Atlas Save Season with Homecoming Weekend Sweep on Long Island

The New York Atlas took care of business during their homecoming weekend, fully changing their 2026 summer outlook in the process.

Here’s a recap of all the action from Long Island.

ATLAS COME BACK TO BEAT CANNONS

Score: New York Atlas 12, Cannons 11

Stat of the Game: Liam Entenmann made 17 saves, stopping 60.7 percent of the 30 shots on goal he faced.

Recap: The Atlas trailed the Cannons for more than 44 minutes before a Bryan Costabile two-pointer gave New York an 11-10 lead with 3:25 left in the game. Boston answered with a Graydon Hogg goal 25 seconds later and drew a one-minute penalty on the play.

New York gained possession on the ensuing faceoff while down a man but wasn’t content with simply killing the penalty. With the shot clock winding down, Connor Shellenberger dodged Hunter Smith from behind the cage and connected with Xander Dickson on the eventual game-winning goal.

“We didn’t have our best stuff on offense to start. Fortunately, [Entenmann] was on his game,” New York coach Mike Pressler said. “I called it a ‘Division I gut job.’ They wanted it so badly.”

The win came on the same day  the team celebrated its 2025 PLL championship with a banner unveiling before the game. Entenmann explained that New York used the celebration to reflect on the adversity the team faced and how it responded leading up to its 2025 title.

“We were 1-2 to start the season last year and 1-3 to start the season this year,” Entenmann said. “We had relatively similar starts, and we kept rebounding … took one opponent at a time. We got back to that tonight.”

The Cannons found themselves on the losing end of a game in which they outshot New York 52-27. On Boston’s final shot, Marcus Holman was inches away from tying it. With 18 seconds left, Holman took a shot that hit two pipes before hitting the goal line and bouncing out. Replay review confirmed that the ball didn’t fully cross the goal line, securing the win for the Atlas.

While Holman’s shot didn’t lead to a goal, the veteran’s hat trick moved him within 25 goals of former teammate John Grant Jr.’s professional field lacrosse record of 393 goals.

“[Marcus] hasn’t lost one inch of passion for this game and this team,” Boston coach Brian Holman said.

“It rubs off on you. He plays like he’s 10 years old in the backyard every time he puts on a helmet,” Connor Kirst said.

“We ask a lot of Marc,” Brian Holman said. “Organize [the rookies]. Get them where they’re supposed to be. And oh, by the way, you need to score three to four goals for us to be any good. But that’s what great players do. And they do it with a love for their team and the game.”

DYLAN MOLLOY’S RECORD-TYING 7 GOALS FUEL REDWOODS

Score: California Redwoods 16, Utah Archers 14

Stat of the Game: Dylan Molloy notched nine points against Utah, including a PLL-record-tying seven goals. He saved the best for last, going behind-the-back for his final goal, which earned him the second spot on SportsCenter’s Top 10 plays.

Recap: High praise of Molloy came from an unlikely source.

"He’s the closest thing to John Grant Jr. we've seen since John Grant Jr. retired," Utah goalie Brett Dobson said.

Molloy paired his seven goals with two assists.

“That’s crazy. [Grant Jr.] did way wilder things,” Molloy said in response to the comparison. “I’ll take that. That’s very nice of Dobson. John Grant Jr. is a legend.”

Molloy’s biggest plays came in the fourth quarter. California trailed 12-10 entering the final period, but Molloy quickly reversed the Redwoods’ fortunes. He scored two goals and assisted a Chris Kavanagh two-point goal all within a nearly two-minute span to open the quarter. California traded goals with Utah after that but never relinquished its two-goal lead.

“We let Dylan keep doing what he was doing and made a few adjustments around him [in the second half]. The two-pointer that Kav was able to put in was massive,” California coach Anthony Kelly said. “It broke them a little bit in that moment, and we were able to finish it off.”

Molloy’s best performance in a PLL uniform came in his 11th pro season. When asked how he has kept his spark at this point in his career, Molloy said, “I don’t think you ever lose it.”

“You see these guys come out of college and they’re young and hungry. I have to keep up with these guys — not with the speed, but the work ethic,” Molloy said. “But scoring goals is fun, so working hard isn’t that bad.”

