Box Breakthrough: Americans Have Positive Momentum in NLL

The National Lacrosse League’s launch of NLL+ last week is aimed in part at growing the global market for the league. But there’s no question that commissioner Brett Frood wants to increase the visibility of the league within the United States.

He might get his wish with a convergence of positive momentum around the box game in the U.S. as the league starts its 2024-25 season Friday night.

For starters, Brennan O’Neill, one of the most talented lacrosse players in years, will be a rookie. O’Neill, the 2023 Tewaaraton Award winner at Duke and the MVP of the men’s world championship in San Diego the same year, was the No. 1 pick in the NLL Draft, heading to Philadelphia.

The Long Island native has limited box experience but has showcased his potential in the preseason.

The U.S. Men’s Box National Team is also coming off its best finish ever, capturing silver at the World Lacrosse Box Championships in Utica, N.Y., in September. The team captured attention through ESPN coverage of the event and interest is further demonstrated by the release of a trading card set earlier this month.

O’Neill, who was not part of that U.S. team, will make his debut Sunday when the Wings head to San Diego in a game featuring many of the top U.S. players in the NLL.

In addition to O’Neill, the Wings roster includes two of the U.S. national team captains, Joe Resetarits and Blaze Riorden, along with Patrick Foley, a two-year regular with Panther City that the Wings picked up in the offseason.

Resetarits is the top American scorer in NLL history and led the U.S. box team with 30 points (11G, 19A). After back-to-back 100-plus point seasons in 2022 and 2023, Resetarits just missed the mark in 2024 with 95 points. He has 750 points over his 13 seasons.

Riorden is one of the most unique athletes in professional sports. He’s an All-World goalie in the field game and a dependable scorer in the box game. A consummate teammate, he had 10 goals in the U.S. team’s silver medal run and is coming off a 42-point season with the Wings in 2024. He had a career-best 73 with the Wings in 2023.

They’ll go against a San Diego team including two players from the U.S. silver medal team — Eli Gobrecht and Danny Logan — along with faceoff legend Trevor Baptiste, who also has a decorated national team history.

Baptiste won 72 percent of his draws in the last year and has dominated in the field game, earning PLL MVP honors in 2022. He’s won two gold medals with the U.S. field team (2018 and 2023) and a bronze with the U.S. box team (2019).

Gobrecht and Logan provided toughness to the U.S. defense with Logan playing through an injury in the tournament. Gobrecht has been a key contributor the last four seasons in San Diego, while Logan, a gold medalist on the 2023 U.S. field team, was an NLL All-Rookie team selection in 2023.

That opening weekend game will showcase some of the top Americans in the NLL this season, but there are plenty more to keep an eye for the 2025 season. Here’s some of the best:

TOM SCHREIBER, TORONTO

One of the most successful American field-to-box conversions ever, Schreiber has missed the last two box championships for the U.S. due to injury. The NLL’s Rookie of the Year in 2017, he set a Toronto record with 116 points in 2023, including a 15-point effort against New York. Schreiber, who has won two gold medals with the U.S. in field lacrosse (2018, 2023) and a silver with the U.S. sixes team at the World Games (2022), has 549 points in his first seven NLL seasons.

CONNOR FIELDS, ROCHESTER

Fields’ father is Canadian, and he has played for Canada in world championship competition, but he was born in the U.S. and has played the majority of his career in the USA. A human highlight reel who is one of the most talented players in the world, Fields was a second-team All-NLL selection in 2024 after he scored a career-high 120 points, topping 100 points for the second straight year. He was also a second-team All-NLL selection in 2023.

RYAN TEREFENKO, HALIFAX

Terefenko is a lacrosse player’s lacrosse player. Over the last two seasons, he’s combined for 15 goals, 26 assists and 351 loose balls while bringing physicality to the defensive end of the floor. Terefenko was a key player on the 2024 U.S. box team and won gold with the field team the summer before as a short-stick defensive midfielder.

JACK HANNAH, LAS VEGAS

Hannah is one of the sport’s emerging stars. Hannah earned All-World honors at the World Lacrosse Box Championship, leading the team with 15 goals through some deadly outside shooting. A 2023 NLL Rookie of the Year finalist and All-Rookie selection, Hannah was even better in 2024, finishing second on Las Vegas in scoring with 76 points on 29 goals and 47 assists.

CONNOR KIRST, LAS VEGAS

Like Hannah, Kirst earned All-World honors at the world championship and scored the game-winning goal in the U.S. team’s 12-11 win over the Haudenosaunee in the semifinals. His size is a big weapon, and he’s scored double-digit goals each of the last two years for Vegas while topping 100 loose balls both years, too.

JOE NARDELLA, ALBANY

Nardella, who missed the 2023 NLL and PLL seasons following an injury during tryouts for the 2023 U.S. field team, came back in a major way in 2024. In the NLL, he won a career-best 68 percent of faceoffs while helping Albany reaching the NLL finals. He then helped the Maryland Whipsnakes reach the PLL championship game and completed the year helping the U.S. box team win silver for the first time ever. Nardella won 25 of 27 faceoffs against the Haudenosaunee in the U.S. team’s key semifinal victory.

ETHAN O’CONNOR, ROCHESTER

O’Connor started 2024 by earning U.S. citizenship after living in the United States for the last 15 years. He ended it winning a silver medal with the U.S. box team after missing the 2019 championship due to injury. O’Connor is entering his 10th year in the league in 2025 and has won a pair of championships, winning with Georgia in 2017 and Buffalo in 2023. This is his second year with the Knighthawks.

TIM EDWARDS, COLORADO

Edwards had a big year in 2024, helping the U.S. box team to silver as one of its captains. A do-it-all player, Edwards was Colorado’s primary faceoff specialist in 2024 while adding 10 points and 14 caused turnovers. He’s won over 1,300 faceoffs in his seven-year NLL career.

CONNOR KELLY, COLORADO

Finally in a position to thrive on the same roster in consecutive seasons, Kelly could be poised for a breakout. He had 64 points to rank second on Colorado last year and has 187 points in his first four NLL seasons. He did not play for the U.S. box team in 2024 but won a gold medal with the field team in 2023.

T.J. COMIZIO, GEORGIA

Comizio has thrived since picking up the box game coming out of Villanova. The New Jersey native earned his way onto Georgia’s roster following the pandemic and has been a dual threat on offense and defense. He was a star on the U.S. defense during the box championship, and his speed and field awareness helped ignite the U.S. offense.