How Xander Dickson’s ‘perfectly’ timed trading-card photo was a 1-in-6,000 shot
By Lauren Merola | Oct 11, 2024
The PLL 2024 Trading Card Set dropped Thursday, and it features frozen moments of the latest rookie class — with young stars like Brennan O’Neill, Connor Shellenberger and Liam Entenmann — history-makers — like Jeff Teat, the new owner of the PLL single-season points record — insert cards and authentic game-worn jersey cards.
Another card features an Atlas Bull mid-buck.
One of New York attackman Xander Dickson’s 24 goals on the year was captured by PLL photographer Nick Ieradi, and the midair rip against the Maryland Whipsnakes made it to the trading card deck.
Ieradi said he knew “right away” that he got “the shot.” So how did the millisecond of many come to be?
Ieradi positioned himself behind the net, with his camera in hand and a tight grip on the shutter. Dickson is a catch-and-shoot player who often finds a home near the crease. Rarely is the ball in his stick for multiple seconds, so Ieradi counters Dickson’s quick hands with those of his own, holding down the shutter while photographing Dickson because “there’s a pretty good chance he’s going to get the ball out of his stick quickly,” Ieradi said.
So when Dickson came across the middle of the field, sprang up and let the ball fly to the top-left corner, Ieradi was ready.
“It turned out perfectly because the photograph was through three different defenders, and capturing him in midair gave a unique perspective of how players shoot so differently in lacrosse and the level Xander plays at," Ieradi said. "He can shoot on the crease but also on the outside, and he can make shots like that."
It was the perfect shot from the 6,000 to 10,000 photos Ieradi took that day — from the players’ arrivals through the two games.
“It’s a running joke with our team about how many photos I shoot, but I never miss a moment,” he said.
Despite the sizable snap count, Ieradi tries to hone in on certain moments. Having shot PLL players since 2021, he can anticipate certain players’ reactions to different defenders and situations. Through the viewfinder, he reacts to a player’s reaction.
“Sometimes it works out, sometimes it doesn’t because the game ultimately changes every second,” he said.
On June 2 in Albany, in the line of fire of near 100-mile-per-hour shots, it worked out.