Phil Shore recently chronicled Molloy’s journey off the field, becoming a new dad prior to the start of the season. It was only fitting the Long Island native had a nine-point performance on Father’s Day weekend with his daughter in attendance.

“I think he shelled out for being a local guy and playing for his daughter,” Kelly said. “He should be really proud of his effort tonight, and it’s cool seeing the dad that he’s becoming.”

Despite the loss, the Archers offense once again received contributions from its rookies.

Leo Johnson led the team with four goals, Ryan Stines contributed three points, and first-overall pick Aidan Maguire recorded his first career point with an assist on a Piper Bond two-point goal in the third quarter.

After the game, Utah coach Chris Bates praised Johnson’s game in particular.

“He has a high IQ. He’s a lacrosse rat. He’s fun to be around because he loves the game so much,” Bates said. “We’re gaining confidence in him and he’s gaining confidence. It was nice to see his success.”

NEW YORK RALLIES TO DEFEAT WHIPSNAKES

Score: New York Atlas 16, Maryland Whipsnakes 14

Stat of the Game: Shellenberger recorded 10 points across New York’s two games, with eight of them coming when the Atlas were tied or trailing.

Recap: New York sports are having a moment. Shellenberger met that moment.

“He’s our [Jalen] Brunson,” Hugh Kelleher told Atlas beat writer Jared Valluzzi after Shellenberger’s six-point performance in New York’s 16-14 win over Maryland.

Kelleher compared Shellenberger’s late-game heroics to that of the New York Knicks point guard and 2026 NBA Finals MVP.

“[Late in games] is when [Shellenberger] shows up and plays his best ball,” Kelleher said.

New York secured its second win of the weekend and once again erased a deficit to do so. The Whipsnakes went up 6-0 and led 10-3 late in the second quarter before Kelleher finally stopped the bleeding with an Atlas goal in the final two minutes of the period. Costabile scored 26 seconds later, and Shellenberger found the back of the net with 11 seconds left in the quarter, giving New York some much-needed momentum heading into halftime.

Shellenberger quickly picked up where he left off, scoring a goal to open the third period, assisting on a Costabile two-pointer and then tying the score with another goal of his own. The 2025 PLL MVP’s three goals and three assists Saturday was his best performance of the season.

“Connor’s been very disappointed with his play the last couple of weeks,” Pressler said. “He was determined to right the ship. He rose to the occasion.”

It was a group effort from the Atlas offense, as Costabile and Xander Dickson each finished with four points and former Whipsnake Matt Rambo tallied two goals. Rambo scored the first goal of the game for New York, and his second goal gave the Atlas a 15-13 lead over his former team late in the fourth quarter. He also set a pick to free up Shellenberger on the goal right before the halftime.

“Top to bottom, they were great team wins,” Rambo said. “When we needed a stop, our defense got a stop. When we needed a goal, our offense got a goal.”

Pressler made it known Friday that New York was focused on finishing the weekend with two wins. Following Saturday’s victory, he spoke of the “adversity” that New York faced throughout the weekend, including losing Danny Logan to injury following Friday’s game.

“All three captains were out of the lineup: Trevor [Baptiste], [Jeff] Teat and Danny Logan,” Pressler said. “We challenged the guys to suck it up, and the Bulls certainly did it.”

The pair of wins put the Atlas right back in the mix in the East at 3-3 and was also a missed opportunity for the now 3-2 Whipsnakes to take a commanding conference lead. While Maryland started strong, the Whipsnakes’ first six scores were during unsettled moments. The offense struggled to find its rhythm in settled situations as the game progressed and finished with seven shot clock violations — five of which came in the second half.

“We had some timely and costly turnovers,” Maryland coach Jim Stagnitta said. “We have to do a better job in the 32-second shot clock. We won a bunch of faceoffs but didn’t execute well enough in that aspect of the game.”

Rob Pannell, who led the team with six points in his return to Long Island, echoed Stagnitta’s sentiments.

“We didn’t respond in a way that was indicative of the team that we are,” Pannell said. “We got away from what made us successful in the first half and what’s made us successful all season long.”