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What happens when you match the sport’s best players with the lightning-fast sixes discipline of the sport? The Atlas Cup.
USA Lacrosse headquarters will host the event from Sept. 26-28, featuring Canada, the Haudenosaunee Nationals, Puerto Rico and the USA in the first men’s competition to feature all of these countries together using the sixes format of the sport.
It promises to show how far the sixes discipline has come since its debut at The World Games 2022 in Birmingham, Ala., when Canada handled the U.S. in the gold medal game and the Haudenosaunee finished fifth. Puerto Rico did not participate in the World Games, but had a strong showing in sixes at the USA Lacrosse Experience in Indianapolis last fall, including a 16-14 win over Great Britain.
The Atlas Cup will also will provide a showcase for top players, longtime staples of these programs and some of the game’s emerging stars. Following is a breakdown of some of the top players slated to participate in the Atlas Cup:
Star Power: Jeff Teat just led the New York Atlas to the Premier Lacrosse League championship on Sunday, earning Championship Game MVP honors. He was the league MVP last year. He was the MVP of the World Lacrosse Box Championship in 2024. Simply put, he’s one of the very best in the sport.
On the World Stage: Dillon Ward and Canada just feel synonymous. A star in both the box and field disciplines, Ward was the MVP of the field world championship in 2014, the first goalie so honored, and he also played for Canada’s field teams in 2018 and 2023, winning silver medals each time. Ward has won two box gold medals with Canada’s national team, but was not on the roster in Birmingham in 2022. This event will give him a chance to shine in another discipline where he will play alongside another star goalie, Brett Dobson.
On the Rise: Ty Banks has drawn rave reviews in his first two years with a long pole at Georgetown. He was a second team All-American by the USILA and USA Lacrosse this spring and the Big East Defensive Player of the Year. But he can play with a short-stick as well, helping Coquitlam win back-to-back Minto Cups in box lacrosse the last two summers.
Full Roster
Ty Banks
Brett Dobson
Ty English
Willem Firth
Tre Leclaire
Cody Malawsky
Alex Marinier
Thomas McConvey
Clarke Petterson
Ross Scott
Jeff Teat
Dillon Ward
Star Power: Jake Piseno was a human highlight reel from the longstick midfield position at UAlbany, but he’s also a flat out great player. An All-World selection at the World Lacrosse U20 championship in 2022, he really burst onto the scene when he was named the Outstanding Defender at the 2023 senior world championship. The success has carried over to the PLL where he’s a two-time All-Star and was the league’s Longstick Midfielder of the Year this season.
On the World Stage: Kyle Jackson has been a fixture on the pro lacrosse scene in the MLL, NLL and PLL for the last decade – currently playing with the Albany Firewolves in the NLL and the New York Atlas in the PLL. He’s also represented the Haudenosaunee at the last two field championships (2018 and 2023), ranking fourth on the team with 13 points in 2023. He also won a silver medal with the Haudenosaunee box team in 2019.
On the Rise: Trey Deere is no stranger to Tierney Field. He played with Haudenosaunee youth teams at the Brogden Cup in international competition at USA Lacrosse. Despite his young age, he’s already been a mainstay with the Haudenosaunee Nationals, playing at the U21 championship (2022), field championship (2023) and box championship (2024). He scored 19 goals as a sophomore at Syracuse last year, playing both midfield and attack.
Full Roster
Blayze Becker
Trey Deere
Tayoni Galante
Kyle Jackson
Stone Jacobs
Ron John
Dalton Kane
Koleton Marquis
Brooker Muir
Jake Piseno
Obrigh Tallchief
Jack VanValkenburgh
*Noah Snyder
Tickets are available for the Atlas Cup from Sept. 26-28 at USA Lacrosse. Sixes action with Canada, Haudenosaunee Nationals, Puerto Rico and USA.
Star Power: Will Mark began his college career at LIU, leading the nation in saves in 2020 and 2021 before moving on to Syracuse where he earned All-America accolades in 2023 and 2024. Between the two schools, he finished his career with 911 saves, the sixth-highest total in NCAA history. Mark, who plays with the New York Atlas in the PLL, was Puerto Rico’s primary goalie at the 2023 world championship and finished with a 6.16 goals against average.
On the World Stage: A former shortstick midfielder at Maryland, Thomas O’Connell has represented Puerto Rico in each of the last two world championships. He was also in Indianapolis last year at the USA Lacrosse Experience playing in the sixes format – notching a goal and an assist in a big 16-14 win over Great Britain as part of a 2-1 showing for Puerto Rico.
On the Rise: Joshua Balcarcel was one of the surprise breakouts from the PLL’s rookie class this year, scoring seven goals for the California Redwoods. The former Marist star also had one of the league’s best-selling jerseys as he honored former Marist player Eddie Coombs, who died in a car accident in 2011, by continuing to wear the No. 34 he was chosen to wear his final two seasons with the Red Foxes. Balcarcel finished his Marist career with 76 goals, 49 assists and 66 ground balls.
Full Roster
Joshua Balcarcel
Matthew Chlastawa
Isaac Cruz
Owen Fasulka
Justin Holland
Chase Jackson
Will Mark
Russell Melendez
David Miele
Thomas O'Connell
Will Ramos
Gavin Wessel
Star Power: Fresh off winning the Most Valuable Player Award in the PLL while leading the New York Atlas to the league title, Connor Shellenberger is at the top of his game. Shellenberger led the league with 46 goals on 23 goals and 23 assists. A four-time first team All-American at Virginia, Shellenberger has previously competed with the U.S. national team leading up to the 2023 world championship. This will be his first opportunity with the U.S. sixes team.
On the World Stage: A five-time PLL All-Star, Danny Logan is also coming off of a PLL championship with the New York Atlas. Logan has been a key player with the U.S. team in every discipline, helping the field team to a world championship in 2023 and the box team to a silver medal, its best finish ever, in 2024. The Ohio native who played at Denver, has been named the shortstick defensive midfielder of the year three times in the PLL.
On the Rise: Former Maryland star Logan McNaney was named the PLL’s Goaltender of the Year following a tremendous rookie season in which he led the Outlaws to the PLL title game. He had a 58.3 save percentage and was the first rookie to earn the league’s top goalie nod. McNaney, who played in four NCAA title games at Maryland with a national championship in 2022, helped fuel the Outlaws charge after the team dropped their first two games of the season.
Full Roster
Jack Hannah
Colin Kirst
Danny Logan
Coulter Mackesy
Logan McNaney
Mac O'Keefe
Beau Pederson
Connor Shellenberger
Ryan Terefenko
Logan Wisnauskas
Two additional injury replacements will be named
Brian Logue has worked at USA Lacrosse since 2000 and is currently the senior director of communications. He saw his first lacrosse game in 1987 - Virginia at Delaware - and fell in love with the sport while working at Washington and Lee University.
