Waterdogs-Archers Preview
By Katie McNulty | Jun 26, 2021
Where to watch:
- Saturday, June 26
- 8:00 p.m. ET
- Live on NBCSN and Peacock
Major Matchup
Two of the best midfielders in the world going head-to-head on Saturday calls for this game's major matchup. Zach Currier, a do it all guy, and Tom Schreiber, who was voted No. 1 in the PLL top 50 last season, will battle it out Saturday night. Currier did not play in last year's game as he was out with an injury, but they both played together at Princeton in 2014. Schreiber was a senior when Currier was a freshman.
Currier has recorded 20 groundballs, five points and five caused turnovers in just three games while Schreiber is Schreiberian, as Joe Keegan would say.
Schreiberian (adj.) • Blending vision, velocity, and accuracy in a way that makes high-level passes look routine pic.twitter.com/CS9iGUk3gT
— Joe Keegan (@joekeegs) June 14, 2021
Waterdogs biggest test remains
The Waterdogs have their biggest test of the season against the Archers defense on Saturday. In two games, the Archers have allowed just 14 goals from their opponents. The Waterdogs are coming off of two crucial wins in week two, but they were both against teams who have yet to win their first games this season.
If they want to capture a win on Saturday, they have to be the same team that showed up in week two. Ryan Brown, one of the best shooters in the league, will look to continue his success when he returns home to Homewood Field. Brown scored eight points in week two after the Cannons held him to zero points in the first game.
Leading the league in shooting percentage through two weeks is none other than Mr.Reeves—or should I say, Dr. Ben Reeves. The former Tewaaraton Award winner filled in after Michael Sowers was injured in their first game of the season. Brown, Reeves and Mikie Schlosser will be toughly guarded by the Archers, so Michael Kraus is someone who can take some weight off their shoulders by setting picks for them.
Archers Goalie?
The Archers are just one of two teams who didn’t make any changes to their 25-man roster in the PLL’s bye week.Their offense and defense is already solidified—and they may be the best in the league. One question that still remains for this team: Who is the goalie?
In the season opener, it was Adam Ghitelman who got the start. He recorded an 82% save percentage, which was a career-high for him. Head coach Chris Bates said after the game that he would still use Drew Adams, but he would try to let each goalie play a full game. In game two, when the Chaos took a 6-1 lead and Adams had four saves in the first half, Bates went back to Ghitelman in the second half.
Will they go back to Adams on Sunday, or will they go to Ghitelman, who has the hot hand? It’s no question that switching in and out of halves is not easy for anyone—it gives players a tough time to get acclimated. Only time will tell what the answer is.
What’s at stake?
If the Archers win, they would be 3-0, and that’s really all you can ask for to start the season. It would also give this team the spark they need heading into next week's doubleheader in Long Island with matchups against the Chrome and the Whipsnakes.
What’s at stake for the Waterdogs is that this game is a real test if they can continue their success against one of the best teams in the league. They’re 2-1 right now, with their only loss coming to the Cannons, who are 1-2. If they win, they’re 3-1, but if they lose, they drop back to .500.
