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2022 Training Camp Journal: Part I

By Joe Keegan

PLL Analyst

May 31, 2022

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Through three days of two-a-days, all eight teams have taken huge strides. Dropped passes from Day 1 are now “one more” touch passes for dunks. Missed help defense duties have turned into smothering second slides.

All eight teams will scrimmage this afternoon prior to trimming 30-man rosters down to 25-man.

Let’s recap the first three days.

Archers LC

  • Rookie goalie Brett Dobson (St. Bonaventure) is rocking sweatpants through the 88 degree heat. He’s feeling comfortable – throwing a BTB outlet in his first practice. Austin Owens has a feature coming on Dobson soon.
  • Scott Ratliff has switched from 2 to 32 (his father’s college number).
  • Undrafted rookie Connor DeSimone (Johns Hopkins) is lighting it up dodging from X, both against shorties and poles.
  • Latrell Harris ripped a low-to-high goal in transition during a full field scrimmage. Jaw dropping. Teammates said they’d never seen Treezy – who had 18 points as a defender for the Toronto Rock this winter – drop his stick like that.

Atlas LC

  • Emma Adams finally #GotRomarOnTwitter. Follow Ro!
  • Atlas LC looks dominant. They’ve kept to themselves for six practices and zero scrimmages. But the energy has been positive and persistent.
  • Defensive coordinator Ken Clausen loves hyping up his defense and chirping the O. He coaches an opportunistic defense that pounces any time they see an opportunity for a double team.
  • Jeff Teat, Eric Law, and rookie Chris Gray (UNC) have been running together on attack during most drills.
  • Fifth overall pick Koby Smith (Towson) is one of the most skilled defensemen here. He’s throwing fakes, BTBs, and doing everything most players do with a short-stick.
  • Jack Concannon backed up JD Colarusso when he returned from injury late last summer. He’s fighting for the starting job now. Concannon made a ridiculous flurry of saves, stuffing a Mark Cockerton dunk from the doorstep while sitting on the grass.
  • Rookie Max Wayne (Christopher Newport) looks like a starter. The 6-foot-4 defenseman won DIII Player of the Year honors, and is hanging with the best pros in the league. Wayne stripped Teat cleanly on one rep – something few defenders can say they’ve done.

Cannons LC

  • Following Paul Rabil and Connor Buczek’s retirements, the Cannons’ offense has a new feel. Lots of two-man games on the wings: 2-on-2s, a 3-on-2 drill encouraging Nations looks, and 4-on-4s with two righties and two lefties.
  • Their righty/lefty field balance is nearly perfect.
  • Righties: Lyle Thompson, Ryan Drenner, Asher Nolting, Brendan Bomberry, Jake Froccaro, and Jamie Trimboli
  • Lefties: Shayne Jackson, Stephen Rehfuss, Ryan Tierney, Adam Charalmbides, and Christian Cuccinello
  • Third round pick Colin Kirst (Rutgers) arrived on Monday after playing in the Final Four on Saturday. He’s already affectionately known as “Kirsty” by the Canadian Cannons, naturally.
  • Bomberry might be Lyle Thompson’s new favorite picker. He set a beesting, rolled, and finished on the doorstep in a Monday afternoon scrimmage against Archers LC. Highlight coming soon courtesy of Nick Bailey’s hustle with the camera.

Chaos LC

  • Chaos has had a distinctly different playlist for every practice: an EDM setlist, a Rolling Stones-infused playlist, one-hit wonders, 2000s rap, 80s hits.
  • Jerry Ragonese brought two (2) pairs of Crocs to camp. An athletic pair and a casual pair.
  • There are so many new faces offensively. The righty side is thin. Ryan Smith is taking every rep – usually alongside Tommy Palasek and Bryce Wasserman. Occasionally Jarrod Neumann jumps in to rip 2s.
  • Undrafted rookie Sean Quinn (Drexel) looks strong defensively; he’s in the hunt to be Johnny Surdick’s replacement.
  • In a half-field scrimmage, the Chaos D smothered the Waterdogs O. They’re still finishing their checks, grabbing a bit, burying anyone who comes across the middle, and frustrating everyone.
  • Unfortunately – the Waterdogs D did the same to Chaos O. It was a low scoring scrimmage.
  • Jack Rowlett wore a wire for 3 minutes of gold:

Chrome LC

  • Even without numbers, it’s easy to identify who is who at Chrome camp – because Colin Heacock and John Ranagan are gassing up everyone after every rep.
  • Chrome and Redwoods met for six-on-six half field scrimmage – three O reps, three D reps.
  • Chrome D took it to Redwoods.
  • JT Giles-Harris welcomed his former Duke teammate Nakeie Montgomery to the league with a hard slide; he covered Rob Pannell step-for-step at X. The third overall pick in 2021 missed his rookie season due to an injury sustained while at Duke. He’s back – and he’s playing hard.
  • Pat Aslanian was highly coveted off the waiver wire. Chrome LC landed him; and he looks like a third lockdown short-stick alongside Will Haus and Ryan Terefenko. Aslanian flattened Sergio Perkovic on this rep:

Redwoods LC

  • The Redwoods’ offensive midfielders are taking tons of defensive reps. Could mean something, could mean nothing. At the very least, Sergio Perkovic should return to the two-way role he played in 2019.
  • Ryder Garnsey’s dyed green hair was gone before Game 6 of Celtics-Heat. I’m not saying that if Jimmy Butler’s pull-up three-pointer had fallen in Game 7, it would’ve been Ryder’s fault… but I’m also not saying that it wouldn’t have been.
  • Advanced analytics alert: Finn Sullivan averages 7 “wicked”s per practice.
  • TD Ierlan is back and healthy – taking reps against Drew Simoneau, who he used to practice against when he was in high school and Simoneau was playing professionally for the Rochester Rattlers.
  • Eddy Glazener, Matt Kavanagh, and Jack Near have stepped up as vocal leaders following Kyle Harrison’s retirement.

Waterdogs LC

  • Head coach Andy Copelan runs quick practices – and drills change by the minute
  • The ‘Dogs will run 3-on-2s. Then 3-on-2 with an on-ball pick. Then 3-on-2 with an off-ball screen.
  • Charlie Kitchen (Delaware) is dodging well. He’s a physical righty who is overpowering short-sticks and blowing shots past goalies.
  • Matt DeLuca is starting between the pipes with Dillon Ward absent.

Whipsnakes LC

  • The Whipsnakes – as you can imagine – rep fundamentals early and often. Approaches and “hello” pokes. Groundballs. Etc.
  • Their favorite drill: 1-on-1s with crowded restarts. Dodgers start in the corners, but without a 5-yard cushion. Their defender is on their hip already. Every team plays like they practice; this drill is no exception. You can see how comfortable the Whipsnakes’ alley dodgers are while being uncomfortable when they take the field on gameday.
  • Brad Smith is taking reps on attack during Zed Williams’ absence. Smith buried a fast break goal from the point during a full field scrimmage with Cannons LC. His versatility – as a finisher, feeder, dodger, attackman, or midfielder – is incredible.
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