Maryland Whipsnakes 16, Denver Outlaws 9

Adam Lamberti: Whipsnakes stay hot, win regular-season finale

You’re looking at the hottest team in the PLL right now.

After a slow start to the game, the Whipsnakes pulled away in the second half to win their fourth straight.

TJ Malone continued his case for Rookie of the Year with six points (4G, 2A). Ryan Conrad had a hat trick in his debut after the Whipsnakes acquired him this week in a trade. Joe Nardella is continuing to play at his 2020 MVP level, winning 65% of his faceoffs and scoring two goals. Rookies Adam Poitras and Levi Anderson had two goals apiece and are playing fantastic lacrosse. Zed Williams has scored in every game this season and is so difficult to stop. I could go on.

I’ve been saying all year that this team can be dangerous if it hit its full potential, specifically offensively, and we’re seeing everything come together now.

The Whipsnakes have done their part to try to nab the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference, but the New York Atlas will likely lock that up, as they just need to win one of their next two games.

With a bye next weekend, the Whipsnakes will hope they can carry this positive momentum into the playoffs. If they can keep playing like this, they’ll be awfully hard to beat in September.

Up next for Maryland: Bye week

Topher Adams: Denver is not a championship team right now

For two quarters, this was a lively and competitive lacrosse game. Each team went on runs, and the action was fast and flying through the middle of the field. While Maryland held a one-goal lead, Denver looked poised to compete in its first Homecoming game.

In the third quarter, everything slipped away for the Outlaws. The defense was a step behind every dodge. The offense just missed passes or took a second too long to initiate a dodge. By the start of the fourth quarter, Denver trailed by five. and the Whipsnakes never looked back.

Brennan O’Neill and Graham Bundy Jr. are the heartbeat of the Outlaws offense, and neither did much of anything outside of one wicked O’Neill highlight. 

A pattern has emerged down the stretch of this season. When Denver faces a lesser opponent, it takes care of business and looks unstoppable. When the Outlaws face the best teams in the league, they look outclassed.

There’s no shame in being the best of the rest, but unless something changes in the last two games of the season, Denver doesn’t look like a serious contender yet.

Up next for Denver: vs. Carolina Chaos (Saturday, Aug. 10, 7 p.m. ET)

California Redwoods 13, Philadelphia Waterdogs 12 (OT)

Jerome Taylor: So you’re saying there’s a chance

In order to make the Cash App Playoffs, the Redwoods came into Denver needing to win their remaining two games and overcome a 32-point scoring differential—a tall task. 

They’ll be leaving Denver with a 3-6 record, after Wes Berg (2G) put one past Matt DeLuca in overtime at his alma mater.

“It’s a reason Wes is on the wall here," Redwoods head coach Nat St. Laurent said. "He’s got a national championship, and he’s won at every level played at. It’s because he’s a winner, and we’re going to get him the ball every time we can in crunch time." 

Now with a -31 scoring differential, the Woods’ chances of making the playoffs are as thin as a twig.

It wasn’t the blowout they were looking, for but the Woods got experimental against the Waterdogs. It started with BJ Farrare, who was signed earlier this week, picking up his first career point, an assist in transition, showing off the prowess that made him a 2023 training camp favorite. 

It felt like Rob Pannell (1G, 3A) played more above cage in this game than the entire time he’s donned a Redwoods uniform. Nakeie Montgomery played exclusively offense, and he rewarded the Woods with two points (1G, 1A). Ryder Garnsey (2G, 1A) was bumped to the midfield during the game. And the midfield in general had a good day as Charlie Bertrand (3G) and Romar Dennis (2G, 1T) tallied three points apiece.

With the playoffs seemingly out of the question for either team, a hard-fought, sometimes sloppy game highlighted the professionalism and pride that players in the PLL have.

With the Utah Archers, who could be fighting for the No. 1 seed, on the docket next week, the path to 4-6 looks dim. That said, it’s another opportunity for this Redwoods roster to continue to experiment and find some things that could work next year. 

Up next for California: vs. Utah Archers (Friday, Aug. 16, 8 p.m. ET)

Wyatt Miller: Waterdogs fall to 0-5 in one-score games with overtime loss

The Waterdogs were 0-4 in one-score games entering this matchup. They’re now 0-5. They led 11-9 heading into the fourth quarter but lost 13-12 in overtime.

"I thought for three quarters we were the better team... but give the Redwoods credit for hanging in there,” said head coach and general manager Bill Tierney. “But when you're in a season like this, no matter what happens things tend to go wrong."

After two turnovers in overtime, the Redwoods won it on a spectacular goal from Denver alum Berg on the field of his alma mater and against his college coach, Tierney. With this loss, the Waterdogs fell to 1-8 and secured the No. 1 pick in next year’s college draft. 

This was a new-look Waterdogs team, though. After being eliminated from playoff contention last week, the Waterdogs mixed things up Friday night. Instead of the usual offense, Tierney gave the nod to some non-regulars, and they made an impact. 

Veteran Mikie Schlosser along with rookies Michael Boehm and Matt Brandau all played and got on the scoreboard. Boehm, who had two assists, started at attack in place of a struggling Ethan Walker, and his proclivity for playing behind the cage opened up some different looks for the offense. Michael Sowers found passing lane after passing lane from above goal line expected and brought the Waterdogs offense back from the dead after they scored just six points a week ago. His four assists were a catalyst for the Dogs.

The Waterdogs have started looking toward the future, and they got some production from fresh faces in pursuit of that, but it ended in a familiar one-score loss.

Up next for Philadelphia: vs. New York Atlas (Saturday, Aug. 17, 6:30 p.m. ET)