance of getting that ball if Jared's out there, and he showed why today."

On the other end of the field, Cali resident Romar Dennis made the most out of Homecoming weekend, netting two two-pointers in the first half to provide the Woods with early momentum. 

In the second half, juice goals were abundant, as Conners, Ryder Garnsey (1G, 1A), Chris Merle (1G) and Cole Kirst (1G) pumped goals, each adding some form of excitement to the game. 

TD Ierlan dominated his matchup, going 14-for-18 at the stripe (78%) and bouncing back from last week’s poor outing. 

Even in wins, however, there are still lessons to be learned. The Woods still seemed unorganized on offense at times, especially in the second half, as Kirst and Garsney were the only two offensive players to score in the game’s final two frames. 

But now sitting at 2-4, the Woods playoff prospects look a lot better than they did last week. It’ll still be an uphill battle, but a win against the Maryland Whipsnakes could see them leave Homecoming weekend tied with Denver and Carolina in the win column and with the same number of losses as Chaos. 

Up next for California: vs. Denver Outlaws (Sunday, Aug. 3, 3:30 p.m. ET)

Hayden Lewis: Shane Knobloch’s breakout performance isn’t enough to power Carolina past California

After scoring an overtime-winning goal against the Maryland Whipsnakes in Fairfield, it looked like Shane Knobloch was coming into his own.

Knobloch solidified himself as a potent member of the offense in Carolina’s 10-8 loss to the Redwoods on Saturday, recording four points (3G, 1T). Knobloch did it in bully-like fashion, working to find his spots over the field and he attacked short-stick defensive midfielders to make the California defense pay a few times.

“We knew he was the guy that we wanted based on what we lost over the course of the season and based on the direction that we wanted to go,” Chaos head coach and general manager Andy Towers said about Knobloch. “He delivered in a huge way last week and he delivered again in a huge way this week.”

The defense allowed the Chaos offense to go out and win the game, but they failed to capitalize on chances. The offense shot 7-for-43 on the day (16.3%). The season has been marked by long scoring droughts on offense, and everything stayed the same Saturday against the Redwoods.

“We should be able to win a game where you let up 10 goals,” said Towers. “I’m biased, I think we’re the best defense in the league and we’re an inexperienced offense that’s gaining a little bit more experience each week.”

The Chaos are building up for a playoff push that got harder with their loss to the Redwoods. Next week's matchup with the Utah Archers will display the new experience the offense has in store.

Up next for Carolina: vs. Utah Archers (Sunday, Aug. 4, 5:30 p.m. ET)

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