On Sunday, while the Maryland Whipsnakes were holding off the Boston Cannons to clinch a playoff spot, I asked on Twitter if a team composed of just rookies from the 2024 College Draft class could win a PLL championship.

It’s well-documented that not only does this class have tons of talent, but it’s also deep. A team consisting of only first-year pros could roll out a full gameday roster that rivals the league’s best. 

But would that squad be championship-caliber? Let’s take a deeper look at what an all-rookie 25-man roster could look like.

Goalie

Liam Entenmann (New York Atlas), Chayse Ierlan (California Redwoods)

I tweeted on draft day that Entenmann would be a top-three goalie as soon as he entered the PLL. Looking at the goalies around the league, I think this is already true. I'd rank him third behind Blaze Riorden and Brett Dobson, and you could make a case for him already being ahead of Dobson. Entenmann leads the league in save percentage (61.1%), and his first three professional starts went as follows: 14 saves (78%), nine saves (38%), 17 saves (68%). 

Entenmann is easily the best goalie prospect in recent memory after being a Tewaaraton Award finalist, and he has proved in his limited sample size that he could eventually become the top goalie in all of the PLL.

Ierlan would serve as a nice backup. He was inserted into Saturday's blowout loss to the Denver Outlaws and registered five saves.

Close Defense

Ajax Zappitello (Maryland Whipsnakes), Mason Woodward (Utah Archers), Marcus Hudgins (Philadelphia Waterdogs), Chris Conlin (California Redwoods)

This is a solid unit. Whipsnakes head coach Jim Stagnitta called Zappitello “our best cover guy.” Woodward, Hudgins and Conlin have all played in six-plus games for their respective teams and have fared well at the pro level.

LSM

Tyler Carpenter (New York Atlas), Jake Piseno (Denver Outlaws)

Carpenter and Piseno would make a dangerous duo in the middle of the field. Carpenter has broken out as a star with the Atlas as their primary LSM with four points and 37 ground balls. Piseno was a touted prospect who is proven at the next level and looks the part early on. Both were All-Stars this season. 

SSDM

Beau Pederson (Utah Archers), Jake Stevens (New York Atlas), Jack Koras (Maryland Whipsnakes)

This is where things get tricky. Pederson is the only “true” SSDM. Stevens and Koras are capable defenders, but they also take wings and play offense for New York and Maryland, respectively. For the sake of the roster, they will be needed defensively here but would also be as dangerous transition threats.

Faceoff

Luke Wierman (Denver Outlaws)

The top faceoff prospect in the class, Wierman has met his high expectations. Hovering around 50% and scoring three goals, he’s a solid option who can spark transition, especially with Stevens and Koras roaming the wings.

Midfield

Shane Knobloch (Carolina Chaos), Graham Bundy Jr. (Denver Outlaws), Pat Kavanagh (Boston Cannons), Alex Vardaro (Boston Cannons), Adam Poitras (Maryland Whipsnakes), Levi Anderson (Maryland Whipsnakes), Eric Dobson (Carolina Chaos), Garrett Degnon (California Redwoods)

So. Many. Options. Knobloch and Bundy Jr. have been go-to threats for their offenses. Kavanagh is dangerous as an invert option, while the others are playing meaningful minutes and contributing regularly. Maybe you could say Degnon doesn’t make the roster cut, but I love his potential as a left-handed shooter who had three goals (including a two-pointer) in his first game.

Attack

Brennan O’Neill (Denver Outlaws), Connor Shellenberger (New York Atlas), TJ Malone (Maryland Whipsnakes), Ross Scott (Carolina Chaos), Matt Brandau (Philadelphia Waterdogs)

O’Neill on the left wing, Malone at X and Shellenberger on the right wing are as good an attack unit as you’ll find anywhere. Scott and Brandau are great depth pieces who could play midfield, as well.

Overall

It’s a really good team. Entenmann is a top-three goalie in the PLL and would play in front of a good defense.

Wierman would win around 50% of the faceoffs and be a transition threat. The offense is more than capable of scoring double-digit goals each game.

Obviously, the gameday roster would fluctuate with lineup changes. The odd men out likely include Scott, Brandau, Eric Dobson and Degnon, but they would definitely suit up for more than one game throughout the season with little dropoff.

There are some guys who didn’t make the roster cut, most notably Dalton Young (M, Outlaws), Josh Zawada (A, Outlaws), Alec Stathakis (FO, Waterdogs), Jack Posey (D, Chaos) and Logan McGovern (A/M, Atlas). For defensive midfield depth, I wouldn’t mind seeing Chase Yager (Atlas) get some runs this season, as I thought highly of him coming out of college. 

Verdict

This team could definitely make the playoffs. But it lacks the depth at close defense and SSDM to win the whole thing.