PLL Quarterfinal Recap: Outlaws, Cannons Advance to Semifinals

The 2026 Premier Lacrosse League playoffs featured a pair of thrilling one-possession games, with the Denver Outlaws and Boston Cannons surviving. The California Redwoods and Maryland Whipsnakes each had chances to tie their games in the final seconds, but the Denver and Boston defenses shut the door.

OUTLAWS SURVIVE REDWOODS RALLY

Score: Denver Outlaws 15, California Redwoods 14

Stat of the Game: Pat Kavanagh recorded six points in his return to the lineup, scoring two goals and registering four assists. One of his assists was to former Notre Dame teammate Jake Taylor in their first professional game together.

Recap: Early on, it looked like Denver would coast to another multi-goal playoff win over California, but a rally by the Redwoods kept the game interesting. Denver held on for a 15-14 win thanks to a defensive stand and secured its spot in the Western Conference championship game for the second straight season.

The Outlaws will face the Utah Archers in Salt Lake City on Labor Day.

“It was your stereotypical playoff lacrosse game. Everyone’s going on a run of their own, and it’s about who can stop the run at the end and answer,” Kavanagh said. “Just a gutsy win … we made a play at the end when it mattered.”

The Outlaws jumped to an early lead thanks in large part to Kavanagh’s four points and Brennan O’Neill’s three goals. Denver led 12-7 at halftime, prompting California to replace Dillon Ward with rookie Ryan Croddick.

“I told the guys you don’t get second chances, but you get a second half,” said California head coach Anthony Kelly, who revealed he made other adjustments in addition to playing Croddick.

Those adjustments proved effective as the Redwoods held the Denver offense in check for much of the third quarter. Following a Denver goal that made it 13-7 midway through the third period, California went on a 6-1 run to pull within a goal with six minutes left. The run was partially propelled by three Denver penalties, two of them offside calls, with Dylan Molloy scoring all three power play chances.

With 86 seconds left, Jared Bernhardt ended the scoring drought to give Denver a two-goal cushion. The Outlaws’ fourth penalty of the quarter gave California another power play opportunity, and Molloy scored his sixth goal of the game against his former team to make it 15-14.

TD Ierlan won the ensuing faceoff with 30 seconds left and give California a chance to tie. Chris Kavanagh fed Finn Thomson on the crease, and Thomson’s attempt narrowly missed. Molloy retrieved the ball from the endline, and while guarded by Mike Manley, made a final attempt to tie it. A quick double team from Ben Randall led to a turnover that secured the win for the Outlaws.

“[Manley] had his hands full with the big boy Molloy today, but he answered at the end and got a little support from Randall … He’s an animal,” Denver coach Tim Soudan said.

Soudan added that trading a third-round pick for Randall was one of the best decisions he’s made.

For California, it was another loss to Denver that ended its season.

“We were a little late to the party. Can’t win a game by playing a good half of lacrosse; you have to play a good game of lacrosse,” Kelly said. “I’m proud of how we battled. We got a good look at the end, but there are winners and losers in games. This one hurts.”

CANNONS STIFLE WHIPSNAKES IN LOW-SCORING SLUGFEST

Score: Boston Cannons 9, Maryland Whipsnakes 7

Stat of the Game: Boston long-stick midfielder Ethan Rall scooped up a team-leading seven ground balls, scored one goal and caused three turnovers, including one on the Whipsnakes’ second-to-last possession.

Recap: A year after losing to the Whipsnakes and missing the playoffs, the Cannons advanced to the Eastern Conference championship game following a 9-7 win. The win was Boston’s fourth straight and seventh since starting the season 1-4. The win punched the Cannons’ ticket to the semifinals for a matchup with the Philadelphia Waterdogs on Labor Day.

“We’re a bunch of grinders ... I’m so proud of these guys. [We were] 1-4 and everyone wrote us off, but [the team] didn’t, and that’s all that matters,” Boston coach Brian Holman told ESPN sideline reporter Annabelle Hasselbeck.

Maryland’s Christian Mazur started the scoring, but the Cannons responded with a four-goal run in the first quarter. They had a 6-3 lead at halftime and added three more in the third to go up 9-4 entering the fourth quarter.

Marcus Holman appeared to put the game on ice with a diving goal less than three minutes into the final period, but the goal was disallowed after replay review revealed he landed in the crease before the ball crossed the goal line.

That opened the door for the Whipsnakes to score three straight and make it a one-possession game with less than five minutes remaining. Following a timeout, Maryland had the ball with a little more than two minutes remaining and a chance to pull within a goal or tie, but Rall blew up the possession before it even started, causing TJ Malone to turn the ball over and giving Boston possession.

“It’s rinse and repeat with Ethan. He’s the best LSM in the league,” Brian Holman said. “He just brings it every day, every practice, every meeting, every Zoom. That’s why he’s great.”

The Cannons ran the clock down to under 30 seconds, but Maryland had one final chance to tie it. A strong play design during the timeout gave rookie Joey Spallina a quality chance from beyond the arc. Spallina’s shot likely would have found the bottom-left corner had Boston goaltender JC Higginbotham not made an incredible off-stick side save as the final seconds expired.

The save was one of 12 that Higginbotham made in his first career playoff start. He also had a couple of highlight-worthy stops on the doorstep in the second quarter. Despite Boston scoring fewer than 10 goals for only the first time all season, Higginbotham and the defense delivered, holding the opponent to single digits for the third time in the last four games.

For the Whipsnakes, it was their third first-round exit in the last four seasons. The loss was also potentially the final game of Rob Pannell’s career. The 14-year veteran was notably emotional following the game but wasn’t ready to confirm whether he’d retire this offseason.

“I’m not going to say anything right now. I have my wife over there and a baby due in November, so looking forward to that now, Pannell said. “I don’t know what the future holds, but this game has been great to me. These last few years with the Whipsnakes have been great. I love the sport. I love competing. It’d be tough to leave this locker room behind knowing how great they are. We’ll see what happens. It’s been a good 14 years.”

Pannell and possibly a couple of other Maryland veterans’ potential retirements appeared to weigh heavily on Spallina.

“I’ve played lacrosse for as long as I can remember, and this is the worst feeling I’ve ever had,” Spallina said. “Just absolutely gutted after seeing guys maybe play their last-ever game … With an opportunity at the end like that, it’s probably a shot I’ll never forget.

“It was an absolute honor playing with my idol and someone I’ve wanted to be like when I grew up. Rob’s the greatest mentor that I’ve ever had. Guys like Rob, Colin [Heacock], Timmy [Muller] have been great with me and unbelievable role models for our team.”

Despite the loss, Pannell proved he’s still effective at age 36. The future Hall of Famer had a goal and an assist, adding to his record 671 career points. Marcus Holman, who is currently chasing the career goals record, gave Pannell his flowers after the game.

“Just thinking about our careers paralleling each other … he’s pushed me from afar. I know how hard Rob has worked to be great, arguably the greatest,” Holman said. “We’ve become closer as we’ve gotten older. … For the first seven or eight years we were like rivals from a distance, but now it’s a lot of mutual respect. Whatever the future holds for him, the game is better because Rob played.”